Submit
modelcontextprotocol

Filesystem MCP Server

Updated

MCP server for filesystem access

11 tools
Name Description
read_file Read the complete contents of a file from the file system. Handles various text encodings and provides detailed error messages if the file cannot be read. Use this tool when you need to examine the contents of a single file. Only works within allowed directories.
read_multiple_files Read the contents of multiple files simultaneously. This is more efficient than reading files one by one when you need to analyze or compare multiple files. Each file's content is returned with its path as a reference. Failed reads for individual files won't stop the entire operation. Only works within allowed directories.
write_file Create a new file or completely overwrite an existing file with new content. Use with caution as it will overwrite existing files without warning. Handles text content with proper encoding. Only works within allowed directories.
edit_file Make line-based edits to a text file. Each edit replaces exact line sequences with new content. Returns a git-style diff showing the changes made. Only works within allowed directories.
create_directory Create a new directory or ensure a directory exists. Can create multiple nested directories in one operation. If the directory already exists, this operation will succeed silently. Perfect for setting up directory structures for projects or ensuring required paths exist. Only works within allowed directories.
list_directory Get a detailed listing of all files and directories in a specified path. Results clearly distinguish between files and directories with [FILE] and [DIR] prefixes. This tool is essential for understanding directory structure and finding specific files within a directory. Only works within allowed directories.
directory_tree Get a recursive tree view of files and directories as a JSON structure. Each entry includes 'name', 'type' (file/directory), and 'children' for directories. Files have no children array, while directories always have a children array (which may be empty). The output is formatted with 2-space indentation for readability. Only works within allowed directories.
move_file Move or rename files and directories. Can move files between directories and rename them in a single operation. If the destination exists, the operation will fail. Works across different directories and can be used for simple renaming within the same directory. Both source and destination must be within allowed directories.
search_files Recursively search for files and directories matching a pattern. Searches through all subdirectories from the starting path. The search is case-insensitive and matches partial names. Returns full paths to all matching items. Great for finding files when you don't know their exact location. Only searches within allowed directories.
get_file_info Retrieve detailed metadata about a file or directory. Returns comprehensive information including size, creation time, last modified time, permissions, and type. This tool is perfect for understanding file characteristics without reading the actual content. Only works within allowed directories.
list_allowed_directories Returns the list of directories that this server is allowed to access. Use this to understand which directories are available before trying to access files.

Filesystem MCP Server

Node.js server implementing Model Context Protocol (MCP) for filesystem operations.

Features

  • Read/write files
  • Create/list/delete directories
  • Move files/directories
  • Search files
  • Get file metadata

Note: The server will only allow operations within directories specified via args.

API

Resources

  • file://system: File system operations interface

Tools

  • read_file

    • Read complete contents of a file
    • Input: path (string)
    • Reads complete file contents with UTF-8 encoding

  • read_multiple_files

    • Read multiple files simultaneously
    • Input: paths (string[])
    • Failed reads won't stop the entire operation

  • write_file

    • Create new file or overwrite existing (exercise caution with this)
    • Inputs:
      • path (string): File location
      • content (string): File content

  • edit_file

    • Make selective edits using advanced pattern matching and formatting
    • Features:
      • Line-based and multi-line content matching
      • Whitespace normalization with indentation preservation
      • Multiple simultaneous edits with correct positioning
      • Indentation style detection and preservation
      • Git-style diff output with context
      • Preview changes with dry run mode
    • Inputs:
      • path (string): File to edit
      • edits (array): List of edit operations
        • oldText (string): Text to search for (can be substring)
        • newText (string): Text to replace with
      • dryRun (boolean): Preview changes without applying (default: false)
    • Returns detailed diff and match information for dry runs, otherwise applies changes
    • Best Practice: Always use dryRun first to preview changes before applying them

  • create_directory

    • Create new directory or ensure it exists
    • Input: path (string)
    • Creates parent directories if needed
    • Succeeds silently if directory exists

  • list_directory

    • List directory contents with [FILE] or [DIR] prefixes
    • Input: path (string)

  • move_file

    • Move or rename files and directories
    • Inputs:
      • source (string)
      • destination (string)
    • Fails if destination exists

  • search_files

    • Recursively search for files/directories
    • Inputs:
      • path (string): Starting directory
      • pattern (string): Search pattern
      • excludePatterns (string[]): Exclude any patterns. Glob formats are supported.
    • Case-insensitive matching
    • Returns full paths to matches

  • get_file_info

    • Get detailed file/directory metadata
    • Input: path (string)
    • Returns:
      • Size
      • Creation time
      • Modified time
      • Access time
      • Type (file/directory)
      • Permissions

  • list_allowed_directories

    • List all directories the server is allowed to access
    • No input required
    • Returns:
      • Directories that this server can read/write from

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

Note: you can provide sandboxed directories to the server by mounting them to /projects. Adding the ro flag will make the directory readonly by the server.

Docker

Note: all directories must be mounted to /projects by default.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "--mount", "type=bind,src=/Users/username/Desktop,dst=/projects/Desktop",
        "--mount", "type=bind,src=/path/to/other/allowed/dir,dst=/projects/other/allowed/dir,ro",
        "--mount", "type=bind,src=/path/to/file.txt,dst=/projects/path/to/file.txt",
        "mcp/filesystem",
        "/projects"
      ]
    }
  }
}

NPX

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/Users/username/Desktop",
        "/path/to/other/allowed/dir"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Build

Docker build:

docker build -t mcp/filesystem -f src/filesystem/Dockerfile .

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. This means you are free to use, modify, and distribute the software, subject to the terms and conditions of the MIT License. For more details, please see the LICENSE file in the project repository.

MCP Server · Populars

MCP Server · New