Vault Tools

MCP Server: Local File Transforms for AI Agents

59 tools to convert, compress, merge, and transform files. Predictable outputs, path-based I/O, zero network calls.

Privacy by architecture

No file bytes are sent to the model. Tools operate on paths and write outputs to disk. Some tools return extracted metadata (EXIF tags, checksums, word counts) by design. No telemetry, no network calls during processing.

Beyond read/write

Filesystem MCP VaultTools MCP

Read & write files ✓ ✓

Format conversion (PNG → WebP, CSV → JSON…) — ✓

Compression & optimization — ✓

Merge / split / organize — ✓

Metadata & checksums — ✓

Directory sandboxing — ✓

Path-based I/O (file bytes never in context) — ✓

Filesystem MCP reads and writes. VaultTools transforms, and keeps file bytes out of the AI conversation.

Install

Interactive setup that picks your AI tool and directory:

npx @vaulttools/mcp init

Or run directly:

npx @vaulttools/mcp --allowed-dir /path/to/your/files

Configure

Add VaultTools to your AI tool's MCP configuration:

~/.claude.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vaulttools": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@vaulttools/mcp",
        "--allowed-dir",
        "/path/to/your/files"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

59 tools across 5 categories: Image (14), PDF (11), Text (17), Dev (12), File (5). Each tool reads input files, processes locally, and writes output. File bytes stay on disk and are never sent to the model.

View full tool reference

Options

Flag Description Default

--allowed-dir <path> Directory the server can read from (required, repeatable) none

--output-dir <path> Directory for output files, defaults to allowed-dir allowed-dir

--verbose Enable verbose logging to stderr off

Disclaimer

The VaultTools MCP server is designed so that file bytes stay on your machine and are never sent to the model. Only file paths and metadata are exchanged.

However, the AI model that calls these tools operates independently of VaultTools. The model may choose to read, log, or transmit tool outputs according to its own behavior and the policies of its provider. VaultTools has no control over what the model does with the results once they are returned.

By using the MCP server, you acknowledge that VaultTools is not responsible for how the connected AI model handles tool responses. If you are processing sensitive files, review the privacy policies of your AI provider.