CursorSetup GuideIDE

How to Use MCP Servers with Cursor

Cursor added native MCP support, making it one of the most powerful AI-assisted code editors available. With MCP servers running inside Cursor, the AI composer can read your files, query your database, open pull requests on GitHub, and run tests — all without leaving your editor. This guide walks you through the complete setup in under 10 minutes.

Before you start

Cursor version 0.43 or later (check via Cursor → About Cursor)
Node.js 18+ installed (run node --version to check)
At least one MCP server to install — this guide uses the filesystem server as an example

Step-by-step setup

Open Cursor Settings

In Cursor, open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) and search for "Cursor Settings", or navigate to File → Preferences → Cursor Settings. Look for the "MCP" section in the left-hand sidebar.

Add an MCP server

Click "Add new MCP server". Cursor uses a JSON config format similar to Claude Desktop. Paste in the server name, command, and any arguments or environment variables. For example, to add the filesystem server, set command to "npx" and args to ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/project"].

Save and verify

Save the settings. Cursor will attempt to start the server immediately. A green dot next to the server name means it connected successfully. If you see a red dot, check that Node.js is installed and the command is correct.

Use tools in Cursor Composer

Open Cursor Composer (Cmd+I / Ctrl+I) and start a new conversation. Cursor automatically makes the MCP server's tools available. You can ask the AI to use a specific tool, or just describe what you want — Cursor will decide which tools to call.

Example Cursor MCP config

Cursor stores MCP config in ~/.cursor/mcp.json (Mac/Linux) or %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json (Windows). You can also edit this file directly:

~/.cursor/mcp.json

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

Cursor vs Claude Desktop: key differences

Config location

Cursor: ~/.cursor/mcp.json or Settings UI

Claude Desktop: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Where tools appear

Cursor: Cursor Composer (Cmd+I)

Claude Desktop: Every Claude Desktop conversation

Auto-tool selection

Cursor: Cursor decides which tools to call based on context

Claude Desktop: Claude decides, or you can ask explicitly

Multiple servers

Cursor: Supported — all listed servers run in parallel

Claude Desktop: Supported — all listed servers run in parallel

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