IPFS Storacha Network▌
by alexbakers
Access decentralized file storage and persistent data on the IPFS Storacha Network using the w3cli interface for reliabl
Enables AI access to the IPFS Storacha Network for decentralized file storage, content addressing, and persistent data management through the w3cli interface.
Both formats append explainx.ai attribution and the canonical URL for this MCP server listing.
best for
- / Developers building decentralized applications
- / AI systems needing persistent data storage
- / Projects requiring censorship-resistant file storage
capabilities
- / Upload files to decentralized IPFS storage
- / Download content using IPFS content addresses
- / Manage storage spaces and delegations
- / Generate shareable w3s.link URLs
- / Create and manage authentication keys
- / List and remove stored data
what it does
Connects AI models to the IPFS Storacha Network for decentralized file storage and content-addressed data management. Wraps the w3 CLI to enable persistent, distributed storage operations.
about
IPFS Storacha Network is a community-built MCP server published by alexbakers that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Access decentralized file storage and persistent data on the IPFS Storacha Network using the w3cli interface for reliabl It is categorized under cloud infrastructure, file systems.
how to install
You can install IPFS Storacha Network in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.
license
MIT
IPFS Storacha Network is released under the MIT license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.
readme
🪐 MCP IPFS Server (storacha.network) 🛰️

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 🤖 and other MCP clients to manage storacha.network spaces, upload/download data, manage delegations, and perform various other tasks by seamlessly wrapping w3 commands.
✨ Features
- Wraps the
w3CLI for native integration with storacha.network. - Provides MCP tools covering a wide range of
w3functionality:- 🔑 Authentication & Agent:
w3_login,w3_reset,w3_account_ls(for checking authorization) - 📦 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) - 💾 Data Management:
w3_up,w3_ls,w3_rm - 🔗 Sharing:
w3_open(generates w3s.link URL) - 🤝 Delegations & Proofs:
w3_delegation_create,w3_delegation_ls,w3_delegation_revoke,w3_proof_add,w3_proof_ls - 🔐 Keys & Tokens:
w3_key_create,w3_bridge_generate_tokens - ⚙️ Advanced Storage (
w3 can ...): Blob, CAR, Upload, Index, Access Claim, Filecoin Info management - 💳 Account & Billing:
w3_plan_get,w3_coupon_create,w3_usage_report
- 🔑 Authentication & Agent:
🛠️ 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.
🏗️ Project Structure
The codebase is organized as follows:
src/
├── index.ts # Main server entry point, MCP setup, request routing
├── schemas.ts # Zod schemas defining input arguments for each tool
├── tool_handlers.ts # Implementation logic for each MCP tool
├── utils.ts # Helper functions (e.g., running w3 commands, parsing JSON)
└── utils/
└── logger.ts # Basic logger configuration
🚀 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]"
}
}
}
}
📝 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.
📦 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
🐳 Docker Build
Build the Docker image:
# Build locally (replace with your username/repo and desired tag)
docker build -t alexbakers/mcp-ipfs .
📜 License
This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
FAQ
- What is the IPFS Storacha Network MCP server?
- IPFS Storacha Network is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server profile on explainx.ai. MCP lets AI hosts (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor) call tools and resources through a standard interface; this page summarizes categories, install hints, and community ratings.
- How do MCP servers relate to agent skills?
- Skills are reusable instruction packages (often SKILL.md); MCP servers expose live capabilities. Teams frequently combine both—skills for workflows, MCP for APIs and data. See explainx.ai/skills and explainx.ai/mcp-servers for parallel directories.
- How are reviews shown for IPFS Storacha Network?
- This profile displays 55 aggregated ratings (sample rows for discoverability plus signed-in user reviews). Average score is about 4.5 out of 5—verify behavior in your own environment before production use.
Use Cases▌
Code & Document Analysis
Read, analyze, and understand files in your project
Example
Summarize README, analyze code structure, find TODO comments across codebase
Navigate large codebases 5x faster, understand projects quickly
Automated File Operations
Create, move, rename, and organize files based on natural language instructions
Example
Organize downloads by file type, rename files following convention, batch process images
Save hours on manual file organization
Content Search & Extraction
Search files for patterns, extract data, find information across directories
Example
Find all config files with API keys, extract emails from documents, search logs for errors
Find information instantly instead of manual grep/find
File Generation & Templates
Generate boilerplate files, apply templates, create project structures
Example
Create React component with tests and styles, generate OpenAPI spec, scaffold new project
Eliminate repetitive file creation work
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or Cursor with MCP support
- ›File system permissions for directories you want to access
- ›Understanding of file paths and directory structure
- ›Backup of important files before bulk operations
Time Estimate
10-20 minutes including configuration
Installation Steps
- 1.Install filesystem MCP server (often built-in with Claude Desktop)
- 2.Configure allowed directories in MCP config for security
- 3.Test read: 'Show me contents of ~/Documents/test.txt'
- 4.Test write: 'Create a new file notes.md in current directory'
- 5.Test search: 'Find all .js files containing TODO'
- 6.Test batch operations: 'Rename all .jpeg files to .jpg'
- 7.Verify file permissions and access controls
Troubleshooting
- ⚠Permission denied: Check file/directory permissions, run with appropriate user
- ⚠Path not found: Verify path is absolute or relative to working directory
- ⚠MCP server can't access directory: Add to allowed directories in config
- ⚠File already exists: Use overwrite flag or check before writing
- ⚠Operation failed: Check disk space, file locks, antivirus interference
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Configure allowed directories explicitly—don't grant full filesystem access
- +Back up important files before bulk operations
- +Use dry-run mode for risky operations when available
- +Validate file paths before operations
- +Set appropriate file permissions on created files
- +Log file operations for audit trail
- +Test operations on sample files first
✗ Don't
- −Don't grant MCP access to system directories (/etc, /System)
- −Don't allow write access to production config files
- −Don't skip backup before bulk delete/move operations
- −Don't use for sensitive files (passwords, keys) without encryption
- −Don't ignore file permission errors—investigate root cause
- −Don't expose personal documents without considering privacy
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Use .gitignore patterns to exclude sensitive files from AI access
- ★Create sandboxed working directory for file experiments
- ★Combine with version control (git) for easy rollback
- ★Use file watching for real-time monitoring and reactions
- ★Create templates for common file generation tasks
- ★Leverage file metadata (timestamps, size) for smart organization
Technical Details▌
Architecture
MCP server provides file I/O operations (read, write, search, metadata) as tools Claude can invoke with natural language instructions.
Protocols
- Local file system API
- Glob patterns for search
- File streams for large files
Compatibility
- macOS
- Linux
- Windows
- Local files only (no remote filesystems by default)
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use for code analysis, file organization, content search, template generation, and automating repetitive file operations. Best for local development workflows.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid for system-critical files, sensitive credentials, production environments, or when file integrity is paramount. Don't use on files you can't afford to lose.
Integration▌
- →Combine with git for version-controlled file operations
- →Integrate with code editors for seamless workflow
- →Use with backup tools for safety net
- →Pair with file watchers for automated reactions
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
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Ratings
4.5★★★★★55 reviews- ★★★★★Yuki Sanchez· Dec 24, 2024
IPFS Storacha Network reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.
- ★★★★★Yuki Flores· Dec 8, 2024
We wired IPFS Storacha Network into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.
- ★★★★★Tariq Anderson· Dec 4, 2024
IPFS Storacha Network is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.
- ★★★★★Kofi Liu· Dec 4, 2024
I recommend IPFS Storacha Network for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.
- ★★★★★Hassan Gupta· Nov 27, 2024
IPFS Storacha Network reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.
- ★★★★★Anika Reddy· Nov 23, 2024
Useful MCP listing: IPFS Storacha Network is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.
- ★★★★★Maya Shah· Nov 15, 2024
We wired IPFS Storacha Network into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.
- ★★★★★Zaid Brown· Nov 11, 2024
According to our notes, IPFS Storacha Network benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing — fewer ambiguous “AI plugin” claims.
- ★★★★★Kofi Chen· Oct 18, 2024
Useful MCP listing: IPFS Storacha Network is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.
- ★★★★★Tariq Smith· Oct 14, 2024
IPFS Storacha Network reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.
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