MCP Server - File Search Tool 🗂️

What is MCP Server - File Search Tool 🗂️?

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides powerful file system search and inspection capabilities via the MCP protocol. It allows users to list directories, search file names, read file contents (including PDF and DOCX), and perform regex‑based content searches with context. Designed for local, personal use.

How to use MCP Server - File Search Tool 🗂️?

After installing Python 3.10+ and uv, clone the repository, run uv sync to install dependencies, then start the server with uv run server.py (default port 6277). Configuration is done via config.json, where ALLOWED_PATHS is required. Can be integrated into Claude Desktop using the mcp install command or by manually editing claude_desktop_config.json.

Key features of MCP Server - File Search Tool 🗂️

• List file paths: Breadth‑first or depth‑first listing with paging and nested‑level control.
• Search file names: Regex‑based file name search.
• Read files: Read text, PDF, and DOCX files with optional character limits.
• Search file contents: Regex‑based content search with configurable context lines.
• Allowed paths: Restrict server to only browse within configured directories.
• Exclude paths: Prevent sensitive directories from being accessed.
• Hide hidden files: Optionally ignore files and directories beginning with a dot.
• Path masking: Replace configured path segments with tokens for privacy.

Use cases of MCP Server - File Search Tool 🗂️

• Quickly locate files by name or content within allowed project directories.
• Inspect text, PDF, and DOCX documents from an MCP‑compatible client.
• Perform regex‑based code or log searches with surrounding context lines.
• Enable AI assistants to retrieve files only from approved, sandboxed folders.

FAQ from MCP Server - File Search Tool 🗂️

What are the runtime requirements?

Python 3.10 or higher and the uv package manager are required.

Does the server support authentication or encryption?

No. The README explicitly warns that it does not implement authentication or encryption and is designed for local, personal use only.

How do I restrict which directories the server can access?

Set the required ALLOWED_PATHS in config.json. Optionally, set EXCLUDE_PATHS to block specific directories, even if inside allowed paths.

What file formats can the server read?

It can read plain text files, PDF files, and DOCX files.

Can I hide hidden files (dot‑prefix)?

Yes. Set HIDE_HIDDEN_FILES to true in the configuration to ignore files and directories starting with ..