PandaDoc API Patterns

PandaDoc MCP Tools & API Patterns

Overview

PandaDoc provides a hosted MCP server at https://developers.pandadoc.com/mcp for AI tool integration. The MCP server provides direct API access to PandaDoc's document automation platform, documentation search, and code generation assistance. This skill covers MCP server connection, authentication, the complete tool reference, rate limiting, error handling, and best practices.

Connection & Authentication

MCP Server

PandaDoc hosts an official MCP server. Authentication uses an API key passed via the Authorization header:

1. Log into app.pandadoc.com
2. Navigate to Settings > Integrations > API
3. Generate an API key

MCP Server URL: https://developers.pandadoc.com/mcp

Required Header:

Header	Value	Description
Authorization	API-Key <key>	API key from PandaDoc Settings

Authentication Modes

Mode	Auth Required	Use Case
Documentation search	No	Browsing PandaDoc API docs and guides
Code generation assistance	No	Generating code snippets for PandaDoc integration
Live API calls	Yes	Creating documents, sending for signature, checking status

Note: Documentation search and code generation work without an API key. All live API operations (creating documents, managing templates, sending for signature) require a valid API key.

Environment Variables

export PANDADOC_API_KEY="your-api-key"

Claude Desktop Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pandadoc": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y", "mcp-remote",
        "https://developers.pandadoc.com/mcp",
        "--header", "Authorization:API-Key YOUR_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Complete MCP Tool Reference

Document Tools

Tool	Description	Key Parameters
pandadoc-list-documents	List and filter documents	status, q (search query), tag, count, page, order_by, template_id, folder_uuid
pandadoc-get-document	Get a single document's details	id (required)
pandadoc-get-document-status	Get document status	id (required)
pandadoc-create-document	Create a document from template	template_uuid, name, recipients, tokens, fields, pricing_tables, folder_uuid
pandadoc-send-document	Send a document for signature	id (required), message, subject, silent
pandadoc-download-document	Download a completed document	id (required)

Template Tools

Tool	Description	Key Parameters
pandadoc-list-templates	List available templates	q (search query), count, page, tag, folder_uuid
pandadoc-get-template	Get template details	id (required)

Recipient Tools

Tool	Description	Key Parameters
pandadoc-add-recipient	Add a recipient to a document	document_id (required), email, first_name, last_name, role, signing_order

Documentation Tools

Tool	Description	Key Parameters
pandadoc-search-docs	Search PandaDoc API documentation	query (required)
pandadoc-get-code-sample	Generate code samples	endpoint, language

Pagination

Page-Based Pagination

List tools use 1-based page pagination with configurable count:

Pagination Parameters:

Parameter	Description	Default	Max
page	Page number (1-based)	1	-
count	Results per page	50	100

Iterating Through All Pages

To fetch all results, call the list tool repeatedly, incrementing page from 1 until the number of results returned is less than count:

1. Call the tool with page=1 and count=100
2. If the response contains 100 results, call again with page=2
3. Continue until fewer than 100 results are returned
4. Collect results from each response

Filtering & Sorting

Document Filters

Parameter	Values	Description
status	document.draft, document.sent, document.completed, document.viewed, document.waiting_approval, document.approved, document.rejected, document.waiting_pay, document.paid, document.voided, document.declined, document.expired	Filter by document status
q	string	Search documents by name
tag	string	Filter by document tag
template_id	UUID	Filter by source template
folder_uuid	UUID	Filter by folder
order_by	date_created, date_modified, name, date_status_changed	Sort field

Template Filters

Parameter	Values	Description
q	string	Search templates by name
tag	string	Filter by template tag
folder_uuid	UUID	Filter by folder

Response Format

Single Document:

{
  "id": "msFYActMfJHqNTKH9tcPFa",
  "name": "Acme Corp - Managed Services Agreement",
  "status": "document.sent",
  "date_created": "2026-01-15T10:30:00.000000Z",
  "date_modified": "2026-01-16T14:22:00.000000Z",
  "expiration_date": "2026-02-15T00:00:00.000000Z",
  "version": "2",
  "recipients": [
    {
      "email": "john@acme.com",
      "first_name": "John",
      "last_name": "Smith",
      "role": "Client",
      "signing_order": 1,
      "has_completed": false
    }
  ],
  "tokens": [
    {
      "name": "Client.Company",
      "value": "Acme Corporation"
    }
  ],
  "grand_total": {
    "amount": "2500.00",
    "currency": "USD"
  }
}

Paginated Document List:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "msFYActMfJHqNTKH9tcPFa",
      "name": "Acme Corp - Managed Services Agreement",
      "status": "document.sent",
      "date_created": "2026-01-15T10:30:00.000000Z"
    }
  ]
}

Rate Limiting

Rate Limit Details

Plan	Limit
Business	300 requests per minute
Enterprise	600 requests per minute

When rate limited, the API returns HTTP 429. Wait before retrying. Use exponential backoff for automated retries.

Rate Limit Best Practices

1. Batch operations - Minimize total API calls by using filters and pagination efficiently
2. Cache template data - Templates change infrequently; cache for minutes to hours
3. Avoid polling - Use webhooks where possible instead of repeatedly checking document status
4. Stagger requests - When processing multiple documents, add small delays between calls

Error Handling

Common Errors

Error	HTTP Code	Cause	Resolution
Unauthorized	401	Invalid or missing API key	Check PANDADOC_API_KEY and regenerate if needed
Forbidden	403	Insufficient permissions	Verify API key has required access scope
Not Found	404	Document/template ID does not exist	Verify the resource ID
Rate Limited	429	Too many requests	Wait and retry with exponential backoff
Validation Error	422	Invalid request parameters	Check required fields and parameter formats
Server Error	500	PandaDoc internal error	Retry after a brief delay

Troubleshooting MCP Connection

1. Verify API key - Ensure the API key is valid and not revoked
2. Check URL - MCP server URL must be https://developers.pandadoc.com/mcp
3. Test with docs search - Try pandadoc-search-docs (no auth required) to verify connectivity
4. Test with a simple call - Try pandadoc-list-documents with count=1 to verify authentication
5. Regenerate key - If authentication fails, generate a new key from PandaDoc Settings > API

Best Practices

1. Use template-based creation - Always create documents from templates for consistency
2. Filter server-side - Use status, q, and tag parameters to narrow results
3. Monitor rate limits - Stay well under your plan's request limit
4. Use document tags - Tag documents by client, type, or project for easy filtering
5. Check status before sending - Verify a document is in draft status before sending
6. Use content tokens - Populate template variables (tokens) to personalize documents
7. Set expiration dates - Use expiration dates on proposals to create urgency
8. Track recipient completion - Check has_completed for each recipient to monitor progress
9. Download completed documents - Archive signed documents after completion
10. Use folders - Organize templates and documents in folders for better management

Related Skills

• PandaDoc Documents - Document management
• PandaDoc Templates - Template library
• PandaDoc Recipients - Recipient and signature management
• PandaDoc Proposals - MSP proposal workflows