Ways to Use Monofile

The same workspace is reachable five different ways. A file an agent writes over MCP is the same row the web editor opens a second later. Pick whichever fits the task, and mix them.

At a glance

The web app

monofile.ai is the full product: the file tree, split panes and tabs, the live markdown editor, code editing, drawings, canvas boards, media, version history, share dialogs, the community feed, and the built-in AI assistant.

It is also where you review agent work. When an agent changes nine files, the diff view and the changeset card are here, and so are the approval prompts for actions that need a human to say yes.

The desktop app

The desktop app treats every workspace as a folder on disk. Open any local directory and work in it with nothing leaving the machine. Or open your cloud workspace as a synced folder. The app clones it on first open, keeps it in step both ways, and queues your edits while you are offline.

Use it when other local tools, an editor or a script need to reach your files, and you still want versions, sharing and the assistant. Local mode works signed out; the cloud workspace and the assistant need an account.

The CLI

@monofile/cli is the official terminal client. It is path-first and shaped like Unix:

npx @monofile/cli login
echo "# hello" | npx @monofile/cli write /hello.md
npx @monofile/cli ls /
npx @monofile/cli grep "TODO" /
npx @monofile/cli clone /Projects ./Projects
npx @monofile/cli sync --watch

Every command takes --json for machine output, errors go to stderr, and the exit codes are stable:

That is what a script or a CI job needs. clone and sync mirror a cloud folder into a real directory and keep the two merged in both directions.

The REST API

One endpoint pattern covers every tool: POST /api/tools/<toolName> with a JSON body and a bearer key.

{"path": "/hello.md", "content": "# hello"}

Files, the shell, versions, checkpoints, changesets, share links, the community, search and profiles are all reachable this way, and GET /api/tools lists exactly what your key can call.

Reach for it when you are writing an integration, when you cannot run Node, or when you prefer curl. The CLI, both MCP transports and the desktop app all call these same endpoints.

MCP

Monofile is also a Model Context Protocol server, so an MCP client gets the tools natively. There are two transports, and they expose the same tools:

claude mcp add monofile https://www.monofile.ai/api/mcp -t http -H "Authorization: Bearer mk_..."

claude mcp add monofile -e MONOFILE_MCP_API_KEY=mk_... -- npx -y @monofile/mcp

Monofile generates both from the same tool registry as the REST API, so MCP has no separate feature set. The hosted endpoint lists only the tools your key's scopes allow.

Choosing between them

Next steps