# Cursor MCP setup: mcp.json, one-click install links and OAuth By Steven Van · 2026-10-14 The guide covers Cursor's mcp.json locations, OAuth sign-in and a shareable install link, using Unif API's MCP server as the worked example. Unif API has published a guide to adding its MCP server to Cursor. Cursor reads MCP servers from mcp.json, either globally at ~/.cursor/mcp.json or per project at .cursor/mcp.json. Both files share the same shape and Cursor merges them. If a name appears in both, the project entry wins. The guide uses the [Unif API]() server at https://mcp.unifapi.com as its worked example, and it is covered in [the original post](). ## Remote and local server shapes A remote server is a url entry under mcpServers. A local server is a command with args, and an optional env. command and url are exclusive, so an entry with both is ignored. The values ${workspaceFolder}, ${userHome} and ${env:NAME} are interpolated, which lets a committed .cursor/mcp.json stay machine-independent. ## Signing in After saving the file, open Cursor Settings, then Tools & MCP (older builds: MCP & Integrations). An OAuth-protected server such as Unif API shows **Needs login**. Clicking it opens a browser window to sign in or create an account and approve the read-only scope. The status dot turns green and the server's three tools appear: list\_operations, get\_operation and call\_api. Cursor supports OAuth 2.0 dynamic client registration, which Unif API uses, so no client ID is needed. For providers with a fixed client ID or a whitelisted redirect URL, Cursor accepts an auth block next to url with CLIENT\_ID, an optional CLIENT\_SECRET and scopes. A server that uses a static token takes headers, and Unif API accepts a workspace API key this way. The post recommends OAuth, since nothing secret goes in a file and the token is read-only. ## One-click install link Cursor can install a server from a deeplink in the form cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=$NAME&config=$BASE64\_CONFIG. The config is the same JSON written by hand, base64-encoded. For Unif API it is the encoding of {"url":"https://mcp.unifapi.com"}. Opening the link hands the server to Cursor, which asks for confirmation before writing it to the global mcp.json. The post says links suit onboarding, while a committed .cursor/mcp.json is the better choice for a team. ## Using the tools - MCP tools are used by the Agent (the default chat mode), not by inline edits or Tab. - Cursor asks before running a tool unless auto-run is enabled for that server. Because get\_operation shows the per-record price before call\_api runs, the post considers auto-run reasonable for Unif API. - Cursor sends the model around forty tools at once across all enabled servers and disables the rest. - Billing is per public-data record in workspace credits, at $0.001 each. Model tokens stay on the user's Cursor plan. - A new workspace has no credits until its first top-up, which carries a one-time bonus. A top-up is needed before the first call\_api. ## Troubleshooting The guide includes a table of fixes. If the server is not listed after saving, validate the JSON (no trailing commas) and toggle the server off and on, or reload the window. If tools are greyed out, the active-tool limit has been exceeded, so disable an unused server. If call\_api returns insufficient\_credits, top up the workspace in the Unif API console. If a teammate cannot see the project server, .cursor/mcp.json may not be committed, or their Cursor may not have trusted the workspace yet. ![Unif API]() Unif API Prebuilt AI marketing agents for SEO, GEO, influencer research, social listening, and competitor analysis — run them inside Claude, ChatGPT, or Codex over one MCP server. [View Unif API →]() Sources [Original source]() [Read Cursor MCP setup: mcp.json, one-click install links and OAuth on Creators Toolbox]() --- Canonical source: https://creatorstoolbox.com/blog/unif-api-cursor-mcp-setup-mcp-json-one-click-install-links-and-oauth