mcp-connect

Cursor IDE Setup

This guide explains how to set up MCP Connect with the Cursor editor.

Prerequisites

• Cursor editor installed
• MCP extension installed (if required)
• MCP Connect installed and configured
• At least one server configured in .mcp-connect.json

Quick Setup

Step 1: Install MCP Extension

Install the MCP extension for Cursor (if not already installed):

1. Open Cursor
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for “MCP” or “Model Context Protocol”
4. Install the official MCP extension

Step 2: Generate Configuration

Generate the Cursor configuration file:

mcp-connect generate --ide cursor

This creates or updates .vscode/settings.json in your project directory (Cursor uses the same directory structure as VSCode).

Step 3: Reload Window

Reload the Cursor window (Ctrl+R / Cmd+R) or restart Cursor for changes to take effect.

Step 4: Verify

1. Open the MCP panel in Cursor
2. Check that mcp-connect appears in the list of MCP servers
3. Verify that all configured servers are accessible

Configuration Details

The generated configuration adds the following to .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "mcp-connect": {
      "command": "/path/to/mcp-connect",
      "args": ["serve"]
    }
  }
}

Note: Cursor uses the same .vscode directory structure as VSCode, so configurations are compatible between both editors.

Custom Output Location

To specify a custom location for the settings file:

mcp-connect generate --ide cursor --output /path/to/settings.json

Workspace vs User Settings

Workspace Settings (Recommended)

The default configuration is written to .vscode/settings.json in your project directory. This is recommended because:

• Configuration is version-controlled with your project
• Each project can have different servers
• Team members share the same configuration

User Settings

To configure globally for all projects, use:

mcp-connect generate --ide cursor --output ~/.config/Cursor/User/settings.json

Or manually add to User Settings (File > Preferences > Settings > Open User Settings JSON):

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "mcp-connect": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/mcp-connect",
      "args": ["serve"]
    }
  }
}

Manual Configuration

If you prefer to configure manually, add the following to .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "mcp-connect": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/mcp-connect",
      "args": ["serve"]
    }
  }
}

Important:

• Use the absolute path to the mcp-connect binary
• Ensure the path uses forward slashes on Windows (e.g., C:/path/to/mcp-connect.exe)

Troubleshooting

MCP Connect Not Appearing

1. Check extension: Ensure MCP extension is installed and enabled
2. Check binary path: Verify the path in settings.json is correct
3. Check permissions: Ensure mcp-connect is executable
4. View output: Open Output panel and select “MCP” to see error messages

Servers Not Loading

1. Verify configuration: Run mcp-connect config validate from terminal
2. Test manually: Run mcp-connect serve --debug to see errors
3. Check environment variables: Ensure .env file is in the project root
4. Check MCP output: View MCP extension output for errors

Connection Errors

1. Test connectivity: Run mcp-connect config test --all from terminal
2. Check credentials: Verify tokens in .env are correct
3. Network issues: Ensure you can reach the remote servers
4. Check logs: Enable debug mode in Cursor MCP settings

Advanced Configuration

Custom Working Directory

If your .mcp-connect.json is in a different location:

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "mcp-connect": {
      "command": "/path/to/mcp-connect",
      "args": ["serve"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/project"
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

Set environment variables directly in Cursor config:

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "mcp-connect": {
      "command": "/path/to/mcp-connect",
      "args": ["serve"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your-token-here",
        "CONTEXT7_API_KEY": "your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Using .env file is recommended over hardcoding credentials.

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging for troubleshooting:

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "mcp-connect": {
      "command": "/path/to/mcp-connect",
      "args": ["serve", "--debug"]
    }
  }
}

Updating Configuration

When you add or remove servers, regenerate the configuration:

mcp-connect generate --ide cursor

The command safely merges with existing settings, preserving other Cursor configuration.

Compatibility with VSCode

Since Cursor uses the same .vscode directory structure, configurations are compatible:

• You can use the same .vscode/settings.json for both editors
• Team members using different editors can share the same configuration
• Migrating from VSCode to Cursor (or vice versa) requires no changes

Multiple Projects

Each project can have its own .vscode/settings.json with different server configurations. This allows you to:

• Use different servers per project
• Share configuration with team members via version control
• Maintain project-specific credentials

Integration with Cursor Features

MCP Connect works seamlessly with Cursor’s AI features:

• AI Chat: Can use MCP tools and resources
• Code Completions: Can leverage MCP server capabilities
• Other MCP servers: Can be used alongside direct MCP server configurations

Next Steps

• See Configuration Reference for server setup
• Check Registry Management for adding more servers
• Review Troubleshooting for common issues