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Use Foldr with LM Studio (MCP)

LM Studio is the most popular desktop app for running local LLMs (Llama, Mistral, Qwen, DeepSeek) with an OpenAI-compatible API. LM Studio 0.3.x added MCP tool-calling, letting local models reach the same tools cloud models use. Foldr lets a fully local model still hand out a public URL for any file it produced.

LM StudiomacOS, Windows, LinuxMCP: beta

Installation

Add the Foldr MCP server to LM Studio with the snippet below. Replace fs_… with an API key from foldr.space/developers/signup. Each upload costs 5¢ - top up account credits or subscribe to Pro tier to bypass per-call charges.

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "foldr": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "@foldr/mcp-server"],
        "env": { "FOLDR_API_KEY": "fs_live_..." }
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup tip: LM Studio → App Settings → Integrations → Model Context Protocol. Works best with tool-calling-capable models.

Official LM Studio MCP docs

What You Can Do

  • Upload any file from LM Studio to Foldr and get a permanent shareable URL back in the same turn (5¢ per upload, debited from credits)
  • Mint short-lived capability tokens to share files with downstream agents without leaking your API key
  • Organize uploads into per-API-key folders with hierarchical structure
  • Shorten long URLs to foldr.space/s/... links - free with any API key
  • Let chat participants retrieve uploaded files by asking for them by filename

LM Studio + Foldr FAQ

How do I install the Foldr MCP server in LM Studio?

Open LM Studio's MCP configuration (the JSON settings file) and paste the config block shown above. Set FOLDR_API_KEY to a key you create at foldr.space/developers/signup. Restart LM Studio if it doesn't hot-reload.

How much does it cost to use Foldr from LM Studio?

Each upload costs 5¢. You can pay by topping up account credits via the `top_up_credits` MCP tool (min $5) - every upload then debits from balance. Or subscribe to Pro tier ($25/mo) and per-call charges are bypassed entirely. Tools that don't write data (list_files, mint_capability, get_usage, etc.) are free.

I set the key but LM Studio says the Foldr tool isn't available - what's wrong?

Three common causes: (1) LM Studio wasn't restarted after editing the config - most MCP hosts need a restart to pick up new servers. (2) The API key is wrong or missing - verify the env var name your client reads (e.g. FOLDR_API_KEY) matches the config snippet above. (3) Your client doesn't support the streamable-http transport - most modern clients do, but check LM Studio's docs for the version that added MCP support.

Can LM Studio upload files directly to Foldr, or just generate URLs?

LM Studio can do both. The MCP server exposes tools for `upload_file` (base64-encoded file content), `bulk_upload` (up to 20 files in one call), `mint_capability` (short-lived shareable links), and `create_short_url`. Any file LM Studio can read from disk can be uploaded.

Is the Foldr MCP integration with LM Studio production-ready?

Foldr's MCP server is stable and used in production - streamable-http transport at https://foldr.space/api/mcp with 23 tools. LM Studio's MCP support is currently in public beta - suitable for day-to-day use. Every write endpoint accepts an Idempotency-Key so retries are safe.

Related MCP Integrations

Connect LM Studio to Foldr in under a minute

Grab an API key, paste the snippet above into LM Studio's MCP config, top up credits (or grab a Pro subscription), and your agent can upload files and mint share links immediately.