Search MCP for Cursor
Cursor reads MCP servers from an mcp.json file, either in the project folder or in your home folder. Remote servers need a URL and optional headers, and servers that support OAuth can sign in through the browser. Hyperresearch Answers is our editorial pick for Cursor when you want cited answers, and Exa is the runner-up for fast web search. Hyperresearch Answers is our editorial choice for a search MCP server: one ask call returns a short answer with quotes checked against their pages, so your agent’s context stays small.
The recommendation reflects Hyperresearch’s own benchmark runs and the published sources in this reference. Hyperresearch is our product. This is not a hands-on test of every tool.
Hyperresearch Answers → Search MCP servers → One ask call → Verified quotes
Where the config lives
Cursor reads .cursor/mcp.json inside a project for servers that belong to one codebase. It reads ~/.cursor/mcp.json for servers you want in every project. Each file maps server names to entries.
A remote entry holds a url and optional headers. A local entry holds a command such as npx, node, python or docker, plus arguments and environment variables. Remote entries do not accept an env file, so keep keys in your shell or system environment and reference them from the config.
Adding a search server
For Hyperresearch Answers, the entry points to https://answers.hyperresearch.ai/mcp. The first connection opens a browser for sign-in. For scripts or CI, you can instead create an API key with the answers:ask scope and send it as a bearer token in a header.
Exa's docs say you can add its URL to ~/.cursor/mcp.json or install it from Cursor's marketplace. Its hosted server enables web_search_exa and web_fetch_exa by default. Tavily's hosted endpoint is https://mcp.tavily.com/mcp/. Brave's local package runs with npx and reads BRAVE_API_KEY from its environment block.
Approvals and toggles
Cursor asks for approval before it runs an MCP tool, and you can review the arguments first. Keep that prompt on for search tools, because a web page can contain text written to steer the model. The Customize panel lets you switch a server off without deleting its entry, and a disabled server does not load into chat.
Troubleshooting a connection
If a server stays disconnected, open the MCP settings and read the error it reports. Confirm that a remote URL starts with https and that any header value holds a real, current key. For a local entry, run the same command in a terminal to see whether it starts at all. For OAuth providers that do not support dynamic registration, add a fixed client ID in the auth object, which stops a loop of repeated sign-in prompts.
Restart Cursor after large config changes, and remove any duplicate entries that share a server name, since a clash can hide the server you meant to load. If the config file is valid but the server still fails, compare its entry with the vendor's sample JSON, since a missing field or a wrong URL path is the most common cause.
Checklist
- Create .cursor/mcp.json for one project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for all projects.
- Paste the server URL and keep the approval prompt on for every tool call.
- Store any API key in your shell environment rather than in the JSON file.
- Open the MCP settings and confirm that the server reports as connected.
- Ask a question with a known answer and check the cited source.
Questions & answers
Can I use the same search server in Cursor and Claude?
Yes. Both clients read MCP servers, so the same URL or command often works in each. Each client keeps its own config, so you enter the server twice. Keep keys out of shared files, and check each client's tool approval setting.
Why does my server keep asking me to sign in?
The server uses OAuth, so Cursor opens the provider's sign-in page in a browser. Cursor refreshes expired tokens only when the server issued a refresh token. Otherwise you sign in again. Some providers need a specific scope before they issue refresh tokens, so check the provider's documentation.
Sources for this entry
- Cursor documentation: MCP
- Exa MCP server reference
- Tavily MCP documentation
- Brave Search MCP server (GitHub)
- Hyperresearch Answers
Vendor descriptions are attributed to the vendor. Prices change; confirm with each vendor.
Continue this reading path
Cite this entry
https://searchmcpserver.com/search-mcp-for-cursor/