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To connect an MCP server in Cursor, open Customize > MCPs and add a listed server, or register it manually in an mcp.json file. For manual setup, choose a local command server or a remote URL server, save the configuration, and restart Cursor. Then check the server’s connection and tools before using it in Agent.
Choose how to add the server
Cursor offers two setup routes. Use the built-in directory when the server you want is listed there; use manual configuration when the provider gives you a command, endpoint URL, or custom authentication details.
Install a listed server
- Open Customize in Cursor’s sidebar.
- Select MCPs.
- Browse or search for the server, then select Add to Cursor.
- Complete any authentication prompt the service presents.
Cursor says Agent can use the server’s tools when they are relevant to a conversation. If the server you need is not listed, or you need to control its exact configuration, use the manual method below.
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Decide whether the configuration should be shared
Manual configuration can be personal or project-specific:
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~/.cursor/mcp.jsonis the personal configuration, available across projects..cursor/mcp.jsonin a project configures tools for that project and can be shared with teammates.
Cursor merges the two configurations. If both define the same server name, the project-level entry takes priority. Keep real tokens and other secrets out of a project file that could be committed or shared; use environment-variable interpolation instead.
Configure a local command server
A local server uses the stdio transport: Cursor starts a command on your machine and communicates with it through standard input and output. Create or edit the appropriate mcp.json file and add an entry under mcpServers. For example:
{
"mcpServers": {
"server-name": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-server"]
}
}
}This is a configuration shape, not a verified package installation recipe. Replace the example command and arguments with the exact executable and launch instructions supplied by the server’s author. A package name, required runtime, or startup flag that differs from the provider’s instructions can prevent the process from starting.
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Configure a remote server
A remote server is configured with the endpoint URL provided by its operator. Depending on the service, the transport may be SSE or Streamable HTTP; Cursor documents both alongside stdio. Remote transports use endpoint URLs and can be local or remote. They do not use the local command configuration shape.
{
"mcpServers": {
"my-service": {
"url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer ${env:MY_SERVICE_TOKEN}"
}
}
}
}The example hostname and path are placeholders, not a working endpoint. Get the actual URL, transport, and authentication requirements from the chosen server’s provider. A service may instead use OAuth or another documented authentication flow; do not assume that a bearer header is required or sufficient.
Use Cursor’s supported substitutions
Cursor supports interpolation in command, args, env, url, and headers. Available substitutions include:
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${env:NAME}for an environment variable.${userHome}for the user’s home directory.${workspaceFolder}and${workspaceFolderBasename}for the workspace path and its basename.${pathSeparator}and${/}for path separators.
For static OAuth client credentials or other secrets, Cursor recommends environment variables rather than hard-coding values in the configuration. For a project configuration intended for teammates, make sure each person can provide their own credentials without committing yours.
Save, restart, and verify the connection
- Save
mcp.jsonwith valid JSON syntax. Check braces, quotation marks, commas, and the spelling of the server fields. - Restart Cursor after manual setup. Cursor’s setup guidance calls for a restart after saving the configuration.
- Open Customize > MCPs and confirm the server is enabled. You can toggle a server there.
- Ask Agent to use a tool from the server for a task that clearly calls for it, or inspect the available tools using the CLI commands below.
If you change environment variables after Cursor is open, restart Cursor so it can see the updated values. A variable available in an interactive shell is not necessarily available to the Cursor process launched from the desktop.
Check status and tools from the CLI
Cursor’s CLI uses the same MCP configuration as the editor. Run these commands in a terminal where the Cursor CLI is available:
agent mcp list
agent mcp list-tools <identifier>agent mcp list reports configured server names, connection state, configuration source, and transport. Use the server identifier shown by that command with agent mcp list-tools to see the server’s tools and their parameter requirements. This helps distinguish a server that is not connecting from one that connects but does not expose the tool you expected.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or do |
|---|---|---|
| The server does not appear or connect after manual setup | The file is in the wrong location, the JSON is invalid, or Cursor has not reloaded it. | Confirm the file is .cursor/mcp.json in the intended project or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for personal use. Validate the JSON, save it, and restart Cursor. |
| A local server fails to start | The executable, package, arguments, or runtime do not match the server provider’s instructions. | Check the provider’s exact launch command and make sure required software is installed and available to Cursor’s process. |
| Authentication fails | A credential is missing, invalid, unavailable to Cursor, or sent in the wrong way for that service. | Follow the server’s documented OAuth or header-based authentication flow. Check that referenced environment variables are set for Cursor and restart after changing them. |
| The server works in a terminal but not in Cursor | Cursor may not inherit variables or paths from the shell profile used by the terminal. | Check whether the required environment variables are available to Cursor itself. Cursor’s help recommends checking MCP Logs in the Output panel and restarting after environment changes. |
| A configured server is unavailable or unwanted | The server may be disabled, or its configuration may need to be refreshed. | Toggle it under Customize > MCPs. If needed, remove it and add it again. |
| The connection succeeds but Agent does not use the expected capability | The server may expose different tools or parameters than expected, or the task may not call for a tool. | Inspect the tool list and parameter requirements with agent mcp list-tools <identifier>, then make a request that clearly needs one of those tools. |
For connection-level errors, start with View > Output and the MCP Logs output. The log message, together with the CLI’s connection state and transport, can narrow down whether the problem is configuration, process startup, or authentication.
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When a screenshot MCP server is the goal
If you are connecting MCP because you want an AI coding agent to capture web pages, ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for AI agents, including Cursor. Its MCP tools include take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf. Use the current setup instructions in ScreenshotNeo’s documentation for the MCP connection details; the API request below is a separate direct-capture option, not a substitute configuration for connecting an MCP server.
Or skip the browser setup
For a direct screenshot instead of running a browser yourself, make one GET request with the target URL. This cURL example saves a WebP response:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpReplace YOUR_API_KEY with your key and change the target URL as needed. ScreenshotNeo can remove cookie/consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; those cleanup steps can each be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots, and the free plan includes 1,000 shots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. See ScreenshotNeo for product details, or sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.
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- Confirm the server and its required tools are useful to everyone who will open the project.
- Use provider-documented commands, URLs, and authentication requirements rather than example placeholders.
- Keep real credentials out of the project file; use environment variables and explain privately to teammates how to provide their own credentials.
- Check whether a global entry with the same server name is being overridden by the project-level entry.
Cursor’s MCP documentation describes MCP as a way to connect to external systems and data. In practice, the setup decision is mostly about where the server runs, how it authenticates, and whether its configuration should follow one user or a project.
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