Coreby Gradien

Agent guide

Cursor Setup

Back to setup docsRaw source

Paste this into your agent

Start with this visible request when you want the agent to help. It keeps the action coming from you, while the linked setup reference stays plain and non-recursive.

Use this in the app you are connecting, then approve only the browser login, app setting, or restart steps that the app requires.

Please help me set up Core for Cursor. Core is a home base for AI agents: it keeps memory, files, decisions, tasks, and work context synced across tools, harnesses, and models.

Use this official setup reference:
https://gradien.ai/core/docs/reference

Cursor supports remote MCP servers through Cursor settings and mcp.json. Core should usually be configured globally so it follows you across projects.

Core MCP server URL:

https://core.gradien.ai/mcp

Global config path:

~/.cursor/mcp.json

Project config path:

.cursor/mcp.json

Run the guided installer:

npx -y @gradien/core-agent-setup

The installer creates a Core signup/login session, backs up existing Cursor MCP config, and adds Core where Cursor can load it.

Manual Config

The expected global config shape is:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "core": {
      "url": "https://core.gradien.ai/mcp"
    }
  }
}

If the file already contains other MCP servers, preserve them and add only the core entry.

Do not put bearer tokens or connector keys in Cursor config unless OAuth is impossible and you intentionally choose that fallback.

Load and Authenticate

Cursor may not hot-load new MCP servers in an existing chat.

  1. Reload Cursor with Cmd+Shift+P -> Developer: Reload Window, or fully quit and relaunch Cursor.
  2. Open Cursor Settings.
  3. Go to Features -> Model Context Protocol.
  4. Find Core. It may appear as core or user-core.
  5. Click Connect or Authenticate.
  6. Approve Core in the browser.

If only an mcp_auth tool is visible, Core is present but not authenticated yet. Complete the OAuth step from Cursor settings or by using the visible auth tool.

If Cursor Hangs During OAuth

If Cursor stays on Waiting for callback... or Exchanging token... after the browser returned to Cursor:

  1. Stop clicking Connect/Allow repeatedly.
  2. Fully quit and relaunch Cursor.
  3. Try Connect once more.
  4. Check Cursor MCP Logs in the Output panel: Cmd+Shift+U -> MCP Logs.

Repeated unauthenticated requests to /mcp mean Cursor can reach Core but did not complete or store OAuth. That is usually an OAuth callback state issue, not a bad URL.

Fallback

If OAuth keeps hanging after one clean relaunch, a scoped Core connector key can be used as a fallback. Store it as locally and narrowly as possible, prefer environment-variable interpolation if Cursor supports it, and rotate the key later.