Setup · Cursor

Mako, meet Cursor.

How to set up MCP in Cursor with agentmako

agentmako is a local-first MCP server that drops into Cursor through ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (per-project). Set it up once and Mako tools are available in Composer (⌘ I) and Agent mode.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 20 or newer
  • Cursor 0.42 or later (MCP support)
  • agentmako on PATH
// install & attach 
$ npm install -g agentmako
$ cd /path/to/your/project
$ agentmako connect . --no-db
$ agentmako doctor

Add to mcp.json

Per-project (recommended)

Create .cursor/mcp.json at your project root:

// .cursor/mcp.json 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mako-ai": {
      "command": "agentmako",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Global

If you want Mako everywhere, put the same JSON in ~/.cursor/mcp.json instead.

Project-scoped is usually better Mako only returns useful results for the project it's been attached to. Per-project config means Cursor won't try to load Mako in repos you haven't connected.

Enable in settings

Open Cursor Settings → Features → MCP (or Cursor Settings → MCP in newer builds). You should see mako-ai with a green dot. If it's red, click it to see the error.

While you're there: Cursor lets you toggle individual tools. For most projects, leaving everything on is fine. If you want to start small, enable just context_packet, reef_scout, and repo_map.

First task

Open Composer (⌘ I / Ctrl I), switch to Agent mode, and try:

// prompt 
Use the mako-ai context_packet tool first.
Task: "trace how a user lands on the dashboard
after sign-in".

Show me the packet, then walk me through the relevant
files — don't grep until after.

You'll see Cursor make a single Mako tool call, get back the target file plus routes and findings, and use that as the starting point. Token usage on the trace is dramatically lower than the unguided version.

Cursor Rules: tell it when to use Mako

Cursor's Project Rules system lets you steer the agent. Add a rule file at .cursor/rules/mako.mdc:

// .cursor/rules/mako.mdc 
---
description: Use agentmako before grep
alwaysApply: true
---

When the user asks a question that requires locating
code in this repo, call the mako-ai server's
context_packet or reef_scout tool BEFORE issuing
any grep / file reads.

For natural-language repo questions, prefer
reef_scout. For concrete coding tasks, prefer
context_packet.

Only fall back to grep if Mako returns no candidates.

Or paste the agentmako project's AGENTS.md as the body of the rule for the full guidance.

Troubleshooting

Red dot in MCP settings

Click the server entry to see the error message. Most common: Cursor can't find agentmako on PATH because it was launched before the install finished. Quit Cursor fully and re-open.

Server starts but tools never get called

Cursor's auto-tool-selection is conservative. Add the project rule from section 05, or explicitly ask: "use the mako-ai context_packet tool for this." Once the agent uses it once and sees the value, it tends to keep reaching for it.

Windows: command not found

Use the absolute path. where agentmako in PowerShell, then put the full .cmd path in command.