How to Install MCP Servers in Cursor

A complete step-by-step guide to configuring MCP servers in Cursor IDE. Covers the config file location, format differences from Claude Desktop, and working examples you can copy.

Does Cursor Support MCP?

Yes. Cursor added MCP support in version 0.45+. However, there are two important caveats: (1) MCP tools only work in Agent mode, not in regular Chat mode. (2) The configuration format is slightly different from Claude Desktop. This guide covers both.

Where to Add MCP Server Configuration in Cursor

Cursor reads MCP configuration from a JSON file. The location depends on your operating system:

Some Cursor versions also support a project-level config at .cursor/mcp.json inside your project root. To verify which config is active, open Cursor Settings → MCP.

Step-by-Step Installation

Step 1 — Open Cursor Settings

Open Cursor and navigate to Settings. You can use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + , (macOS) or Ctrl + , (Windows/Linux). In the Settings panel, look for the MCP section to confirm your version supports it.

Step 2 — Add MCP Server Config

Create or edit the mcp.json file. The format is similar to Claude Desktop but uses a top-level mcpServers key. Here is a working example with the Filesystem server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/your/project"]
    }
  }
}

Important difference from Claude Desktop: Cursor's mcp.json does not support the env key at the server level in all versions. If you need environment variables (e.g., for GitHub or Brave Search), set them in your shell profile or use a wrapper script.

Step 3 — Restart Cursor / Reload Agent

After saving the config file, reload the Cursor window with Cmd + R (macOS) or Ctrl + R (Windows/Linux). Then open Agent mode with Cmd + I or Ctrl + I.

Step 4 — Verify the Server Is Active

In Agent mode, ask Cursor to list available tools. A simple prompt like "What tools do you have access to?" should return the tools exposed by your configured MCP servers. If the server does not appear, check the Output panel → MCP for error messages.

Example: Installing the Filesystem MCP Server

The Filesystem server is the best starting point because it requires no API keys. Add this to your mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/Users/you/projects"]
    }
  }
}

Replace /Users/you/projects with the actual directory you want Cursor to access. You can add multiple directories by including more entries in the args array.

Example: Installing the GitHub MCP Server

The GitHub server requires a personal access token. Because Cursor's mcp.json may not support inline env vars, export the token in your shell before launching Cursor:

# macOS/Linux — add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="ghp_xxxxxxxx"

# Then restart Cursor from the terminal:
open -a Cursor  # macOS

Then add the server to mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor-Specific Limitations to Know

Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions