bmordue/webdav-mcp

WebDAV MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes a single tool for making authenticated WebDAV requests against a configured WebDAV endpoint. It communicates over stdio so it can be embedded into compatible AI / agent runtimes.

Features

• Implements MCP server via @modelcontextprotocol/sdk.
• Single tool dav_request supporting common WebDAV methods: PROPFIND, PROPPATCH, MKCOL, COPY, MOVE, LOCK, UNLOCK, GET, PUT, DELETE.
• Property presets for simpler PROPFIND requests (built-ins: basic, detailed, minimal).
• Tools to enumerate and inspect presets: list_property_presets, get_property_preset.
• Automatic Basic Authentication using environment variables.
• Depth header handling for PROPFIND.
• Returns structured JSON (status, headers, body) wrapped as MCP text content.
• Graceful shutdown on SIGINT.

Why

This server allows an AI assistant (or any MCP client) to inspect and manipulate resources on a WebDAV server: listing directories (PROPFIND), creating collections (MKCOL), uploading/downloading files (PUT/GET), moving/copying resources, and managing locks.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ (for native fetch and ES modules)
• A reachable WebDAV server URL.
• (Optional) WebDAV credentials (username and password) if the server requires authentication.

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone <your-fork-url> webdav-mcp
cd webdav-mcp

Install dependencies:

npm install

(No build step is strictly required at runtime since TypeScript is compiled when publishing; you can add a build step if you later introduce multiple files or wish to distribute compiled JS.)

Configuration

Set the following environment variables before starting the server:

If DAV_USERNAME and DAV_PASSWORD are both set, Basic Authentication is added automatically.

Property Presets Configuration

Optional environment variables for preset handling:

If the directory does not exist, built-in presets are still available.

Usage

Run the server (stdio mode):

node src/server.ts

Or make it executable directly (shebang is present):

chmod +x src/server.ts
./src/server.ts

Integrate it with an MCP-compatible client by declaring it as a stdio server command. Example (pseudo client config):

{
  "servers": [
    {
      "name": "webdav",
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/webdav-mcp/src/server.ts"],
      "env": {
        "DAV_SERVER_URL": "https://dav.example.com/remote.php/webdav/",
        "DAV_USERNAME": "alice",
        "DAV_PASSWORD": "s3cret"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Tool: dav_request

Input JSON schema (simplified):

{
  "method": "PROPFIND|PROPPATCH|MKCOL|COPY|MOVE|LOCK|UNLOCK|GET|PUT|DELETE",
  "path": "<relative path>",
  "body": "<optional XML or other content>",
  "headers": {"<name>": "<value>"},
  "depth": "0|1|infinity"
  "preset": "<optional preset name>",
  "additionalProperties": [ {"namespace": "DAV:", "name": "quota-used-bytes"} ]
}

Minimum required fields: method, path.

If preset is provided for a PROPFIND request, the body field is ignored and automatically generated from the preset plus any additionalProperties supplied.

Tools: list_property_presets, get_property_preset

List presets:

{
  "name": "list_property_presets",
  "arguments": {}
}

Get a preset definition:

{
  "name": "get_property_preset",
  "arguments": {"name": "basic"}
}

Example PROPFIND using a preset:

{
  "name": "dav_request",
  "arguments": {
    "method": "PROPFIND",
    "path": "/photos",
    "depth": "1",
    "preset": "basic"
  }
}

With extra properties:

{
  "name": "dav_request",
  "arguments": {
    "method": "PROPFIND",
    "path": "/media",
    "depth": "1",
    "preset": "basic",
    "additionalProperties": [
      {"namespace": "DAV:", "name": "quota-used-bytes"}
    ]
  }
}

Examples

List a directory (depth 1):

{
  "name": "dav_request",
  "arguments": {
    "method": "PROPFIND",
    "path": "/",
    "depth": "1"
  }
}

Upload a file (PUT):

{
  "name": "dav_request",
  "arguments": {
    "method": "PUT",
    "path": "/notes/todo.txt",
    "body": "Finish documentation"
  }
}

Delete a resource:

{
  "name": "dav_request",
  "arguments": {
    "method": "DELETE",
    "path": "/notes/old.txt"
  }
}

Development

TypeScript configuration lives in tsconfig.json. Useful commands:

# Type checking only
npx tsc --noEmit

# Build to dist (if you add a build script later)
npx tsc

You can add a script block to package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
    "build": "tsc"
  }
}

Then run:

npm run typecheck
npm run build

Run tests (covers preset logic):

npm test

Error Handling

Errors are returned with isError: true and a JSON body containing an error field. The server also logs MCP-level errors to stderr with prefix [MCP Error].

Security Notes

• Only Basic Authentication is supported presently.
• Avoid embedding credentials directly in client config—prefer environment variables or a secret manager.
• HTTPS is strongly recommended for DAV_SERVER_URL.
• The tool returns raw response bodies; if XML may contain sensitive data, handle accordingly.

Troubleshooting

Contributing

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch.
3. Make changes with TypeScript strictness preserved.
4. Submit a pull request with a clear description.

Please use British English spelling in documentation.

Licence

Specify your licence here (e.g. MIT). Add a LICENCE file to formalise.

© 2025