How to Build Anything with mCP in Cursor (Complete Beginner’s Guide)

Key Points:

• mCP technology is gaining rapid adoption among developers
• Cursor is an AI-enhanced code editor that works seamlessly with mCP servers
• Adding just two mCP servers can make Cursor 2-3 times more powerful

My Take:

Having experimented with various AI coding tools, I’ve found that Cursor combined with mCP servers provides one of the most fluid and productive development experiences available today. The time investment to set this up is minimal compared to the productivity gains.

Key Points:

• Go to Cursor Settings > mCP to add new mCP servers
• Create a GitHub account if you don’t have one
• Generate a Personal Access Token with specific permissions
• Use smiy’s GitHub mCP server configuration

Step-by-Step GitHub mCP Setup:

1. Open Cursor and navigate to Settings > mCP
2. Go to GitHub.com and sign up/login
3. In GitHub, go to your profile icon > Settings > Developer Settings > Personal Access Tokens > Fine-grained tokens
4. Generate a new token with these permissions:
   • Administration (read and write)
   • Commit statuses (read and write)
   • Contents (read and write)
   • Issues (read and write)
5. Copy the generated token
6. Visit smiy’s GitHub mCP page and select the Cursor installation option
7. Paste your token and generate the installation command
8. In Cursor Settings > mCP, click “Add new mCP”
9. Name it “GitHub” and paste the installation command

My Take:

I recommend being selective with the permissions you grant. If you’re concerned about security, consider creating a separate GitHub account for your mCP integration or only grant read-only permissions initially until you’re comfortable with how it works.

Key Points:

• YOLO mode significantly enhances Cursor’s automation capabilities
• Configure safety measures before enabling YOLO mode
• Create a “command deny list” to prevent potentially harmful commands
• Enable “delete file protection” to prevent accidental file deletion

Setting Up YOLO Mode Safely:

1. Go to Cursor Settings > Features
2. Scroll down to find “Enable YOLO Mode”
3. Before enabling, add potentially harmful commands to the “Command Deny List”
4. Enable “Delete File Protection” to prevent accidental file deletion
5. Click to enable YOLO Mode

My Take:

YOLO mode is what transforms Cursor from just an AI-enhanced editor to a true coding assistant. While it might seem scary to give an AI this much autonomy, the safety measures David outlines are robust. I’ve been using YOLO mode for months without any issues, and the productivity boost is substantial.

Key Points:

• Browser Tools mCP acts as a professional front-end debugger
• Installation requires cloning a repository and adding a Chrome extension
• Enables access to console logs, errors, network requests, and DOM elements
• Works with Chrome, Brave, and other Chromium-based browsers

Browser Tools mCP Setup Process:

1. In Cursor agent, run: git clone https://github.com/browsertoolscp/browser-tools-mcp.git
2. Go to your browser’s extension management (chrome://extensions/)
3. Enable Developer Mode
4. Click “Load unpacked” and select the “browser-tools-mcp/chrome-extension” folder
5. In Cursor Settings > mCP, add a new mCP named “Browser Tools”
6. Use the command provided in the repository’s installation instructions
7. Start the Browser Tools server by running the provided command in Cursor agent

# Command to start Browser Tools mCP server
cd browser-tools-mcp && npm install && npm start
    

My Take:

The Browser Tools mCP is a game-changer for front-end development workflows. The ability to directly communicate between your browser and Cursor eliminates countless context switches and manual debugging steps. I’ve found it particularly valuable when working with complex web applications where traditional debugging can be time-consuming.

Key Points:

• Browser Tools mCP provides tools for examining console logs, errors, and network activity
• Can capture screenshots of the browser automatically
• Allows inspection of selected DOM elements
• Can suggest CSS modifications based on selected elements
• Explains complex console logs and errors in simple English

Practical Examples Demonstrated:

1. Element Inspection: David selects an element in the browser and asks Cursor to “check the selected element and suggest how we could reduce the padding.” The agent retrieves the element’s details and provides specific CSS suggestions.
2. Console Analysis: Using the prompt “check the stuff in our web console and explain what’s going on,” the agent collects console logs, errors, and network information, then provides a clear explanation in plain English.
3. Automatic Screenshots: The agent can capture browser screenshots on command, eliminating the need to manually take, save, and upload screenshots.

My Take:

As someone who has spent countless hours debugging front-end issues, the Browser Tools mCP is revolutionary. Being able to ask in plain English about console errors or CSS properties saves tremendous time and mental energy. This tool bridges a major gap for developers who aren’t front-end specialists but need to work on web interfaces.

Key Points:

• mCP technology is rapidly evolving with new servers being created daily
• Setting up these tools provides a significant competitive advantage
• The 30-minute investment to configure these tools will “save you time forever”
• In the near future, AI tools like Cursor with mCP will handle increasingly complex development tasks

My Take:

David’s enthusiasm for the future of AI-assisted development is well-founded. I’ve observed that developers who embrace these tools early tend to develop workflows that put them significantly ahead of peers who stick with traditional methods. The productivity multiplier of these tools is substantial and compounds over time as you learn to work with them more effectively.