Filesystem Reference Featured

Files & Storage npm v2026.8.31

Secure file operations with configurable access controls. Read, write, move and search local files, scoped to directories you explicitly allow.

View source ↗ Generate config for multiple servers More servers

Install

Pin version registry version 2026.8.31

npm (official)
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /path/to/allowed/dir

npm (official)
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem@2026.8.31 /path/to/allowed/dir

Setup by client

Pick your client — the config below is generated for this server (local stdio). Copy respects the “Pin version” switch above.

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/allowed/dir"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES": "<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES>"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem@2026.8.31",
        "/path/to/allowed/dir"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES": "<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Format verified against the official Claude Desktop docs ↗.

terminal

claude mcp add --env ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES=<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES> filesystem -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /path/to/allowed/dir

claude mcp add --env ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES=<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES> filesystem -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem@2026.8.31 /path/to/allowed/dir

Format verified against the official Claude Code docs ↗.

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/allowed/dir"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES": "<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES>"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem@2026.8.31",
        "/path/to/allowed/dir"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES": "<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Format verified against the official Cursor docs ↗.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/allowed/dir"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES": "<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES>"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem@2026.8.31",
        "/path/to/allowed/dir"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES": "<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Format verified against the official VS Code docs ↗.

mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/allowed/dir"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES": "<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES>"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem@2026.8.31",
        "/path/to/allowed/dir"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES": "<YOUR_ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Format verified against the official Windsurf docs ↗.

Environment variables

Defined in the server's official registry manifest. Required secrets are shown as <YOUR_…> placeholders in the configs above.

ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES required — Not an env var — directories are passed as command-line arguments. Add every directory the assistant may read/write; everything else is denied by design (list_allowed_directories shows the effective list). Get it: Arguments in your client config

Official version check

Official reference server — modelcontextprotocol/servers (src/filesystem)

The official filesystem server is distributed from the modelcontextprotocol/servers monorepo and is still actively maintained. This listing previously pointed at a third-party implementation (FieldCure). The official command is below; access is scoped strictly to the directories you pass as arguments.

Official filesystem README ↗

What it can do

read_text_file
read_media_file
read_multiple_files
write_file
edit_file
create_directory
list_directory
directory_tree
move_file
search_files
get_file_info
list_allowed_directories

Common issues

Access denied for a path

Only the directories passed as arguments are accessible. Add each needed directory to the server arguments and restart the client. Source: github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/filesy ↗

Changes touch unexpected files

Grant the narrowest directory set that works (a project folder, not your home directory) — the server runs with your user permissions. Source: github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/filesy ↗

Alternatives

Other community implementations

Independent, non-official implementations of the Filesystem MCP server maintained by the community.

Last verified: 2026-10-15 ｜ Sources: Official filesystem server README ↗ · Official servers README ↗

GitHub

⭐ 91,272 stars · 最近更新于 16 天前

These star and push figures are for the shared repository — 14 listings on this site point at the same repository.

About this server

Node.js server implementing Model Context Protocol (MCP) for filesystem operations. Published on npm as @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem . The server uses a flexible directory access control system. Directories can be specified via command-line arguments or dynamically via Roots. Sp

Summary from the project README — github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers

Distributed as npm, listed under Files & Storage. Review our MCP security guide before granting access to real data.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Filesystem MCP server do?

How do I install Filesystem?

Run the install command shown above, then paste the config for your client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code or Windsurf) into its MCP settings and restart the client.

Is Filesystem free to use?

The MCP server itself is free to install. The source is public on https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers. Any third-party service it calls may require its own API key and account.

Which clients support Filesystem?

Any MCP-compatible client can use it, including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and custom agents.

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