How to add MCP servers to Cursor

Where Cursor keeps MCP config (.cursor/mcp.json (project), ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global)), the exact format, and working examples for local and remote servers.

1. Find the config file

.cursor/mcp.json (project)
~/.cursor/mcp.json (global)

Uses the "mcpServers" key. Remote servers take a "url" (plus optional "headers").

2. Add a local (stdio) server

Example: Context7, which runs locally with npx.

.cursor/mcp.json

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

3. Add a remote (HTTP) server

Example: Notion's hosted server. You sign in with OAuth the first time it connects.

.cursor/mcp.json

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

4. If it won't connect

Validate the file. One trailing comma breaks the whole file.
Check the top-level key: VS Code uses servers; Claude Code, Cursor and Antigravity use mcpServers; Codex uses TOML tables.
If npx isn't found, the app may not see your shell's PATH (common with nvm). Use the full path to npx.
Restart the agent or reload the window after editing.

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