Work with what is open
get_context, list_locations, show_in_explore_better, and set_ui_view connect the model to panes, tabs, selection, navigation, and 43 named app views.
Explore Better
MCP Server
Give AI clients the file manager’s context and safety model, not unrestricted command execution.
The AI Bridge exposes live panes, indexed discovery, duplicates, disk analysis, comparisons, and recoverable operations as typed tools for Codex, ChatGPT, Claude, VS Code, and other local MCP clients.
3 / 3shared tasks correct
7 / 7MCP controls proven
21safe-default profile tools
32complete contract tools
Yes, this is valuable as MCP.
A terminal can already list, hash, search, and modify files. MCP earns its place by adding application context and constrained authority: the model discovers only permitted tools, sees only authorized folders, receives bounded JSON instead of screen text, and can use Explore Better’s Analyzer, indexes, transaction planner, journal, recovery, and undo.
Where the terminal still wins
Arbitrary commands and system administration. Explore Better deliberately does not expose shell execution through MCP. The two interfaces solve different parts of the problem and work best together; every file tab still has its own terminal.
Proved against PowerShell.
The benchmark starts the actual Electron host and bundled Go stdio sidecar. Equivalent PowerShell scripts run against the same 380-file fixture. Both must match ground truth.
| Workflow | MCP | PowerShell | MCP median | PowerShell median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Find matching reports | Correct | Correct | 1.5 ms | 222.4 ms |
| Find content duplicates | Correct | Correct | 46.5 ms | 247.6 ms |
| Measure disk usage | Correct | Correct | 51.4 ms | 239.9 ms |
Timings are three-run medians. MCP timings include tool calls and job polling. PowerShell timings include fresh process startup and command execution, so these numbers are not a universal speed ranking; a persistent warm shell may start faster.
- Typed discoveryPass
Safe-default tools exposed with JSON schemas; destructive tools were absent from the read-only profile.
- Bounded paginationPass
A 360-entry folder returned exactly 25 items and an opaque continuation cursor.
- Live pane contextPass
The AI read the open tabs, opened a new left-pane tab, and observed the revised context.
- Authorized rootsPass
An attempted read outside the profile folder was rejected with OUTSIDE_ROOTS.
- Capability reductionPass
Delete, transfer, text-write, and apply tools were hidden from read-only discovery.
- Allocation semanticsPass
The Analyzer returned explicitly labeled exact allocated bytes; the generic shell baseline did not.
- Semantic UI controlPass
The AI listed selector-free actions, activated the other pane, waited for the structured result, and traced the correlation ID into live context.
Tools with a reason to exist.
Every tool is bounded, schema-validated, profile-filtered, and implemented by the same services used by the desktop application.
Find without flooding context
list_directory, search_files, inspect_paths, read_text, checksums, and index status return bounded typed results.
Use the file manager’s engines
Disk analysis, duplicate discovery, folder comparison, durable jobs, pagination, and cancellation reuse Explore Better’s native provider and caches.
Preview before any write
Transfer, rename, delete, archive, create, and text-write planners issue short-lived one-use tokens for journalled apply, recovery, timeline inspection, and undo.
Act without screen scraping
list_ui_actions, invoke_ui_action, and wait_for_ui provide validated actions, stale-context protection, visible outcomes, and event-driven observation without selectors or scripts.
Local does not mean unrestricted.
The bridge is off until configured. Each client receives a separately revocable profile with exact folders, access mode, and individual tool permissions.
- ConstrainIntersect profile roots, client roots, and Windows permissions after canonicalizing paths and resolving reparse points.
- PreviewBind one-use write tokens to the client, operation, paths, policy, plan digest, and filesystem signatures.
- JournalApply through staging, backup, durable phases, cancellation, recovery, and recorded undo.
- AuditRecord tool, paths, policy decision, duration, and job or operation IDs without logging file contents or secrets.
One profile per client. Pick the exact folders and tools a client may use. New profiles are read-only; writes are a separate permission you can revoke at any time.
Connect the client you already use.
The installed app creates and removes the stdio configuration without changing unrelated MCP servers.
- InstallInstall Explore Better and open Preferences.
- EnableTurn on AI Bridge and create a client profile.
- ScopeChoose folders, read/write mode, and individual tools.
- ConnectInstall the Codex, ChatGPT, Claude, VS Code, or generic stdio entry.
Machine-readable on purpose.
For crawlers and agents: the same evidence and contract, without the page around it.