Filesystem

What it does

Gives an agent scoped read, write, and search access to directories you explicitly allow. It is the reference implementation for local file work: you pass one or more roots on the command line, and the server refuses anything outside them. Most agent setups start here because it turns a chat window into something that can actually edit a project.

Install

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ./

Client configuration

Paste this into your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any client that reads mcpServers), then restart the client.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "./"
      ]
    }
  }
}

When to use it

Reach for this when the task needs files inside the agent loop. Skip it if a plain shell command or a one-off script is enough — every server you add costs context and adds a failure mode.

Other TypeScript servers

• Memory — A persistent knowledge graph stored in a local JSON file, exposed through entities, relations, and observations
• Sequential Thinking — Gives the model a scratchpad for structured, revisable reasoning: numbered thoughts that can branch, revise, and conclude
• Everything — A deliberately exhaustive reference server that exercises prompts, resources, tools, sampling, and notifications