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Cursor Setup

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Prerequisites

• Cursor IDE version 1.0 or higher
• (Recommended) Free API key from context7.com/dashboard

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Installation Methods

• Remote Server (Recommended)
• Local Server
• Project-Specific

Remote connection uses the hosted Context7 MCP server. No local installation required.

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One-Click Install

Click the button below for instant installation:

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Manual Configuration

1

Open Cursor Settings

Go to: Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP → Add new global MCP server

2

Add Configuration

Add the following to your ~/.cursor/mcp.json file:

With API Key (Recommended)

Without API Key

With OAuth

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "CONTEXT7_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key from context7.com/dashboard

3

Restart Cursor

Close and reopen Cursor for the changes to take effect.

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Benefits

• No local installation or dependencies
• Always running the latest version
• Reduced system resource usage
• Perfect for teams (consistent configuration)

Local connection runs the MCP server on your machine using npx.

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One-Click Install

Click the button below for instant installation:

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Manual Configuration

1

Open Cursor Settings

Go to: Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP → Add new global MCP server

2

Add Configuration

Add the following to your ~/.cursor/mcp.json file:

With API Key (Recommended)

Without API Key

With Environment Variable

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp", "--api-key", "YOUR_API_KEY"]
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key from context7.com/dashboard

3

Restart Cursor

Close and reopen Cursor for the changes to take effect.

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Benefits

• Maximum privacy (runs entirely on your machine)
• Works offline after initial package download
• Full control over server lifecycle

Install Context7 for a specific project only (not globally).

1

Create Project Config

Create .cursor/mcp.json in your project root directory.

2

Add Configuration

Use the same configuration format as global installation:

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "CONTEXT7_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

3

Restart Cursor

Close and reopen Cursor in the project directory.

Project-specific configuration takes precedence over global configuration.

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Automated Setup

npx ctx7 setup --cursor

• Authenticates via OAuth
• Generates an API key
• Configures the MCP server
• Sets up recommended rules

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Verify Installation

Create a Next.js middleware that checks for a valid JWT. use context7

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Add a Rule (Recommended)

Always use Context7 MCP when I need library/API documentation, code generation, 
setup or configuration steps without me having to explicitly ask.

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Troubleshooting

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Next Steps