Installation

Overview

NodeFox runs entirely in the browser — there's nothing to install for the core product. To start building workflows, add API keys for the model/provider endpoints you plan to use, and optionally configure the local Gateway for Stdio-based MCP servers.

Adding API keys

Navigate to Settings in the sidebar (or press ⌘+G → T). Under API Keys, add keys for whichever model or service endpoints your workspace requires. Use descriptive key names and route references through those names in configuration or code.

Keys are stored securely in the browser context. Conversation and integration-capable nodes can resolve the correct key reference based on your selected configuration.

Workspace settings

Also in Settings, you can configure:

Setting	Description
Default Model	Pre-selected model for new Conversation nodes
Temperature	Default creativity (0.0–1.0) for AI models
Max Tokens	Default output token limit
Auto Save	Toggle and interval for automatic saves
Log Output File	File handle to write execution logs to
Gateway URL	URL for the local Gateway (default: `http://localhost:3001`)
Theme	System, Light, or Dark

Registering files and directories

NodeFox uses the browser's File System Access API to read and write local files. Before Reader or Writer nodes can access a file, you need to register it:

Open the Files panel in the sidebar (⌘+G → F).
Click Add and select a file or directory.
Grant access when the browser prompts.

Registered handles persist in the workspace. Directory handles give recursive read/write access to everything inside.

File paths in Reader/Writer nodes resolve against registered handles. See Building Networks: File Path Conventions for the full path rules.

OAuth integrations

For OAuth-enabled services, set up connectivity in the Integrations panel (⌘+G → I):

Click Connect next to the provider.
Authenticate in the pop-up window.
NodeFox stores and auto-refreshes the access token.

If a token expires, return to the Integrations panel and re-authenticate.

Local Gateway (optional)

The Gateway is a local Node.js server optional only if you use Stdio-based MCP servers (locally-installed npm packages). It handles process spawning, message routing, and JSON-RPC communication.

To set it up:

Install the NodeFox Gateway package: npm install -g @nodefox/gateway
Run it: nodefox-gateway
It starts on http://localhost:3001 by default.
Set the Gateway URL in Settings if you use a different port.

If you only use remote (SSE/HTTP) MCP servers, you don't need the Gateway.

Workspace permissions

Each workspace has granular permission controls under Settings > Permissions:

File System — local file read/write via File System Access API
Network — HTTP requests from Code nodes and API node variants
Clipboard — system clipboard access
Notifications — browser notifications
Microphone / Camera / Geolocation — device access

Toggle permissions on or off per workspace.