Filesystem MCP Server

Official

Give your AI read and write access to your local files

filesystemfileslocalofficialread-write

The official Filesystem MCP server from Anthropic provides secure, configurable access to your local file system. You specify which directories the AI is allowed to access — it cannot read anything outside those paths. Supports reading, writing, searching, and moving files. Essential for developers who want AI assistance with local codebases, project files, or documents without copying and pasting content into the chat.

Install Config

Config file: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json· Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/Users/yourname/Documents",
        "/Users/yourname/Projects"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Available Tools (8)

Tool name	Description
read_file	Read the contents of a file
read_multiple_files	Read multiple files at once
write_file	Write or overwrite a file
create_directory	Create a new directory
list_directory	List files and subdirectories
move_file	Move or rename a file or directory
search_files	Search for files matching a pattern
get_file_info	Get metadata for a file or directory

Example Prompts

“List all files in my projects folder”
“Read the README.md in my current project”
“Find all .env files in my Documents folder”
“Create a new file called notes.md with today's meeting agenda”
“Search for all TypeScript files that import React”

Pros & Cons

Pros

Official Anthropic-maintained server
Configurable access — specify exactly which directories are accessible
Supports both read and write operations
Works with all major MCP clients

Cons

Write access can be risky — double-check which directories you expose
No search across file contents (only filenames)

Who Is This For?

·Developers who want AI to read and understand their local codebase
·Writers and researchers working with local document collections
·Anyone who wants to avoid copy-pasting files into chat

When to use: Use when you want your AI to directly read files from your machine rather than copy-pasting content into the chat. Specify only the directories you need — not your entire home folder.