---
title: "Deploy Kubo MCP"
description: "Deploy and Host Kubo MCP with Railway"
category: "Automation"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/kubo-mcp
---

# Deploy Kubo MCP

Deploy and Host Kubo MCP with Railway

**[Deploy Kubo MCP on Railway](https://railway.com/template/kubo-mcp)**

Machine-readable deploy manifest (JSON, validated by TemplateCI): https://railway.com/deploy/kubo-mcp/manifest.json

- **Creator:** fournyp's Projects
- **Category:** Automation

## Template content

### Kubo https://raw.githubusercontent.com/selfhosters/unRAID-CA-templates/master/templates/img/ipfs-kubo.png

- **Source:** FournyP/kubo-railway-template

### Kubo MCP https://api.iconify.design/simple-icons:modelcontextprotocol.svg

- **Image:** ghcr.io/fournyp/kubo-mcp:1.1
- **Health check:** /health
- **Public domain:** Yes

## Documentation

![Kubo MCP logo](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FournyP/kubo-mcp/main/icon.svg)

# Deploy and Host Kubo MCP on Railway

Kubo MCP is a Model Context Protocol server that lets LLM agents store files on IPFS. It ships with its own IPFS Kubo node, so an agent can upload an image or a file and get back a CID and a gateway URL in one call.

## About Hosting Kubo MCP

The MCP server talks to Kubo's RPC API over Railway's private network, so the admin-level RPC port is never exposed. The MCP checks bearer tokens itself, so no gateway service is needed in front of it. Uploads are streamed, pinned and addressed with CIDv1.

## Common Use Cases

- Let Claude, Cursor or other MCP clients publish images and files to IPFS
- Give agents permanent, content-addressed links to generated assets
- Pin and unpin content from agent workflows
- Read back files and images stored on your own node

## Dependencies for Kubo MCP Hosting

The template includes everything: the Kubo node with persistent storage, and the MCP server.

### Deployment Dependencies

None.

## Implementation Details

### Architecture Components

This template deploys two services:

- **Kubo**: the [IPFS Kubo](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo) node with a volume at `/data/ipfs`. Its RPC API requires a generated bearer secret and is reachable only at `kubo.railway.internal:5001`.
- **Kubo MCP**: the [kubo-mcp](https://github.com/FournyP/kubo-mcp) server (`ghcr.io/fournyp/kubo-mcp`) on a public Railway domain, serving stateless HTTP MCP at `/mcp`.

### Tools

`add_file`, `add_file_from_url`, `get_file`, `get_file_info`, `pin_file`, `unpin_file`, `list_pins`. Restrict them with `MCP__ENABLED_TOOLS`.

### Authentication

Clients send `Authorization: Bearer `, where `` is one of the comma-separated entries in `AUTH__API_KEYS`. `/health` stays open for Railway's health check.

### Service Configuration

- **MCP endpoint**: `https:///mcp`
- **Claude Code**: `claude mcp add kubo --transport http https:///mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer "`
- **Swarm**: the TCP proxy on port `4001` lets other IPFS peers reach the node.

## License Information

MIT (Kubo, kubo-mcp).

## Why Deploy Kubo MCP on Railway?

The IPFS node, the MCP server, the private-network wiring and both secrets are set up in one click, so agents can publish to IPFS without you running or exposing a node yourself.

## Notes

- Source repo: https://github.com/FournyP/kubo-mcp
- Kubo template: https://github.com/FournyP/kubo-railway-template
- Model Context Protocol: https://modelcontextprotocol.io

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Open this page in a browser: https://railway.com/deploy/kubo-mcp