How to add an MCP server to Cursor

TL;DR. Open Cursor → Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP → Add new MCP server. Paste the JSON config and save. Cursor picks up the change immediately. For Hatchable, grab a free token at hatchable.com and paste it into the Authorization header.

What is an MCP server?

An MCP server (Model Context Protocol) is an external service that Cursor's agent can call — create files, deploy apps, run queries, hit an API. Any service that speaks MCP can be plugged in, and Cursor will let the agent invoke its tools as part of a conversation.

Hatchable's MCP server lets Cursor's agent create Hatchable projects, deploy code, and manage the project's database — all without leaving the editor.

Before you start

• Cursor installed — any recent version. Older Cursor builds used a different MCP UI; if you don't see an MCP tab in Settings, update Cursor first.
• A bearer token for the MCP server you're adding. For Hatchable, click Copy on the Cursor snippet at hatchable.com — the config already includes a fresh token.

Add the server

1. Open Cursor's MCP settings

   Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP. You'll see a list of any servers already configured and an Add new MCP server button.

2. Paste the JSON config

   Cursor uses JSON for MCP server entries. For Hatchable:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "hatchable": {
         "url": "https://hatchable.com/mcp",
         "headers": {
           "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
         }
       }
     }
   }

   Swap YOUR_TOKEN for your actual token. If you're adding multiple servers, repeat the block inside mcpServers with a different key name for each one.

3. Save and confirm

   Cursor will re-read the config on save. Back on the MCP page, your new server should show a green "connected" indicator. If it stays red, jump to Troubleshooting below.

4. Ask the agent to use it

   Open the agent panel (⌘+L on macOS) and give it a task that requires the server. For Hatchable:

   "Create a new Hatchable project called hello-world with a page that says hi, and deploy it."

   The agent will invoke the Hatchable tools. Cursor shows a permission prompt the first time each tool runs — accept to continue.

Where the config file lives

If you'd rather edit the config file directly than go through the UI, it's at:

Troubleshooting

Cursor shows the server as "not connected"

In order of frequency:

• Invalid JSON. Cursor silently fails on syntax errors. Paste your config into a JSON linter or run cat ~/.config/Cursor/... | jq.
• Expired token. Hatchable auto-signup tokens last 30 days from first use. Generate a new one at hatchable.com and update the Authorization header.
• Proxy or VPN. Cursor uses the system HTTPS stack — if your network inspects TLS, Cursor may refuse the connection. Test by running curl -I https://hatchable.com/mcp from the same machine.

The server connects but the agent doesn't call its tools

Cursor's agent only invokes MCP tools when the conversation explicitly needs them. "Help me with this file" won't trigger Hatchable's deploy tool; "Deploy this to Hatchable" will. Be specific — name the tool ("deploy", "create project", "query the app database") in the prompt and the agent will find it.

I switched Hatchable tokens and the old one still works

That's normal — Cursor caches tool manifests. Restart Cursor (or just reload the agent panel) and the cache clears.