Filesystem MCP

MCP Server that enables LLMs to interact with the local filesystem.

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Not yet automatically verified

We haven't yet run this listing's install command through our automated sandbox check. This isn't a red flag — we're steadily working through the catalog.

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Client Config & Setup

Choose your client or environment

Target File:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste the JSON block into your client's configuration file under mcpServers, then restart the application.

Documentation Overview

Filesystem MCP Server

Overview

Filesystem-MCP is a Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants read and write files within explicitly allowed directories. Sensitive file patterns (.env, *.pem, *id_rsa*) are blocked by default. It exposes filesystem tools, resources, and prompts over stdio or Streamable HTTP transport.

Aspect	Details
Status	Active (see npm badge for the current version)
Language	TypeScript (strict)
Runtime	Node.js >= 24
Package	npm
License	MIT

Features

Feature	Description
Path guarding	Every path is validated against allowed roots; `.env`, `.pem`, `id_rsa*` and similar patterns are denied
Filesystem tools	Navigate, inspect, read, and write across all major file operations
Batch operations	Most tools accept `path`, `paths[]`, or `files[]` for parallel execution
Dual transport	stdio by default; `--port` enables Streamable HTTP
File subscriptions	Resource subscriptions push change notifications when watched files update
Regex safety	RE2 in all search tools: linear-time matching, so no pattern can ReDoS the server

Built with

Layer	Technology
Protocol	MCP SDK v2 (`@modelcontextprotocol/server`)
Runtime	Node.js >= 24 · TypeScript 6 · ESM
Transport	stdio (default) · Streamable HTTP (`--port`)
Regex	RE2 (`re2-wasm`) — linear time, no lookahead/lookbehind/backreferences
Container	Docker alpine · multi-stage build · non-root user

Quick start
Usage
Project structure
Configuration
Scripts
Security
Contributing
License

Quick start

[!NOTE] Requires Node.js ≥ 24.

Prerequisites

Requirement	Version / Notes
Node.js	≥ 24
npm	Bundled with Node.js
Docker	Optional — for container use

Install via npx

Terminal

npx -y @j0hanz/filesystem-mcp /path/to/allowed/dir

Or install globally:

Terminal

npm install -g @j0hanz/filesystem-mcp
filesystem-mcp /path/to/allowed/dir

Install via Docker

Terminal

docker run -i --rm \
  -v /path/to/project:/workspace:ro \
  ghcr.io/j0hanz/filesystem-mcp:latest \
  --read-only /workspace

Configure in VS Code

Add to .vscode/mcp.json:

config.json

{
  "servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest", "/path/to/project"]
    }
  }
}

Or install via CLI:

code --add-mcp '{"name":"filesystem","command":"npx","args":["-y","@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest","/path/to/project"]}'

Configure in Visual Studio

Add to .vs\mcp.json in your solution directory, or %USERPROFILE%\.mcp.json for a global configuration:

config.json

{
  "servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest", "/path/to/project"]
    }
  }
}

Configure in Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest", "/path/to/project"]
    }
  }
}

Install in Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project root (project-scoped), or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for a global configuration:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest", "/path/to/project"]
    }
  }
}

Docker configuration

VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json) and Visual Studio (.vs\mcp.json):

config.json

{
  "servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-v",
        "/path/to/project:/workspace",
        "ghcr.io/j0hanz/filesystem-mcp:latest",
        "/workspace"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json) and Cursor (mcp.json):

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-v",
        "/path/to/project:/workspace",
        "ghcr.io/j0hanz/filesystem-mcp:latest",
        "/workspace"
      ]
    }
  }
}

[!NOTE] For least privilege, use both controls: :ro makes the container mount read-only at the operating-system boundary, while the server's --read-only flag removes mutating tools (create, edit, move, delete, patch, replace_text) from tools/list.

Usage

Tools

All tools are scoped to the configured roots. Call list_roots first to discover what is allowed.

Navigate

Tool	Description
`list_roots`	List allowed workspace roots. Call this first — all other tools scope to these.
`list`	List directory contents. Returns entries (dirs-first, alphabetical) and an ASCII tree.
`find_files`	Find files by glob pattern (e.g. `*/.ts`). Returns matching files with metadata.

Inspect

Tool	Description
`stat`	Get file/directory metadata: size, modified time, permissions, MIME type, token estimate.
`search_text`	Search file contents for text (grep-like). Returns matching lines with context.
`diff`	Compare two files and return a unified diff with added/removed line counts.

Read

Tool	Description
`read`	Read a text file. Supports head/tail and line ranges. Accepts `paths[]` for batches.

Write

Read the full README →View source on GitHub →

Related MCP Servers

View all in File Systems View all alternatives

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how this listing worked for you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Filesystem MCP

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "filesystem-mcp": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "Filesystem MCP"] } }

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Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryFile Systems

37Quality signal: Fair · 37/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership10/20

Documentation & tools15/30

Adoption & activity3/15

Community engagement0/10

A guidance signal from public completeness & health data — not a user rating. New listings start lower and rise as they add docs, get verified, and grow adoption. Signals we can't observe for a listing are skipped, not counted against it.

★ Featured

Moxie Docs MCP

MCP & Agent Skills for Automated Documentation, and codebase conventions + context

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Explore more

More in 📂 File Systems →Best MCP servers for File Systems →Alternatives to Filesystem MCP →Install in Claude Desktop Install in Cursor Install in VS Code

Filesystem MCP

MCP Server that enables LLMs to interact with the local filesystem.

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Not yet automatically verified

We haven't yet run this listing's install command through our automated sandbox check. This isn't a red flag — we're steadily working through the catalog.

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Client Config & Setup

Choose your client or environment

Target File:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste the JSON block into your client's configuration file under mcpServers, then restart the application.

Documentation Overview

Filesystem MCP Server

Overview

Aspect	Details
Status	Active (see npm badge for the current version)
Language	TypeScript (strict)
Runtime	Node.js >= 24
Package	npm
License	MIT

Features

Feature	Description
Path guarding	Every path is validated against allowed roots; `.env`, `.pem`, `id_rsa*` and similar patterns are denied
Filesystem tools	Navigate, inspect, read, and write across all major file operations
Batch operations	Most tools accept `path`, `paths[]`, or `files[]` for parallel execution
Dual transport	stdio by default; `--port` enables Streamable HTTP
File subscriptions	Resource subscriptions push change notifications when watched files update
Regex safety	RE2 in all search tools: linear-time matching, so no pattern can ReDoS the server

Built with

Layer	Technology
Protocol	MCP SDK v2 (`@modelcontextprotocol/server`)
Runtime	Node.js >= 24 · TypeScript 6 · ESM
Transport	stdio (default) · Streamable HTTP (`--port`)
Regex	RE2 (`re2-wasm`) — linear time, no lookahead/lookbehind/backreferences
Container	Docker alpine · multi-stage build · non-root user

Quick start
Usage
Project structure
Configuration
Scripts
Security
Contributing
License

Quick start

[!NOTE] Requires Node.js ≥ 24.

Prerequisites

Requirement	Version / Notes
Node.js	≥ 24
npm	Bundled with Node.js
Docker	Optional — for container use

Install via npx

Terminal

npx -y @j0hanz/filesystem-mcp /path/to/allowed/dir

Or install globally:

Terminal

npm install -g @j0hanz/filesystem-mcp
filesystem-mcp /path/to/allowed/dir

Install via Docker

Terminal

docker run -i --rm \
  -v /path/to/project:/workspace:ro \
  ghcr.io/j0hanz/filesystem-mcp:latest \
  --read-only /workspace

Configure in VS Code

Add to .vscode/mcp.json:

config.json

{
  "servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest", "/path/to/project"]
    }
  }
}

Or install via CLI:

code --add-mcp '{"name":"filesystem","command":"npx","args":["-y","@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest","/path/to/project"]}'

Configure in Visual Studio

Add to .vs\mcp.json in your solution directory, or %USERPROFILE%\.mcp.json for a global configuration:

config.json

{
  "servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest", "/path/to/project"]
    }
  }
}

Configure in Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest", "/path/to/project"]
    }
  }
}

Install in Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project root (project-scoped), or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for a global configuration:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest", "/path/to/project"]
    }
  }
}

Docker configuration

VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json) and Visual Studio (.vs\mcp.json):

config.json

{
  "servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-v",
        "/path/to/project:/workspace",
        "ghcr.io/j0hanz/filesystem-mcp:latest",
        "/workspace"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json) and Cursor (mcp.json):

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-v",
        "/path/to/project:/workspace",
        "ghcr.io/j0hanz/filesystem-mcp:latest",
        "/workspace"
      ]
    }
  }
}

[!NOTE] For least privilege, use both controls: :ro makes the container mount read-only at the operating-system boundary, while the server's --read-only flag removes mutating tools (create, edit, move, delete, patch, replace_text) from tools/list.

Usage

Tools

All tools are scoped to the configured roots. Call list_roots first to discover what is allowed.

Navigate

Tool	Description
`list_roots`	List allowed workspace roots. Call this first — all other tools scope to these.
`list`	List directory contents. Returns entries (dirs-first, alphabetical) and an ASCII tree.
`find_files`	Find files by glob pattern (e.g. `*/.ts`). Returns matching files with metadata.

Inspect

Tool	Description
`stat`	Get file/directory metadata: size, modified time, permissions, MIME type, token estimate.
`search_text`	Search file contents for text (grep-like). Returns matching lines with context.
`diff`	Compare two files and return a unified diff with added/removed line counts.

Read

Tool	Description
`read`	Read a text file. Supports head/tail and line ranges. Accepts `paths[]` for batches.

Write

Read the full README →View source on GitHub →

Related MCP Servers

View all in File Systems View all alternatives

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how this listing worked for you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Filesystem MCP

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "filesystem-mcp": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "Filesystem MCP"] } }

AllMCPs Directory Badge

Full Badge Customizer

Showcase your server listing on GitHub or your project documentation. Embed this dynamic SVG badge to highlight official listing status and live engagement.

Badge Style:

Live Dynamic SVG Preview

Markdown (GitHub README)

[![AllMCPs](https://allmcps.com/api/badge/filesystem-mcp?style=directory)](https://allmcps.com/mcp/filesystem-mcp)

HTML Embed

<a href="https://allmcps.com/mcp/filesystem-mcp"><img src="https://allmcps.com/api/badge/filesystem-mcp?style=directory" alt="Filesystem MCP on AllMCPs" /></a>

Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryFile Systems

37Quality signal: Fair · 37/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership10/20

Documentation & tools15/30

Adoption & activity3/15

Community engagement0/10

★ Featured

Moxie Docs MCP

MCP & Agent Skills for Automated Documentation, and codebase conventions + context

Explore Server →

Own this project?

Free dofollow backlink: add your website and place the AllMCPs badge on it — no claim needed. We detect it automatically and keep it verified as long as the badge stays live.

Claim & get free dofollow

Share & Embed

Add our SVG badge (dark/light directory styles) or embeddable widget to your site.

Explore more

More in 📂 File Systems →Best MCP servers for File Systems →Alternatives to Filesystem MCP →Install in Claude Desktop Install in Cursor Install in VS Code

Filesystem MCP

Quick Install

Client Config & Setup

Documentation Overview

Filesystem MCP Server

Overview

Features

Built with

Table of Contents

Quick start

Prerequisites

Install via npx

Install via Docker

Configure in VS Code

Configure in Visual Studio

Configure in Claude Desktop

Install in Cursor

Docker configuration

Usage

Tools

Navigate

Inspect

Read

Write

Related MCP Servers

Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions about Filesystem MCP

AllMCPs Directory Badge

Technical Specs & Signals

Moxie Docs MCP

Own this project?

Share & Embed

Explore more

Filesystem MCP

Quick Install

Client Config & Setup

Documentation Overview

Filesystem MCP Server

Overview

Features

Built with

Table of Contents

Quick start

Prerequisites

Install via npx

Install via Docker

Configure in VS Code

Configure in Visual Studio

Configure in Claude Desktop

Install in Cursor

Docker configuration

Usage

Tools

Navigate

Inspect

Read

Write

Related MCP Servers

Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions about Filesystem MCP

AllMCPs Directory Badge

Technical Specs & Signals

Moxie Docs MCP

Own this project?

Share & Embed

Explore more