MCP IPFS Server
Interact with the storacha.network IPFS platform using the w3 CLI.
πͺ MCP IPFS Server (storacha.network) π°οΈ

A Node.js server implementing the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for interacting with the storacha.network platform via the w3 command-line interface (@web3-storage/w3cli).
This server empowers language models π€ and other MCP clients to manage storacha.network spaces, upload/download data, manage delegations, and perform various other tasks by seamlessly wrapping w3 commands.
β¨ Features
- Wraps the
w3CLI for native integration with storacha.network. - Provides MCP tools covering a wide range of
w3functionality:- π Authentication & Agent:
w3_login,w3_reset,w3_account_ls(for checking authorization) - π¦ Space Management:
w3_space_ls,w3_space_use,w3_space_info,w3_space_add,w3_space_provision(Note:w3_space_createmust be run manually due to interactive prompts) - πΎ Data Management:
w3_up,w3_ls,w3_rm - π Sharing:
w3_open(generates w3s.link URL) - π€ Delegations & Proofs:
w3_delegation_create,w3_delegation_ls,w3_delegation_revoke,w3_proof_add,w3_proof_ls - π Keys & Tokens:
w3_key_create,w3_bridge_generate_tokens - βοΈ Advanced Storage (
w3 can ...): Blob, CAR, Upload, Index, Access Claim, Filecoin Info management - π³ Account & Billing:
w3_plan_get,w3_coupon_create,w3_usage_report
- π Authentication & Agent:
π οΈ Prerequisites
- Node.js: Version 22.0.0 or higher (
node -v). w3CLI: The server executesw3commands directly. Ensure@web3-storage/w3cliis installed globally and configured:npm install -g @web3-storage/w3cli w3 login <[email protected]> # Follow email verification steps- Environment Variable: The
w3_logintool requires theW3_LOGIN_EMAILenvironment variable to be set to the same email used forw3 login.
ποΈ Project Structure
The codebase is organized as follows:
src/
βββ index.ts # Main server entry point, MCP setup, request routing
βββ schemas.ts # Zod schemas defining input arguments for each tool
βββ tool_handlers.ts # Implementation logic for each MCP tool
βββ utils.ts # Helper functions (e.g., running w3 commands, parsing JSON)
βββ utils/
βββ logger.ts # Basic logger configuration
π Usage with MCP Clients
This server can be used with any MCP-compatible client. You need to configure your client to connect to this server.
Example: NPX (Recommended for simple local use)
This assumes npm and the prerequisites are met.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ipfs": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-ipfs"],
"env": {
"W3_LOGIN_EMAIL": "[email protected]"
}
}
}
}
Example: Docker
Build the image first (see Build section) or use the pre-built image alexbakers/mcp-ipfs.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-ipfs": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-v",
"/path/to/your/project:/path/to/your/project",
"-e",
"W3_LOGIN_EMAIL",
"alexbakers/mcp-ipfs"
],
"env": {
"W3_LOGIN_EMAIL": "[email protected]"
}
}
}
}
π Note on Paths:
Several w3 commands require absolute filesystem paths (e.g., w3_up, w3_delegation_create --output, w3_proof_add, w3_can_blob_add, w3_can_store_add).
- NPX: Provide absolute paths from your host machine.
- Docker: Provide absolute paths inside the container. If interacting with files from your host (e.g., uploading), you must mount the relevant host directory into the container using the
-vflag (e.g.,-v /Users/me/project:/Users/me/project) and then use the container path (e.g.,/Users/me/project/my_file.txt) in the tool arguments.
π¦ Build
Clone the repository and install dependencies:
git clone https://github.com/alexbakers/mcp-ipfs.git
cd mcp-ipfs
npm install
Build the TypeScript code:
npm run build
You can then run the server directly:
# Ensure W3_LOGIN_EMAIL is set in your environment
export W3_LOGIN_EMAIL="[email protected]"
node dist/index.js
Or publish it (if you have the rights):
npm publish
π³ Docker Build
Build the Docker image:
# Build locally (replace with your username/repo and desired tag)
docker build -t alexbakers/mcp-ipfs .
π License
This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
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