Error: Path Not Allowed Troubleshooting Guide

When using MCP filesystem tool and encountering "Path not allowed" error, the path is not in allowedDirectories whitelist.

Causes

1. Path not in allowedDirectories
2. Using relative path or ~ symbol
3. Symlink points outside whitelist
4. Path typo

Solutions

1. Check current configuration
2. Use absolute path (not ~ or relative)
3. Check and resolve symlinks
4. Add path to allowedDirectories
5. Restart Claude Code

FAQ

Q: Why still error after adding path?
A: Did not restart, wrong format, or JSON error.

Q: Can I add root directory?
A: Not recommended for security reasons.

Q: Can symlinks cause this error?
A: Yes, if symlink points outside whitelist.

Next Steps

• Permission Denied Error
• Filesystem Configuration