How to Set Up MCP in Cursor IDE

What is MCP and Why Use It with Cursor?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI coding assistants connect to external tools, databases, and APIs. When you add MCP servers to Cursor, your AI assistant can query databases, manage GitHub repos, search the web, and interact with dozens of services — all without leaving your editor.

Cursor has supported MCP since early 2025, and as of 2026 it's one of the most popular MCP clients alongside Claude Code and Windsurf. Here's how to get started.

Step 1: Open Cursor MCP Settings

In Cursor, MCP configuration lives in your project's .cursor/mcp.json file or global settings.

Option A: Project-level config

// .cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Option B: Global config

Go to Cursor Settings → Features → MCP to add servers that persist across all projects.

Step 2: Add Popular MCP Servers

Here are the most popular MCP servers developers use with Cursor:

GitHub

Manage repos, issues, and PRs

npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

PostgreSQL

Query your database with AI

npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb

Supabase

Full Supabase project access

npx supabase-mcp-server

Brave Search

Real-time web search

npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search

Filesystem

Controlled file access

npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /path/to/project

Step 3: Verify Your MCP Servers

After adding servers, restart Cursor. You should see green indicators next to each MCP server in your settings. If a server shows red, check:

Node.js 18+ is installed (required for npx servers)
Environment variables are set correctly
The server package exists on npm
Your firewall isn't blocking connections

Common Issues and Fixes

Server shows 'connecting' forever: Kill any orphaned node processes and restart Cursor

Permission denied errors: Check that API tokens have correct scopes

Server crashes on startup: Run the npx command manually in terminal to see error output

What Can You Do With MCP in Cursor?

Once configured, simply chat with Cursor's AI and it will automatically use MCP tools when relevant:

"Query the users table and show me the schema" → Uses PostgreSQL MCP

"Create a new GitHub issue for this bug" → Uses GitHub MCP

"Search for the latest Next.js deployment best practices" → Uses Brave Search MCP

"Read the README in the docs folder" → Uses Filesystem MCP