How to Check if MCP Server is Configured in Cursor

How to Check if MCP Server is Configured in Cursor

Quick Check Methods

Method 1: Check Cursor Settings UI

  1. Open Cursor Settings
    • Press Cmd + , (Mac) or Ctrl + , (Windows/Linux)
    • Or: Cursor → Settings
  2. Search for “MCP” or “Model Context Protocol”
    • In the settings search bar, type: MCP
    • Look for a section about “Model Context Protocol” or “MCP Servers”
  3. Check if “government-data” is listed
    • If you see a server named “government-data”, it’s configured!
    • If not, you need to add it (see below)

Method 2: Check Settings JSON

  1. Open Command Palette
    • Press Cmd + Shift + P (Mac) or Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux)

  2. Type: Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)

  3. Look for mcpServers section: 
    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "government-data": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/Users/nickjackolaisen/Documents/GitHub/BI/mcp-servers/government-data/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "CENSUS_API_KEY": "541100b6baa56ca3bafeffa63e80ba1f10d34"
      }
    }
  }
}

Method 3: Test if It Works

Try asking me:

  • “Fetch business startup data for 2023”
  • “Get population data for California”

If I can call the MCP tools, it’s configured! ✅

If I can’t, I’ll use the direct client (which still works, but MCP is better).

If It’s NOT Configured

Option A: Use Cursor Settings UI

  1. Open Settings (Cmd + ,)
  2. Search for “MCP”
  3. Find “Model Context Protocol” section
  4. Click “Add Server” or “+”
  5. Add this configuration:
{
  "name": "government-data",
  "command": "python3",
  "args": [
    "/Users/nickjackolaisen/Documents/GitHub/BI/mcp-servers/government-data/server.py"
  ],
  "env": {
    "CENSUS_API_KEY": "541100b6baa56ca3bafeffa63e59e80ba1f10d34"
  }
}

Option B: Edit Settings JSON

  1. Open Command Palette (Cmd + Shift + P)
  2. Type: Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)
  3. Add the mcpServers section (see Method 2 above)
  4. Save and restart Cursor

After Configuration

  1. Restart Cursor completely (close and reopen)
  2. Test it: Ask me to fetch data
  3. Check Cursor’s MCP logs if it doesn’t work (usually in Developer Tools or Console)

Current Status

Right now, I can still fetch data using the direct client (which I just did for California population). But with MCP configured, I can:

  • Fetch data faster
  • Do it automatically without you running scripts
  • Access it seamlessly during content creation