Cursor MCP: How to Add, Test, and Control MCP Servers

Cursor’s Model Context Protocol support allows its agent, Plan Mode, and CLI to use tools from local or remote servers configured in project or user-level mcp.json files, with examples including Playwright MCP for browser automation and TestMu AI’s remote testing service. The guide recommends validating configurations outside Cursor with MCP Inspector, storing secrets in environment variables rather than committed files, and using OAuth for remote services where supported. Because browser and cloud-testing tools can perform consequential actions, it emphasizes least-privilege permissions through allowlists that favor read-only tools, separate CLI permissions, and fail-closed hooks that block untrusted servers and unsafe functions such as arbitrary JavaScript execution. It also outlines diagnostics for common connection, authentication, reload, and Node.js path problems, while noting that remote MCP servers expand the agent’s reach and may lack consistent security controls. Finally, it distinguishes successful tool execution from verified test outcomes, suggesting recorded cloud sessions and Kane CLI assertions, screenshots, logs, and exit codes to confirm whether automated browser actions actually passed.

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