File Search Tool

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides powerful file system search and inspection capabilities via the MCP protocol. Use this tool to list directories, search file names, read file contents (including PDF and DOCX), and perform regex‑based content searches with context.

Features

• 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 and search 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.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10 or higher
• uv - Fast Python package manager

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/RJTPP/mcp-server-file-search-tool
cd mcp-server-file-search-tool

2. Create virtual environment and install dependencies:

uv sync

Running the Server

Start the server (default port 6277):

uv run server.py

Claude Desktop Integration

To add this server to Claude Desktop:

mcp install server.py --name "File Search Tool"

Or manually add it to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "File Search Tool": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/mcp-sever-file-search-tool/",
        "run",
        "--with",
        "mcp[cli]",
        "mcp",
        "run",
        "server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Configuration

1. Copy the example configuration:

   cp config_example.json config.json

2. Edit config.json to customize:

{
  "DEFAULT_TIME_LIMIT": 10,
  "HIDE_HIDDEN_FILES": true,
  "HOST": "127.0.0.1",
  "PORT": 6277,
  "ALLOWED_PATHS": [
    "/path/to/allowed/directory"
  ],
  "EXCLUDE_PATHS": [
    "/path/to/excluded/directory"
  ],
  "PATH_MASKER": {
    "ENABLED": true,
    "MODE": "segment",
    "MASK_TOKEN": "MASK",
    "LOOK_FOR": [
      "path_to_mask"
    ]
  }
}

Required Fields

• ALLOWED_PATHS is required. The server will not start unless at least one allowed path is configured.

Configuration Field Descriptions

Field	Type	Description
DEFAULT_TIME_LIMIT	int	Max execution time for searches (in seconds).
HIDE_HIDDEN_FILES	bool	If true, ignores files and directories that start with .
HOST	string	IP address the server will bind to (e.g., "127.0.0.1").
PORT	int	Port number to listen on (e.g., 6277).
ALLOWED_PATHS	list[string]	Required. Directories the server is allowed to access and search.
EXCLUDE_PATHS	list[string]	Directories to explicitly block, even if inside allowed paths.
PATH_MASKER	object	Optional masking settings for privacy.
PATH_MASKER.ENABLED	bool	Enables or disables path masking.
PATH_MASKER.MODE	"segment" or "prefix"	Masking mode: "segment" replaces matching segments; "prefix" masks full path prefixes.
PATH_MASKER.MASK_TOKEN	string	The token to replace matched path segments (e.g., "MASK").
PATH_MASKER.LOOK_FOR	list[string]	List of path segments to be masked when found in full paths.

Security

[!WARNING] This server does not implement authentication or encryption.
It is designed for local, personal use only. Do not expose the server to untrusted networks or use it in production without adding proper security measures.

License

This project is released under the MIT License.

You are free to use, modify, and distribute this software under the terms of the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for detailed terms and conditions.