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Set up Cursor for Kanera MCP

Cursor connects to Kanera through the Model Context Protocol. Cursor supports remote Streamable HTTP servers with OAuth, so you can connect through a browser without creating or storing an API key.

One-click install​

With Cursor installed, open this link to add Kanera to Cursor in one step:

Add Kanera to Cursor

Cursor shows the server it is about to add (https://mcp.kanera.app/mcp) and asks you to confirm it. Then complete the browser sign-in described below. If the link does not open Cursor, or you self-host Kanera, add the configuration by hand instead. The MCP config generator also builds the link for a self-hosted address.

Manual configuration​

Kanera shows this configuration, with your MCP address filled in, under Profile settings -> API keys -> Or configure it by hand -> Cursor.

Add Kanera to your global Cursor MCP configuration at ~/.cursor/mcp.json, or to .cursor/mcp.json in a project when the connection should only be available there:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kanera": {
      "url": "https://mcp.kanera.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cursor detects that Kanera requires OAuth and asks you to authenticate. In Cursor Agent, you can start the browser flow explicitly:

cursor-agent mcp login kanera

Sign in to Kanera, review the requested access, and choose Allow access. Then verify the connection and available tools:

cursor-agent mcp list
cursor-agent mcp list-tools kanera

In the Cursor editor, open Settings -> Tools & MCP to inspect the server and its tools. See Connect an AI agent for scopes and disconnecting an agent.

Install the Kanera skill​

The MCP connection gives Cursor access to Kanera's tools. The optional Kanera agent skill teaches it to resolve names to stable IDs, read live state before reporting or changing work, distinguish completed work from creation activity, use idempotency keys, and handle permission or rate-limit failures safely.

Install the skill globally with the open Agent Skills installer:

npx -y skills add https://github.com/happendev/Kanera/tree/main/integrations/skills/kanera --yes --global

For a manual installation, download the complete kanera skill directory and place it in one of these locations:

  • ~/.agents/skills/kanera/ or ~/.cursor/skills/kanera/ for a personal skill available across projects.
  • .agents/skills/kanera/ or .cursor/skills/kanera/ in a repository to share the skill with that project.

Restart Cursor if the skill does not appear. Cursor can load it automatically for relevant requests, or you can invoke /kanera explicitly.

Exception: connect with an API key​

Use OAuth whenever you can

An API key is a long-lived secret that you store and rotate yourself, and work done with a personal key is recorded as you, without the via <agent> label. Use one only when OAuth genuinely cannot work:

  • Your Cursor version cannot complete the remote OAuth flow.
  • You need a local stdio server and cannot use the Kanera CLI. kanera auth login signs in with OAuth, and kanera mcp serves stdio with that sign-in, no key required.
  • The machine has no browser for the sign-in. Try device authorization first if your client supports it.

When you do use a key, create it Read-only unless the agent must change work, and keep it in an environment variable rather than a committed file.

Read the key from an environment variable rather than committing it to a project configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kanera": {
      "url": "https://mcp.kanera.app/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:KANERA_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Set KANERA_API_KEY in the environment that launches Cursor. Create a personal key in Profile settings -> API keys or a workspace key in Workspace settings -> API.

Client reference​