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Cursor Integration

Use GitHub to MCP with Cursor IDE for AI-assisted coding with full codebase context.

Prerequisites

Step 1: Generate Your MCP Server

npx @nirholas/github-to-mcp https://github.com/owner/repo -o ~/mcp-servers/my-repo

Step 2: Configure Cursor

Cursor's MCP configuration is in your settings. Open Cursor and:

  1. Press Cmd/Ctrl + , to open Settings
  2. Search for "MCP"
  3. Click "Edit in settings.json"

Or edit directly:

~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/settings.json

%APPDATA%\Cursor\User\settings.json

~/.config/Cursor/User/settings.json

Step 3: Add MCP Server

Add your MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "my-repo": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/mcp-servers/my-repo/server.mjs"]
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Restart Cursor

  1. Close all Cursor windows
  2. Relaunch Cursor
  3. The MCP tools should now be available

Using MCP with Cursor

In Chat (Cmd+L)

Ask questions about the connected repository:

You: How does the authentication middleware work?

Cursor: Uses MCP tools to search and read files The authentication middleware in this repo...

In Composer (Cmd+K)

Reference MCP tools when generating code:

You: Create a new endpoint similar to the existing /users endpoint

Cursor: Uses search_code to find the users endpoint, read_file to understand the pattern

Context Awareness

With MCP connected, Cursor can:

  • Search the entire repository for relevant code
  • Understand API patterns and conventions
  • Find related implementations
  • Reference documentation

Multiple Repositories

Configure multiple repos for cross-codebase AI assistance:

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "frontend": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/frontend-mcp/server.mjs"]
    },
    "backend": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/backend-mcp/server.mjs"]
    },
    "shared-lib": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/shared-mcp/server.mjs"]
    }
  }
}

Workflow Tips

1. Connect External Dependencies

Generate MCP servers for libraries you use:

# Your project's main dependency
npx @nirholas/github-to-mcp https://github.com/prisma/prisma -o ~/mcp-servers/prisma

Then ask Cursor about Prisma patterns while coding.

2. Reference Documentation Repos

npx @nirholas/github-to-mcp https://github.com/vercel/next.js -o ~/mcp-servers/nextjs

Ask about Next.js best practices with real code context.

3. Keep Servers Updated

When dependencies update, regenerate:

npx @nirholas/github-to-mcp https://github.com/prisma/prisma -o ~/mcp-servers/prisma --force

Troubleshooting

MCP Not Working

  1. Check Cursor version (MCP requires recent versions)
  2. Verify the config file location
  3. Test the server standalone: 
    node ~/mcp-servers/my-repo/server.mjs

Slow Responses

For large repos, optimize your MCP server:

npx @nirholas/github-to-mcp <url> \
  --exclude-tools get_readme \
  -o ~/mcp-servers/my-repo

Permission Errors

On macOS, you may need to allow Node.js:

  1. System Preferences → Security & Privacy
  2. Allow node to run

Best Practices

  1. Local repos first - For your active project, use Cursor's built-in context
  2. MCP for external - Use MCP for dependencies and reference repos
  3. Selective tools - Exclude unused tools for faster responses
  4. Keep servers lean - Don't generate servers for massive repos unless needed

Next Steps