# 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.

## Install

Merge the JSON below into your `.mcp.json`:

## Quick Use

Add to your `.mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/Users/you/projects"]
    }
  }
}
```

The last argument is the root directory — the agent can only access files within it. Restart Claude Code.

---

## Intro

Filesystem MCP is the official Model Context Protocol server for local file access with 4,000+ GitHub stars. It gives AI agents like Claude Code safe, scoped access to read, write, search, and manage files within a specified root directory. The agent cannot escape the root — it is sandboxed by design. Best for workflows where agents need to manage files outside the current project directory, like config files, data directories, or multi-repo setups. Works with: Claude Code, Cursor, any MCP client. Setup time: under 1 minute.

---

## 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:

```json
"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:

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

### Read-Only Mode
For safety, restrict to read-only:

```json
"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.

---

## Source & Thanks

> Part of [MCP Servers](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers). Licensed under MIT.
>
> [server-filesystem](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers) — stars 4,000+

---

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## 快速使用

将以下配置添加到 `.mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/你的/项目/路径"]
    }
  }
}
```

---

## 简介

Filesystem MCP 是官方本地文件访问 MCP 服务器，GitHub 4,000+ stars。在指定根目录范围内安全地读写、搜索和管理文件。Agent 无法访问根目录之外的文件。支持只读模式。

---

## 来源与感谢

> Part of [MCP Servers](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers). Licensed under MIT.

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/92b8baf2-3780-401c-aeba-62c0b6842922
Author: MCP Hub