What is Filesystem MCP — Local File Access for AI Agents?

Official MCP server that gives AI agents safe, scoped access to your local filesystem. Read, write, search, and manage files and directories with configurable permissions. 4,000+ stars.

Is Filesystem MCP — Local File Access for AI Agents free to use?

Yes. Filesystem MCP — Local File Access for AI Agents is freely available on TokRepo. Check the Source & Thanks section on the asset page for the specific open-source license.

How do I install Filesystem MCP — Local File Access for AI Agents?

Visit the asset page on TokRepo and click "Copy for agent" to get the installation instructions. Most assets can be installed with a single command.

Filesystem MCP — Local File Access for AI Agents

Available Tools

`read_file`

"Read the contents of ~/projects/shared/config.yaml"

`write_file`

"Save this JSON data to ~/projects/data/output.json"

`list_directory`

"Show all files in ~/projects/backend/src/"

`search_files`

"Find all .env files under ~/projects/"
"Search for files containing 'DATABASE_URL'"

`create_directory`

"Create a new directory ~/projects/backups/2026-04-07"

`move_file`

"Rename old-config.yaml to config.yaml.bak"

`get_file_info`

"Show the size and modification date of package.json"

Security Model

Scoped Root

The agent can ONLY access files under the specified root:

"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/Users/you/projects"]

Access /Users/you/projects/app/src/ — allowed
Access /Users/you/.ssh/ — blocked
Access /etc/passwd — blocked

Multiple Roots

Allow access to multiple directories:

"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
         "/Users/you/projects", "/Users/you/documents"]

Read-Only Mode

For safety, restrict to read-only:

"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "--read-only", "/path"]

Key Stats

4,000+ GitHub stars
Official MCP server
Sandboxed root directory
Read, write, search, move
Read-only mode available

FAQ

Q: What is Filesystem MCP? A: The official MCP server for local file access, giving AI agents scoped read/write access to files within a specified root directory.

Q: Is it safe? A: Yes, the agent cannot access files outside the specified root directory. Use read-only mode for extra safety.

Q: How is this different from Claude Code's built-in file access? A: Claude Code accesses the current project directory. Filesystem MCP lets you grant access to additional directories outside the project.