mcp-ipfs
🪐 MCP IPFS Server This server empowers language models 🤖 and other MCP clients to manage storacha.network spaces, upload/download data, manage delegations, and perform various other tasks by seamlessly wrapping w3 commands.
What is mcp-ipfs?
mcp-ipfs is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to 🪐 mcp ipfs server this server empowers language models 🤖 and other mcp clients to manage storacha.network spaces, upload/download data, manage delegations, and perform various other tasks by seamles...
🪐 MCP IPFS Server This server empowers language models 🤖 and other MCP clients to manage storacha.network spaces, upload/download data, manage delegations, and perform various other tasks by seamlessly wrapping w3 commands.
This server falls under the File Systems category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- w3_account_ls
- w3_bridge_generate_tokens
- w3_can_access_claim
- w3_can_blob_add
- w3_can_blob_ls
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y mcp-ipfsManual Installation
npx -y mcp-ipfsConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use mcp-ipfs
The mcp-ipfs server wraps the w3 CLI from the web3.storage/storacha ecosystem, giving AI assistants and MCP clients the ability to manage decentralized storage spaces, upload and download files to IPFS, manage cryptographic delegations and access proofs, generate shareable w3s.link URLs, and administer storage accounts — all through natural language. It exposes over 40 MCP tools covering authentication, space management, blob/CAR operations, indexes, and billing, making it a comprehensive bridge between AI agents and the decentralized web.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ and npm installed
- The w3 CLI installed globally: npm install -g @web3-storage/w3cli
- A storacha.network / web3.storage account (free tier available)
- Authentication completed via 'w3 login [email protected]' before starting the MCP server
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop or Cursor
Install the w3 CLI and authenticate
Install the web3.storage w3 CLI and log in with your email address. This creates a local credential that mcp-ipfs will use to authorize all storage operations.
npm install -g @web3-storage/w3cli
w3 login [email protected]
# Check your email and click the verification linkCreate a storage space
Create a named space in your storacha account. Spaces are isolated storage namespaces, similar to buckets, where your files will live.
w3 space create my-ai-space
w3 space ls # verify the space was createdConfigure the MCP client
Add mcp-ipfs to your MCP client's configuration file. The W3_LOGIN_EMAIL variable must match the email you used with 'w3 login'.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-ipfs": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-ipfs"],
"env": {
"W3_LOGIN_EMAIL": "[email protected]"
}
}
}
}Restart your MCP client
Save the configuration and restart Claude Desktop or your MCP client. The mcp-ipfs tools — including w3_account_ls, w3_can_blob_add, w3_can_upload_add, and others — should now be available.
Upload a file through the AI assistant
Ask your AI assistant to upload a file to IPFS/storacha. Note that file paths must be absolute paths on your host machine when using npx.
mcp-ipfs Examples
Client configuration
Full Claude Desktop configuration for the mcp-ipfs server.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-ipfs": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-ipfs"],
"env": {
"W3_LOGIN_EMAIL": "[email protected]"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for managing decentralized storage via the mcp-ipfs MCP server.
- "List all my storacha spaces and show which one is currently active."
- "Upload the file at /home/user/report.pdf to my IPFS space and give me the shareable link."
- "List all uploads in my current storacha space and show their CIDs."
- "Create a delegation so that another agent key can add blobs to my space."
- "Show my storacha account plan and current storage usage."Troubleshooting mcp-ipfs
Authentication fails or 'not logged in' errors appear
Run 'w3 whoami' in a terminal to check if authentication is still valid. Re-run 'w3 login [email protected]' and click the verification link in the email. Ensure W3_LOGIN_EMAIL in the MCP config matches the authenticated email exactly.
File uploads fail with path not found errors
The mcp-ipfs server requires absolute filesystem paths for uploads. Ensure you provide the full path (e.g., /Users/name/file.pdf, not ~/file.pdf or relative paths). When using Docker, mount volumes and use container-side paths.
MCP tools are not available after configuration
Run 'npx -y mcp-ipfs' in a terminal to verify the package downloads and starts without error. Confirm that the w3 CLI is installed and on PATH by running 'w3 --version'. Restart the MCP client after resolving any issues.
Frequently Asked Questions about mcp-ipfs
What is mcp-ipfs?
mcp-ipfs is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that 🪐 mcp ipfs server this server empowers language models 🤖 and other mcp clients to manage storacha.network spaces, upload/download data, manage delegations, and perform various other tasks by seamlessly wrapping w3 commands. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install mcp-ipfs?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y mcp-ipfs. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with mcp-ipfs?
mcp-ipfs works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is mcp-ipfs free to use?
Yes, mcp-ipfs is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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