Cursor MCP Installer

What is Cursor MCP Installer?

Cursor MCP Installer is a tool that streamlines the installation and configuration of MCP servers inside the Cursor IDE. By simply providing a repository URL, npm package name, or path to a local directory, it takes care of locating entry points, normalizing paths, and adding the server to Cursor's MCP configuration.

How to Use Cursor MCP Installer?

Add to Cursor configuration – The easiest method is to use npx without a global install:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3",
        "index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Save this in ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or the Windows equivalent).

Restart Cursor to load the new server.
Ask Claude (or any MCP‑compatible assistant) to install a server, e.g.:
- Install the web search MCP server
- Install the MCP server for OpenAPI schema exploration with my-schema.yaml
The installer will fetch the package or clone the repo, resolve any required arguments, and update the MCP configuration so the new server appears in the sidebar.

Key Features

Multiple source support – npm packages, Git repositories, and local directories.
Robust path handling – Correctly normalizes relative/absolute paths, spaces, and special characters.
OpenAPI schema detection – Scans command arguments for schema files (.yaml, .yml, .json, .openapi).
Automatic server discovery – Detects common entry points for JavaScript/TypeScript and Python MCP servers.
Zero‑install option – Run directly via npx without global installation.
Configurable via Cursor’s mcp.json – Seamlessly integrates with existing Cursor setups.

Use Cases

Rapid prototyping – Developers can instantly add new MCP services (e.g., web search, file system access) while working in Cursor.
Team onboarding – Share a single mcp.json entry; each team member can install the same set of servers with one command.
Custom tooling – Install internal MCP servers from private Git repositories to expose bespoke functionality to Claude or other assistants.
OpenAPI exploration – Load an OpenAPI specification file and spin up a server that lets the assistant query the API.

FAQ

Q: Do I need to install Node.js? A: Yes, Node.js is required for the npm‑based installation path.

Q: Can I use a specific version of the installer? A: Specify the version in the npx argument, e.g., cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3.

Q: What if my repository uses Python? A: The installer includes detection for Python entry points and will set up the appropriate command.

Q: Where is the MCP configuration file stored? A: ~/.cursor/mcp.json on macOS/Linux and %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json on Windows.

Q: How does the installer handle environment variables? A: You can manually add any needed env vars to the server configuration after installation.

📢 NOW AVAILABLE ON NPM! Install with a simple npm install -g cursor-mcp-installer-free command or use directly with npx cursor-mcp-installer-free or uvx cursor-mcp-installer-free!

🔄 Latest Updates (v0.1.3): Improved path handling for all MCP server installations, better OpenAPI schema detection, and more robust server discovery in local directories. Thanks to @ItzAmirreza for submitting the initial installation path handling issue. See CHANGELOG.md for details.

Quick Start Guide

Step 1: Add to Cursor Configuration

Choose one of these methods to add the MCP Installer to your Cursor configuration:

Using npx (Easiest - No Installation Required)

Add this to your ~/.cursor/mcp.json file (create it if it doesn't exist):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3",
        "index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Using npm (Global Installation)

npm install -g cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3

Then add to your ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "cursor-mcp-installer-free",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Restart Cursor

Close and reopen Cursor to apply the configuration changes.

Step 3: Use Claude to Install Servers

Ask Claude to install any MCP server for you:

Install the web search MCP server

Install the MCP server for OpenAPI schema exploration with my-schema.yaml

Step 4: What You'll See When Installed

Once properly installed and Cursor is restarted, you'll see the MCP Installer available in the sidebar when using Claude:

The MCP Installer provides three main tools:

install_repo_mcp_server: Install MCP servers from npm packages or repositories
install_local_mcp_server: Install MCP servers from local directories
add_to_cursor_config: Add custom MCP server configurations

Features

Install MCP servers from npm packages
Install MCP servers from local directories
Configure MCP servers for Cursor
Add custom MCP server configurations

Prerequisites

Before using this tool, you need to have installed:

Node.js (for npm packages)
Cursor IDE

Installation

There are several ways to install and use the Cursor MCP Installer:

1. Using npm (Recommended)

npm install -g cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3

After installation, add it to your Cursor MCP configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "cursor-mcp-installer-free",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

2. Using npx (No Installation Required)

You can use npx to run the package without installing it globally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3",
        "index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Direct from GitHub

Clone the repository and build it locally:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/matthewdcage/cursor-mcp-installer.git
cd cursor-mcp-installer

# Install dependencies and build
npm install
npm run build

Then configure Cursor to use your local installation:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "node",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/cursor-mcp-installer/lib/index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/cursor-mcp-installer with the actual path where you've cloned the repository.

Where is the Cursor MCP Configuration File?

The Cursor MCP configuration file is located at:

macOS/Linux: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json

If the file doesn't exist, you can create it with the content from any of the installation methods above.

Path Handling Improvements in v0.1.3

Version 0.1.3 introduces significant improvements to path handling for MCP server installations:

Enhanced Path Resolution

Properly normalizes both relative and absolute paths
Handles paths with spaces and special characters
Ensures consistent path formatting across different operating systems

Better Schema Detection

Now scans all arguments for schema files, not just the first one
Supports more schema file extensions (.yaml, .yml, .json, .openapi)
Properly normalizes schema file paths before passing to servers

Improved Server Discovery

Added detection of common server entry points in local directories
Enhanced support for Python-based MCP servers
Better error reporting for path-related issues

These improvements make the MCP Installer more robust for all types of server installations, especially when dealing with custom file paths, OpenAPI schemas, and local directory installations.

Usage

Once installed, you can use Claude or Cursor to interact with the MCP Installer. Here are some example prompts:

Install an npm package as an MCP server

Install the MCP server named mcp-server-fetch

Install with arguments

Install the @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem package as an MCP server. Use ['/home/user/documents'] for the arguments

Install a local MCP server

Install the MCP server at /home/user/projects/my-mcp-server

Cursor MCP Installer