Get started with Cursor and Neon MCP Server

This guide shows how to use Cursor with the Neon MCP Server to manage your Neon databases.

Setting up Neon MCP Server in Cursor

Prerequisites

Make sure you have:

1. Cursor Editor: Download and install Cursor from cursor.com.

2. A Neon Account and Project: You'll need a Neon account and a project. You can create a new Neon project in the Neon Console

3. Neon API Key (for Local MCP server): After signing up, get your Neon API Key from the Neon console. This API key is needed to authenticate your application with Neon. For instructions, see Manage API keys.

   Neon API Key Security

   Keep your Neon API key secure, and never share it publicly. It provides access to your Neon projects.

4. Node.js (>= v18) and npm: Ensure Node.js (version 18 or later) and npm are installed. Download them from nodejs.org.

Quick Setup (Recommended)

The fastest way to get started is with the neon init command, which automates OAuth authentication, API key creation, and Cursor configuration:

npx neon@latest init

This command authenticates via OAuth, creates an API key, and configures Cursor to connect to Neon's remote MCP server. API key authentication means fewer approval prompts when using MCP tools. Once complete, ask your AI assistant "Get started with Neon".

Cursor Users: One-Click Alternative

Cursor offers a deep link for quick OAuth setup:

Note: This uses OAuth (not API key), so you'll need to approve each MCP action. For fewer prompts, use Quick Setup above.

Option 1: Setting up the Remote Hosted Neon MCP Server (OAuth)

1. Open Cursor.

2. Create a .cursor directory in your project's root directory. This is where Cursor will look for the MCP server configuration.

3. Paste the following JSON configuration into a file named mcp.json in the .cursor directory:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "Neon": {
         "url": "https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp",
         "headers": {}
       }
     }
   }

   If you have other MCP servers configured, you can copy just the Neon part.

   Save the mcp.json file after pasting the configuration.

4. Restart Cursor or reload the window (Developer: Reload Window from the Command Palette). If Cursor prompts you to Enable the MCP server, click Enable.

5. An OAuth window will open in your browser. Follow the prompts to authorize Cursor to access your Neon account.

6. You can verify that the connection is successful by checking the Tools & MCP section in Cursor settings.

Option 2: Setting up the Local Neon MCP Server

This method runs the Neon MCP server locally on your machine, using a Neon API key for authentication.

1. Open Cursor.

2. Create a .cursor directory in your project's root directory. This is where Cursor will look for the MCP server configuration.

3. Paste the following JSON configuration into a file named mcp.json in the .cursor directory. Replace <YOUR_NEON_API_KEY> with your actual Neon API key which you obtained from the prerequisites section:

   MacOS/LinuxWindowsWindows (WSL)

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "Neon": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": ["-y", "@neondatabase/mcp-server-neon", "start", "<YOUR_NEON_API_KEY>"]
       }
     }
   }

   If you have other MCP servers configured, you can copy just the Neon part.

   

4. Save the mcp.json file after pasting the configuration.

5. Restart Cursor or reload the window (Developer: Reload Window from the Command Palette).

6. Check the MCP Servers section in Cursor settings to verify the connection.

   

Verification

Verify the connection:

1. Open a Cursor Chat using the keyboard shortcut Command + I (on Mac) or Control + I (on Windows) and select the Agent option from the drop-down menu.

   

2. Type List your available MCP tools in the Composer text field, select the agent option in the corner of the field, and click Submit.

   tip

   The agent option is small and easy to miss.

   

3. Try out an Neon MCP Server tool by typing Tell me about my Neon project <project_id>. You'll need to provide your Neon project ID.

   

   Cursor uses the Neon MCP Server describe_project tool to retrieve your project's details.

Global MCP Server in Cursor

You can also set up a global MCP server in Cursor. To set this up:

1. Open Cursor.
2. Go to the Settings.
3. In the Tools & MCP section, click on + Add Custom MCP.
4. Paste the same JSON configuration either for the Remote Hosted or Local MCP Server (as shown in the previous sections) into the configuration field.
5. Save the configuration.
6. Restart Cursor or reload the window (Developer: Reload Window from the Command Palette).

Troubleshooting

If you are on a version of Cursor that does not support JSON configuration for MCP servers, you can use the following command when prompted:

npx -y @neondatabase/mcp-server-neon start <YOUR_NEON_API_KEY>

For a full list of available tools, see available tools in the Neon MCP Server overview.

Development Workflow: Adding a Column with Cursor and Neon MCP

Here's an example interaction adding a created_at column to a table:

User: In my neon project id: round-salad-44063611 list all the tables
Cursor: I'll help you list all the tables in your Neon project. I'll use the default database name 'neondb' since none was specified.
> Called MCP Tool (get_database_tables)
> I found one table in your database:
> playing_with_neon (in the public schema)
> Would you like to see more details about this table's structure or perform any other operations with it?

User: Can you show me first 5 rows?
Cursor: I'll query the first 5 rows from the playing_with_neon table.
> Called MCP Tool (run_sql)
> Here are the first 5 rows from the table. The table has three columns:
> id (sequential numbers)
> name (string values)
> value (decimal numbers)
> Would you like to perform any other operations with this data?

User: can you add a created_at column?
Cursor: I'll help you add a created_at column to the playing_with_neon table. I'll set it up with a timestamp data type and set it to automatically record the creation time of new rows.
> Called MCP Tool (prepare_database_migration)
> Let me verify the change in the temporary branch to make sure it was applied correctly.
> Called MCP Tool (run_sql)
> I've added the created_at column to the playing_with_neon table in a temporary branch. Would you like to commit this migration to the production branch?
> Migration Details:
> Migration ID: a65babcd-d1cc-401f-89b5-762570570102
> Temporary Branch Name: br-silent-cherry-a1eqrl6i
> Temporary Branch ID: br-silent-cherry-a1eqrl6i
> Migration Result: Success
> Please let me know if you'd like to proceed with applying this change to the production branch.

User: yeah do it
Cursor: I'll complete the migration and apply the changes to the production branch.
> Called MCP Tool (complete_database_migration)
> The migration has been successfully completed! The created_at column has been added to your table in the production branch, and the temporary branch has been cleaned up.

You can verify the changes in your Neon Console or by querying the database directly.

Resources

• MCP Protocol
• Adding an MCP Server to Cursor
• Neon Docs
• Neon API Keys
• Neon MCP server GitHub