GrepAI MCP Integration with Cursor
This skill covers integrating GrepAI with Cursor IDE using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
When to Use This Skill
- Setting up GrepAI in Cursor
- Enabling semantic search for Cursor AI
- Configuring MCP for Cursor
- Troubleshooting Cursor integration
What is Cursor?
Cursor is an AI-powered IDE that supports MCP for external tools. GrepAI integration gives Cursor's AI:
- Semantic code search beyond simple text matching
- Call graph analysis for understanding dependencies
- Index-based code navigation
Prerequisites
- GrepAI installed
- Ollama running (or other embedding provider)
- Project indexed (
grepai watch)
- Cursor IDE installed
Configuration
Step 1: Create MCP Config File
Create .cursor/mcp.json in your project root:
{
"mcpServers": {
"grepai": {
"command": "grepai",
"args": ["mcp-serve"]
}
}
}
Step 2: Restart Cursor
Close and reopen Cursor for the config to take effect.
Step 3: Verify
Ask Cursor's AI:
"Search the codebase for authentication"
Cursor should use the grepai_search tool.
Global Configuration
For GrepAI in all Cursor projects, use global config:
Location
- macOS:
~/.cursor/mcp.json
- Linux:
~/.cursor/mcp.json
- Windows:
%APPDATA%\Cursor\mcp.json
Content
{
"mcpServers": {
"grepai": {
"command": "grepai",
"args": ["mcp-serve"]
}
}
}
Per-Project Configuration
For project-specific settings:
{
"mcpServers": {
"grepai": {
"command": "grepai",
"args": ["mcp-serve"],
"cwd": "/absolute/path/to/project"
}
}
}
Available Tools
Once configured, Cursor has access to:
| Tool |
Description |
grepai_search |
Semantic code search |
grepai_trace_callers |
Find function callers |
grepai_trace_callees |
Find function callees |
grepai_trace_graph |
Build call graphs |
grepai_index_status |
Check index health |
Usage Examples
Finding Code
Ask Cursor:
"Find code that handles user login"
Cursor uses grepai_search to find semantically related code.
Understanding Dependencies
Ask Cursor:
"What functions call validateToken?"
Cursor uses grepai_trace_callers to show all callers.
Code Navigation
Ask Cursor:
"Show me the call graph for processPayment"
Cursor uses grepai_trace_graph to display dependencies.
Cursor Settings Integration
Enable MCP in Settings
- Open Cursor Settings (
Cmd+, / Ctrl+,)
- Search for "MCP"
- Ensure MCP is enabled
Verify MCP Status
- Open Command Palette (
Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
- Search "MCP"
- Check connected servers
Windsurf Configuration
Windsurf uses the same MCP format as Cursor:
Location
Create .windsurf/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"grepai": {
"command": "grepai",
"args": ["mcp-serve"]
}
}
}
Multiple Projects Setup
Option 1: Separate Configs
Each project has its own .cursor/mcp.json with appropriate cwd.
Option 2: Workspaces
grepai workspace create dev
grepai workspace add dev /path/to/project1
grepai workspace add dev /path/to/project2
{
"mcpServers": {
"grepai": {
"command": "grepai",
"args": ["mcp-serve", "--workspace", "dev"]
}
}
}
Environment Variables
If GrepAI uses environment variables (like API keys):
{
"mcpServers": {
"grepai": {
"command": "grepai",
"args": ["mcp-serve"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "sk-..."
}
}
}
}
Better: Set environment variables in your shell profile instead.
Troubleshooting
MCP Not Recognized
❌ Problem: Cursor doesn't see GrepAI tools
✅ Solutions:
- Check file location:
.cursor/mcp.json in project root
- Verify JSON syntax (no trailing commas)
- Restart Cursor completely
- Check
grepai is in PATH
Search Returns Nothing
❌ Problem: Empty search results
✅ Solutions:
- Ensure index exists:
grepai status
- Run
grepai watch first
- Verify working directory
Connection Errors
❌ Problem: MCP connection failed
✅ Solutions:
- Test manually:
grepai mcp-serve
- Check Ollama:
curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags
- Look at Cursor's developer console for errors
Wrong Results
❌ Problem: Results from wrong project
✅ Solutions:
- Set explicit
cwd in config
- Check you opened the right folder in Cursor
- Use
grepai_index_status to verify
Performance Tips
- Background daemon: Keep
grepai watch --background running
- Use compact mode: MCP tools use compact by default
- Limit results: AI will request appropriate limits
- Index regularly: Especially after git pull
Comparison: Cursor vs Claude Code
| Feature |
Cursor |
Claude Code |
| Config location |
.cursor/mcp.json |
~/.claude/mcp.json |
| Setup command |
Manual JSON |
claude mcp add |
| Project scope |
Per-project or global |
Global |
| IDE integration |
Native |
Terminal |
Best Practices
- Version control: Add
.cursor/mcp.json to git (without secrets)
- Team setup: Document MCP config in README
- Keep index fresh: Run watch daemon
- Test locally: Verify
grepai mcp-serve works first
- Use workspaces: For multi-project setups
Removing Integration
Delete .cursor/mcp.json and restart Cursor.
Or remove just GrepAI:
{
"mcpServers": {
}
}
Output Format
Successful Cursor setup:
✅ GrepAI MCP Integration for Cursor
Config: .cursor/mcp.json
Server: grepai mcp-serve
Status: Ready
Available tools:
- grepai_search
- grepai_trace_callers
- grepai_trace_callees
- grepai_trace_graph
- grepai_index_status
Cursor AI can now search your code semantically!
Test: Ask Cursor "search for authentication code"
