Adding MCP servers to Cursor

Pick the file

If the file does not exist yet, create it. See the separate guide on where mcp.json lives for exact paths on each OS.

Add a server

1. Open Cursor Settings and go to the MCP section (its exact name has changed between versions).
2. Choose to add a new server. Cursor opens mcp.json.
3. Paste the server inside "mcpServers" and save.
4. Back in Settings, check the server shows a green dot and a list of tools.

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Keep keys out of the file

mcp.json is plain text, and the project version often ends up in git. Cursor can read a value from your environment instead of the file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "firecrawl": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "firecrawl-mcp"],
      "env": { "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "${env:FIRECRAWL_API_KEY}" }
    }
  }
}

When the tools do not show up

• Validate the JSON. One trailing comma stops every server in the file from loading.
• Run the command yourself in a terminal. If npx or uvx cannot start it there, Cursor cannot either.
• Check the server is switched on in Settings; Cursor lets you toggle each one.
• Restart Cursor after big changes. It usually picks up edits, but not always.
• Too many tools at once can push some out. Turn off servers you are not using.

Questions