Add the Filesystem MCP server to Claude Code

Config last verified Jun 1, 2026

The exact config to run Filesystem in Claude Code — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.

Prerequisites

Claude Code installed.

Setup

1. Open `~/.claude.json`

2. Add this configuration

Add to ~/.claude.json

~/.claude.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/allowed/dir"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Or via CLI

bash

claude mcp add filesystem -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /path/to/allowed/dir

3. Restart Claude Code and confirm the Filesystem tools load.

Gotchas

Claude Code stores MCP servers under an "mcpServers" object in ~/.claude.json. It also reads a project-scoped .mcp.json and supports adding servers from the command line with "claude mcp add". Each entry must declare either a "type" or a "command"; Claude Code refuses an entry that has neither. Remote servers connect natively over Streamable HTTP with OAuth.

← Back to the Filesystem MCP server