MCP Collection

Filesystem MCP Server

Read, write, and search files in allowed directories on the host machine.

Files & Documents MIT license Added Jul 13, 2026 Self-hosted

Filesystem is a Files & Documents MCP (Model Context Protocol) server: Read, write, and search files in allowed directories on the host machine. It is MIT-licensed and self-hosted from its source repository. Listed on MCP Collection since July 2026.

About Filesystem

Reference server giving agents controlled filesystem access with directory allowlists. A staple for local coding and document workflows.

How to connect Filesystem to Claude, Cursor or VS Code

Filesystem is self-hosted. Install it from the source repository, then register its start command in your MCP client's config (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "<start command from the README>",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

The exact command (often npx, uvx or docker) is in the project README at github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/filesystem.

Filesystem FAQ

What is Filesystem?

Filesystem is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server in the Files & Documents category. Read, write, and search files in allowed directories on the host machine. MCP servers expose tools that AI assistants like Claude can call during a conversation.

How do I use Filesystem with Claude or Cursor?

Filesystem is self-hosted. Install it from the source repository, then register its start command in your MCP client's config (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code).

Is Filesystem free to use?

Filesystem is published under the MIT license, so the software itself is free to run. Hosted or API-backed servers may have their own usage tiers; check the project homepage.

Where is the source code for Filesystem?

The source is at github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/filesystem.

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