Tavily Cursor MCP Server

# Tavily Cursor MCP Server - Complete Setup Guide ## What This Solves The official Tavily MCP server uses tool names with hyphens (`tavily-search`), but Cursor's CallMcpTool interface expects underscores (`tavily_search`). This custom server fixes that incompatibility. ## Quick Start (5 minutes) ### Step 1: Extract the Files Download and extract the `tavily-cursor-mcp` folder to a location on your computer. **Recommended locations:** - **Windows:** `C:\Users\YourName\mcp-servers\tavily-cursor-mcp` - **Mac/Linux:** `~/mcp-servers/tavily-cursor-mcp` ### Step 2: Run Setup Script **Windows:** ```cmd cd path\to\tavily-cursor-mcp setup.bat ``` **Mac/Linux:** ```bash cd path/to/tavily-cursor-mcp chmod +x setup.sh ./setup.sh ``` The setup script will: 1. Install dependencies (`npm install`) 2. Show you the exact configuration to add to Cursor ### Step 3: Add to Cursor Configuration 1. **Open Cursor Settings:** - Go to `Settings > Tools & Integrations > MCP Servers` - Click `+ Add New MCP Server` 2. **Add the configuration:** **Windows example:** ```json { "mcpServers": { "tavily_cursor": { "command": "node", "args": ["C:\\Users\\YourName\\mcp-servers\\tavily-cursor-mcp\\index.js"], "env": { "TAVILY_API_KEY": "your-tavily-api-key-here" } } } } ``` **Mac/Linux example:** ```json { "mcpServers": { "tavily_cursor": { "command": "node", "args": ["/Users/yourname/mcp-servers/tavily-cursor-mcp/index.js"], "env": { "TAVILY_API_KEY": "your-tavily-api-key-here" } } } } ``` **⚠️ Important:** Use the **full absolute path** to your `index.js` file! ### Step 4: Restart Cursor **Completely quit Cursor** (not just close the window) and restart it. ### Step 5: Test It! Open Cursor in **Agent mode** and try: ``` Use tavily_search to find the latest developments in AI ``` You should see the tool being called successfully! ## Available Tools (All with underscores!) ### 1. tavily_search Search the web with Tavily API. **Example prompts:** - `Use tavily_search to find recent news about OpenAI` - `Search for Python best practices using tavily_search` - `Use tavily_search with advanced depth to research quantum computing` ### 2. tavily_extract Extract clean content from URLs (like tavily-extract but works in Cursor!) **Example prompts:** - `Use tavily_extract to get content from https://example.com/article` - `Extract the main content from these URLs using tavily_extract: [url1, url2]` ### 3. tavily_search_qna Get direct answers to questions. **Example prompts:** - `Use tavily_search_qna to answer: What is the Eiffel Tower's height?` - `Get a direct answer using tavily_search_qna: Who won the 2024 Nobel Prize?` ### 4. tavily_search_context Generate context for RAG applications. **Example prompts:** - `Use tavily_search_context to gather information about machine learning` - `Generate context for RAG using tavily_search_context about climate change` ## Troubleshooting ### ❌ Tools not appearing in Cursor **Solution:** 1. Verify Node.js is installed: `node --version` (need v18+) 2. Check the path in `mcp.json` is absolute and correct 3. Completely quit Cursor (Command+Q on Mac, close all windows on Windows) 4. Restart Cursor 5. Check if the server shows as enabled in `Settings > MCP Servers` ### ❌ "TAVILY_API_KEY environment variable is required" **Solution:** - Make sure your API key is in the `env` section of your config - Verify there are no extra spaces or quotes around the API key ### ❌ "Module not found" or "Cannot find package" **Solution:** ```bash cd tavily-cursor-mcp npm install ``` ### ❌ Path issues on Windows **Solution:** - Use double backslashes: `C:\\Users\\...` - Or use forward slashes: `C:/Users/...` - Make sure the path has NO spaces in folder names ### ❌ Tools discovered but agent says "tool not found" This was the **original problem** this server fixes! Make sure: 1. You're using THIS custom server (not the official tavily-mcp) 2. The tools show with underscores in Cursor settings 3. You're in Agent mode when testing ## Verifying Installation ### Check 1: Server Configuration In Cursor Settings > MCP Servers, you should see: - Server name: `tavily_cursor` - Status: Green/enabled - Tools showing: `tavily_search`, `tavily_extract`, etc. (with underscores!) ### Check 2: Tools List In Agent mode, ask: `What tools do you have access to?` You should see: - `tavily_search` - `tavily_extract` - `tavily_search_qna` - `tavily_search_context` ### Check 3: Actual Usage Try: `Use tavily_search to find the latest news about AI` The agent should successfully call the tool and return results! ## Comparison with Official Server | Feature | Official tavily-mcp | This Custom Server | |---------|-------------------|-------------------| | Tool Names | `tavily-search` (hyphens) | `tavily_search` (underscores) | | Cursor Compatibility | ❌ Broken | ✅ Works! | | Claude Desktop | ✅ Works | ✅ Works | | Features | All 4 tools | All 4 tools | | Installation | NPM package | Local directory | ## Need Help? 1. **Check the logs:** - The server prints errors to Cursor's console - Look for startup messages 2. **Test the server directly:** ```bash cd tavily-cursor-mcp TAVILY_API_KEY=your-key node index.js ``` Should print: "Tavily Cursor MCP Server running on stdio" 3. **Verify dependencies:** ```bash cd tavily-cursor-mcp npm list ``` Should show `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` installed ## Updating Your Configuration If you already have other MCP servers, merge them: ```json { "mcpServers": { "tavily_cursor": { "command": "node", "args": ["/absolute/path/to/tavily-cursor-mcp/index.js"], "env": { "TAVILY_API_KEY": "your-key-here" } }, "brave-search": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search"], "env": { "BRAVE_API_KEY": "your-brave-key" } } // ... other servers } } ``` ## Success! 🎉 Once everything is working, you'll have access to all Tavily's powerful tools: - **Web search** with customizable depth and filters - **URL extraction** for clean content - **Direct Q&A** for quick answers - **Context generation** for RAG applications All with proper Cursor compatibility using underscore-named tools!