MCP Setup Guide · #1 Essential

How to Set Up Filesystem MCP with ClawdBot

The foundation MCP: let ClawdBot read, write, and manage files—safely scoped to directories you choose.

Overview

The Filesystem MCP enables:

Read files and directory listings
Write and create new files
Move, copy, and delete files
Search files by name or content

Security: Access is strictly limited to paths you specify. ClawdBot cannot escape these directories.

Prerequisites

ClawdBot installed and running
Node.js 18+

Basic Setup

Allow access to a single working directory:

Single Directory Config json

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

Replace ./workdir with your project folder path.

Multiple Directories

Grant access to several locations:

Multi-Path Config json

{
  "filesystem": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": [
      "-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
      "./projects",
      "./documents",
      "/tmp/clawdbot-scratch"
    ]
  }
}

Path Rules

Relative paths resolve from ClawdBot's working directory
Absolute paths work as expected (/home/user/docs)
~ expansion may not work—use full path instead
Windows: Use forward slashes or escaped backslashes (C:/Users/...)

Verify Setup

Run clawdbot status — filesystem MCP should show as "running"
Test: "List files in the current directory"
Test: "Read the contents of README.md"
Test: "Create a file called test.txt with 'Hello World'"

Common Errors

Error	Cause	Fix
`Path not allowed`	Requested path outside allowed directories	Add the path to config args, or use allowed path
`ENOENT`	File or directory doesn't exist	Check path spelling, create parent directories
`EACCES`	Permission denied at OS level	Check file permissions, run ClawdBot with appropriate user
`Directory not found`	Config path doesn't exist	Create the directory first, or fix the path

Security Best Practices

⚠️ Important Security Notes

Never allow / or C:\ — always scope to specific directories
Avoid ~ (home directory) unless you trust all operations
Use a dedicated scratch directory for AI-generated files
Regularly audit what ClawdBot has written

Recommended Setup

Project folder: ./myproject — for code and docs
Scratch folder: /tmp/clawdbot — for temporary files
Never include: ~/.ssh, ~/.aws, system directories

Example Prompts

"Read src/main.ts and explain what it does"
"Create a new file called notes.md with today's meeting notes"
"Find all files containing 'TODO' in the project"
"Rename old-config.json to backup-config.json"
"Delete all .log files in the logs directory"

Integration with Other MCPs

Filesystem pairs well with:

GitHub MCP — clone repos, then edit locally
Sequential Thinking — reason through file changes before making them
Puppeteer — save screenshots to disk

Related MCPs

Google Drive — cloud file access
Top 10 MCPs — full curated list