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MCP Filesystem Server for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

MCP Filesystem Server gives Claude Desktop file and directory operations within explicitly allowed paths.

What you can do with MCP Filesystem in Claude Desktop

Scoped local file operations, content search, and directory trees in a Go binary or library.

  • Read several project files in a single request.
  • Search file names and text within approved directories.

Before you start: MCP Filesystem in Claude Desktop

  • Go for the documented go install method
  • Install github.com/mark3labs/mcp-filesystem-server@latest
  • Allowed directories supplied at launch

Replace the example allowed paths. The README also documents Docker and embedding the filesystemserver package in Go applications.

MCP Filesystem Claude Desktop configuration

  1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

    For MCP Filesystem Server, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

  2. Add MCP Filesystem Server to Claude Desktop

    Use the mcp-filesystem-server entry below in mcpServers. Keep MCP Filesystem Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

  3. Check MCP Filesystem Server in Claude Desktop

    MCP Filesystem Server: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

Config file · macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-filesystem-server": {
      "command": "mcp-filesystem-server",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/allowed/directory",
        "/another/allowed/directory"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

MCP Filesystem tools available to Claude Desktop

MCP Filesystem's stored tool list documents 14 tools; compare it with Claude Desktop's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

read_file

When Claude Desktop requests read_file from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

Read all content from a specified file.

read_multiple_files

When Claude Desktop requests read_multiple_files from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

Read several paths in one operation.

write_file

When Claude Desktop requests write_file from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

Create a file or replace its existing content.

copy_file

When Claude Desktop requests copy_file from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

Copy a file or directory to another path.

move_file

When Claude Desktop requests move_file from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

Move or rename a file or directory.

delete_file

When Claude Desktop requests delete_file from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

Remove a file or directory, optionally recursively.

modify_file

When Claude Desktop requests modify_file from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

Replace matching text using a literal string or regex.

list_directory

When Claude Desktop requests list_directory from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

create_directory

When Claude Desktop requests create_directory from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

tree

When Claude Desktop requests tree from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

search_files

When Claude Desktop requests search_files from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

search_within_files

When Claude Desktop requests search_within_files from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

get_file_info

When Claude Desktop requests get_file_info from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

list_allowed_directories

When Claude Desktop requests list_allowed_directories from MCP Filesystem, review the action before approving it.

MCP Filesystem: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting MCP Filesystem in Claude Desktop

  • Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for MCP Filesystem Server. If mcp-filesystem-server is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
  • MCP Filesystem Server uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
  • Known limitation: The tool set includes overwriting and deletion, not only reads.
  • Known limitation: Docker needs a volume mount to modify host files.
  • General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

MCP Filesystem Server — details. Claude Desktop guide

Frequently asked questions

Claude Desktop loads MCP Filesystem Server from claude_desktop_config.json: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ on macOS, or %APPDATA%\Claude\ on Windows. Open it via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

Claude Desktop's mcp-filesystem-server example uses stdio.

MCP Filesystem Server's Claude Desktop configuration invokes mcp-filesystem-server.

MCP Filesystem Server's stored list contains 14 tools, including read_file, read_multiple_files, write_file. Compare those names with Claude Desktop's connected tool list; the stored list is not a live check.

Allowed directories are passed at launch, with path validation and symlink security checks described in the README.

Yes. It includes write, replacement, copy, move, and delete tools.