How to Set Up MCP Servers in Claude Desktop and Cursor

Setting up MCP servers unlocks your AI assistant's ability to interact with real tools and data. This guide walks through configuring MCP servers in Claude Desktop and Cursor — the two most popular MCP-compatible clients.

Prerequisites

• Claude Desktop (latest version) or Cursor IDE
• Node.js 18+ installed on your machine
• API keys for the services you want to connect

Setting Up in Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop stores MCP configuration in a JSON file called claude_desktop_config.json.

Step 1: Open the Config File

The file location depends on your OS:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Step 2: Add MCP Server Config

Use our directory to find pre-built configs, or add one manually. Here's the GitHub MCP server as an example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

After saving the config file, quit and reopen Claude Desktop. You should see a hammer icon indicating available tools. Ask Claude to list your GitHub issues to verify the connection.

Setting Up in Cursor

Cursor supports MCP through a project-level config file located at .cursor/mcp.json in your project root.

Step 1: Create .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Enable in Settings

Go to Cursor Settings > Features > MCP Servers. Toggle on "Enable MCP Servers." Cursor automatically picks up the config from your project.

Step 3: Use MCP Tools

Open the Cursor command palette (Cmd+Shift+P) and search for "MCP" to see available servers and tools. Your AI assistant can now query your database directly.

Adding Multiple Servers

You can add as many MCP servers as you need. Each server is a separate entry under mcpServers. Here's an example with three servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": { ... },
    "stripe": { ... },
    "postgres": { ... }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

"No tools available"

Make sure your config file is valid JSON. Use our converter to generate correct configs, then copy them directly.

Server not connecting

Check that Node.js is installed and accessible from your PATH. Verify your API keys are correct and have the necessary permissions.

Config changes not applying

Always restart your MCP client after editing the config file. Some clients may also require a full system restart if the MCP server process is cached.