FindFiles

FindFiles is an MCP server that lets you search for files across multiple directories with extensive filtering options. It supports wildcard filename patterns, size and date filtering, content search within text files, and control over search scope and performance. This makes it easy to locate specific files quickly, even in large directory trees.

How to use

You interact with the FindFiles MCP server through your MCP client. Start the server configuration, then issue search requests by specifying the directories to begin from, the filename pattern or extension you want to find, and optional filters such as file size, creation/modification dates, and content text. You can enable or disable recursive searching into subdirectories, adjust case sensitivity, and set limits on the number of results and the total runtime. Use contentSearch to look inside text files and fileType to limit results to text, image, audio, video, or application types. All options are combined to return a precise set of matching files.

How to install

Prerequisites: ensure you have Node.js and npm installed on your machine.

Install and run the MCP server using the provided command. This will start the FindFiles MCP server and point it to your desired starting directories.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "find-files": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "find-files-mcp",
        "/Users/kst/Downloads",
        "/Users/kst/Desktop",
        "/Users/kst/Documents"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Configuration and usage notes

The MCP server accepts a rich set of parameters to control searching behavior. You can specify one or more starting directories, a filename or pattern to match, file extension, minimum and maximum file sizes, creation and modification date ranges, and whether to search subdirectories recursively. You can also search within file contents for a given text snippet, filter by file type, and adjust how strictly file names are matched with case sensitivity. To keep searches fast, you can cap the number of results and set a timeout for the operation.

Key parameters you can pass to the MCP server include:

• directories: array of root directories to search from
• filename: exact name or wildcard pattern to match
• extension: file extension to filter by
• minSize / maxSize: size bounds in bytes
• createdAfter / createdBefore: creation date bounds (YYYY-MM-DD)
• modifiedAfter / modifiedBefore: modification date bounds (YYYY-MM-DD)
• recursive: search subdirectories (default true)
• caseSensitive: enable case-sensitive filename matching (default false)
• contentSearch: text to search inside text file contents
• fileType: filter by type (text, image, audio, video, application)
• maxResults: cap on returned results (default 1000)
• timeoutMs: maximum runtime in milliseconds (default 30000)

Tips and troubleshooting

If you encounter timeouts or too many results, tighten the filters or increase the timeout value. For large datasets, consider narrowing the starting directories or using more specific filename patterns to improve performance.