pinata-ipfs-connector
Facilitate bidirectional data exchange with the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) via the Pinata service layer, granting an LLM environment capabilities for secure data ingress, retrieval, and lifecycle management.
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PinataCloud
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pinata-ipfs-connector
This Model Context Protocol (MCP) module establishes a secure conduit between the operating LLM environment (e.g., Claude) and the Pinata platform for comprehensive management of content addressable storage (IPFS), covering both publicly accessible and permissioned repositories.
Deployment Guidelines
Prerequisites for Operation
- A functional Node.js runtime, version 18 or newer.
- Valid access credentials for the Pinata service, specifically an API Key expressed as a JSON Web Token (JWT).
Installation Procedures
Installation steps vary based on the intended execution environment (Claude Code or Claude Desktop).
For Claude Code Users
Execute the addition command and supply the following configuration details when prompted:
bash claude mcp add
| Parameter | Value Specification |
|---|---|
| Server Name | pinata |
| Server Scope | Select appropriate scope (Project or Global) |
| Server Command | npx |
| Command Arguments | pinata-ipfs-connector /directory/whitelist/one /directory/whitelist/two |
| Environment Variables | PINATA_JWT=<YOUR_GENERATED_JWT>, GATEWAY_URL=your.custom.pinata.cloud |
For Claude Desktop Users
Integrate the following JSON structure into your existing claude_desktop_config.json file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pinata": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"pinata-ipfs-connector",
"/path/to/allowed/directory"
],
"env": {
"PINATA_JWT": "
Operational Capabilities
To commence utilization, initiate Claude Code using the standard claude invocation or launch the Claude Desktop application. The following functional domains are accessible via this connector:
Data Object Manipulation
- Ingest Content: Securely transmit files to Pinata for storage on either public or private IPFS networks.
- Content Discovery: Perform targeted searches based on file nomenclature, Content Identifier (CID), or media type signature.
- Metadata Retrieval: Obtain granular information pertaining to a stored asset using its unique identifier.
- Attribute Modification: Update descriptive fields associated with an asset, including its display name and custom key-value metadata tags.
- Asset Purging: Initiate the permanent removal of specified content from the Pinata service.
Collection Organization
- List Collections: Retrieve current groupings, with support for selective filtering parameters.
- Collection Instantiation: Formulate new logical containers for asset aggregation.
- Collection Inspection: Fetch detailed properties for a specific organizational unit by ID.
- Collection Modification: Revise the configuration or descriptive attributes of an existing group.
- Collection Dissolution: Terminate a defined collection structure.
- Membership Management: Perform atomic operations to append or detach individual files from defined groups.
Data Access and Transfer
- Private Link Generation: Forge temporary, secure URLs specifically for retrieving content from private IPFS depositions.
- Gateway Fetching: Retrieve raw content directly from the configured IPFS gateway endpoint, with an option to persist the fetched data locally.
Illustrative Interaction Examples for Claude
These examples demonstrate the necessary natural language structuring for invoking the connector's functionalities:
Initiate content upload: "Leverage the Pinata connector to push the local file situated at ~/Documents/report.pdf into my private Pinata storage, assigning it the descriptive title 'Quarterly Financial Review'."
Execute a data inventory query: "Scan my Pinata assets and return a manifest of every file whose MIME type indicates it is a standard text document (.txt)."
Group management task: "Establish a new metadata group named 'Archive 2024'. Subsequently, locate all image files currently uploaded and assign them membership within the newly established group."
Remote content retrieval: "Contact the IPFS network via Pinata to retrieve the data associated with CID QmYp... and store the resulting file structure within the system's temporary directory."
Support Contact
For any operational challenges or discrepancies encountered, please direct your inquiries via electronic mail to: steve@pinata.cloud
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