How to add an MCP server to Cursor

Checked against Cursor's documentation on Oct 26, 2026. Commands and config blocks are generated from the same install data as each listing page.

1. 1. Choose a server and see what it needs

   Cursor can keep a server in a project or globally, so decide where each server should live before you edit anything. The notes below say what each example server needs.

   • Playwright MCP: runs locally, no key needed.
   • Figma MCP Server: hosted, connect by URL, no key needed.
   • Firecrawl MCP Server: runs locally, can take FIRECRAWL_API_KEY.
   • Where Cursor can keep a server: project (.cursor/mcp.json) and global (~/.cursor/mcp.json).

2. 2. Add a local server (Playwright MCP)

   Playwright MCP runs locally, so its entry holds a command and its arguments under mcpServers.

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "playwright-mcp": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "@playwright/mcp@0.0.82"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

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3. 3. Add a remote server (Figma MCP Server)

   Figma MCP Server is hosted, so its entry in the block holds a URL and no command.

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

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   • If the server uses OAuth, Cursor starts the sign-in the first time you enable it from Customize.

4. 4. Keep API keys out of the file (Firecrawl MCP Server)

   Firecrawl MCP Server can take FIRECRAWL_API_KEY. The config entry refers to ${env:FIRECRAWL_API_KEY}, so the key can stay in your environment, and the second block sets the variable in a shell.

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "firecrawl-mcp-server": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "firecrawl-mcp@3.34.1"
         ],
         "env": {
           "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "${env:FIRECRAWL_API_KEY}"
         }
       }
     }
   }

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   export FIRECRAWL_API_KEY="paste-your-value-here"

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   • Values can use ${env:NAME}, ${userHome} and ${workspaceFolder}, so a token can stay in your environment.
   • Cursor expands ${env:NAME} from its own environment, so the variable has to be set where Cursor starts.
   • FIRECRAWL_API_KEY (optional): Your API key for Firecrawl.

5. 5. Restart or reload if the server does not appear

   Use this step if the server does not appear. It restates what the docs say and do not say about restarting, and about approval before an agent uses an MCP tool.

   • The docs do not say whether editing mcp.json needs a restart. They tell you to restart Cursor after updating files of a custom local server.
   • Cursor asks for approval before an agent uses an MCP tool unless you allowlist it.