MCP Setup

Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers transform Cursor from a code editor into a comprehensive development platform. In this 10-minute guide, you’ll set up essential MCP servers that integrate documentation, browser automation, version control, and more.

Understanding MCP

Tip

Think of MCP servers as superpowers for your AI - they give Cursor abilities beyond code editing, like browsing the web, querying databases, or accessing documentation.

What MCP Enables

Documentation Access

Real-time access to latest library docs preventing outdated code suggestions

Browser Automation

Test web apps, take screenshots, and automate browser tasks

Database Operations

Query databases, inspect schemas, and manage data directly

External Services

Connect to APIs, project management tools, and third-party services

Prerequisites

1. Verify Node.js 18+:

   node --version  # Should show v18.0.0 or higher

2. Check npm:

   npm --version  # Should be 8.0.0 or higher

3. Create MCP Config Directory:

   mkdir -p ~/.cursor
   touch ~/.cursor/mcp.json

Essential MCP Servers

1. Context7 - Documentation Access

Why Context7?

Access up-to-date documentation for 4,000+ libraries. No more outdated Stack Overflow code!

Installation

One-Click Install

Add Context7 to Cursor

Click the link above to automatically install Context7

Manual Install

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Usage Examples

# Get latest Next.js docs
"How do I use the new App Router in Next.js? Use context7"

# Learn library APIs
"Show me how to use React Query for data fetching with context7"

# Framework comparisons
"Compare Vue 3 Composition API with React Hooks using context7"

2. Puppeteer - Browser Automation

Why Puppeteer?

Automate browser testing, take screenshots, scrape data, and test user flows.

Installation

Global Setup

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

Project Setup

Create .cursor/mcp.json in your project:

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

First Run Setup

Note

Puppeteer will download Chromium (~170MB) on first run. This is normal and only happens once.

Usage Examples

1. Screenshot Testing:

   "Navigate to localhost:3000 and take a screenshot of the homepage"

2. E2E Testing:

   "Test the login flow: go to /login, enter test@example.com
   and password123, click submit, verify redirect to /dashboard"

3. Visual Regression:

   "Take screenshots of all main pages and compare with
   the screenshots in /tests/visual-baseline"

3. Filesystem - Advanced File Operations

Why Filesystem?

Perform advanced file operations beyond the workspace, bulk file management, and system integration.

Installation

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

Security Configuration

Development

Allow broader access for development:

{
  "filesystem": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem"],
    "env": {
      "ALLOWED_PATHS": "/Users/dev/projects,/tmp"
    }
  }
}

Production

Restrict to specific directories:

{
  "filesystem": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem"],
    "env": {
      "ALLOWED_PATHS": "/app/data",
      "READ_ONLY": "true"
    }
  }
}

4. GitHub Integration

Why GitHub MCP?

Manage issues, PRs, and repository operations without leaving Cursor.

Installation

Using gh CLI

First install GitHub CLI:

# macOS
brew install gh

# Windows
winget install GitHub.cli

# Linux
sudo apt install gh

Then authenticate:

gh auth login

MCP Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Usage Examples

# Create issue
"Create a GitHub issue titled 'Add dark mode' with labels: enhancement, ui"

# PR management
"List all open PRs and summarize their status"

# Code review
"Review the latest PR and comment on any potential issues"

5. Database Connections

Why Database MCP?

Query data, inspect schemas, and manage database operations directly from Cursor.

PostgreSQL Setup

1. Install Server:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "postgres": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres",
           "postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/dbname"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

2. Secure Credentials:

   {
     "postgres": {
       "command": "npx",
       "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
       "env": {
         "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/dbname"
       }
     }
   }

Other Databases

MySQL

{
  "mysql": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": [
      "-y",
      "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mysql",
      "mysql://user:pass@localhost:3306/dbname"
    ]
  }
}

SQLite

{
  "sqlite": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": [
      "-y",
      "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sqlite",
      "/path/to/database.db"
    ]
  }
}

MongoDB

{
  "mongodb": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": [
      "-y",
      "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mongodb",
      "mongodb://localhost:27017/mydb"
    ]
  }
}

Project Management Integrations

Linear

Linear Integration

Sync tasks, create issues, and update project status without context switching.

Note

Linear now offers a remote MCP server. The npm package is deprecated.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linear": {
      "url": "https://mcp.linear.app/sse"
    }
  }
}

For legacy npm package (deprecated):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linear": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "linear-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "LINEAR_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Jira

Note

Atlassian offers a remote MCP server (Beta) at https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse with OAuth authentication. For local setup, use community packages.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mcp-devtools/jira"],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_URL": "https://company.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_EMAIL": "you@company.com",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternatively, use @aot-tech/jira-mcp-server.

Design Tool Integration

Figma

Figma Integration

Convert designs to code, extract design tokens, and maintain design consistency.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "figma": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "figma-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "FIGMA_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternatively, use figma-developer-mcp for enhanced features.

Usage:

"Get the color palette from our design system in Figma"
"Convert the LoginScreen frame to React components"

Complete Configuration Example

Here’s a comprehensive ~/.cursor/mcp.json with all essential servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"]
    },
    "puppeteer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-puppeteer"]
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem"]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
      }
    },
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "${DATABASE_URL}"
      }
    },
    "linear": {
      "url": "https://mcp.linear.app/sse"
    }
  }
}

Verifying Installation

Check MCP Status

1. Open Cursor Settings: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + J

2. Navigate to: Tools & Integrations → Model Context Protocol

3. Verify Status:

   • Green dot = Running
   • Red dot = Error (check logs)
   • Gray = Not started

4. Test Each Server:

   # Test Context7
   "What's new in React 19? Use context7"
   
   # Test Puppeteer
   "Navigate to google.com and take a screenshot"
   
   # Test GitHub
   "List my recent GitHub issues"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Server won’t start:

• Check Node.js version
• Verify JSON syntax
• Check file permissions

Authentication errors:

• Verify API tokens
• Check environment variables
• Confirm network access

Performance issues:

• Limit active servers
• Increase Node memory
• Check system resources

Debug Mode

Launch Cursor with debug logging:

# Check MCP configuration file for syntax errors
# View console logs in Developer Tools (Help > Toggle Developer Tools)

View logs:

1. Open Output panel: Ctrl + Shift + U
2. Select “MCP Logs” from dropdown
3. Look for error messages

Reset MCP

If all else fails:

# Backup config
cp ~/.cursor/mcp.json ~/.cursor/mcp.json.backup

# Clear MCP cache
rm -rf ~/.cursor/mcp-cache

# Restart Cursor

Security Best Practices

Use Environment Variables

Never hardcode credentials in mcp.json

"env": {
  "API_KEY": "${API_KEY}"
}

Restrict Permissions

Limit filesystem access and use read-only where possible

Audit Servers

Review MCP server code before installation

Rotate Credentials

Regularly update API keys and tokens

Advanced MCP Techniques

Creating Custom Commands

# Create shortcuts for common MCP operations
# Note: Use Cursor's UI to check MCP server status and reload
# View > Output > Select "MCP" from dropdown

Project-Specific MCP

Create .cursor/mcp.json in project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "project-db": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["exec", "project-db", "psql"]
    }
  }
}

Conditional MCP Loading

Use environment detection:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-db": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "${DEV_DATABASE_URL}"
      },
      "condition": "${NODE_ENV} === 'development'"
    }
  }
}

What’s Next with MCP

Tip

You now have superpowers! Context7 keeps your code current, Puppeteer automates testing, and database access streamlines development.

Recommended Next Steps

1. Explore More Servers: Browse the MCP Directory
2. Build Custom Servers: Create MCP servers for your specific needs
3. Share Configurations: Check .cursor/mcp.json into Git for team use

Next Steps

Continue to First Feature

Now let’s build your first AI-assisted feature using everything we’ve configured.

First Feature →

Time: 15 minutes

Tip

Pro Tip: Start with 2-3 MCP servers and add more as needed. Too many active servers can slow down Cursor and increase complexity.