cursor

Cursor IDE Integration Guide

Cursor supports Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers configured via JSON configuration files or Cursor Settings.

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1. Installation

Install OpenBoard globally via npm:

npm install -g openboard

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2. OpenBoard Startup

Launch the local OpenBoard web dashboard and server:

openboard start

For AI agent operations via MCP, Cursor executes openboard mcp directly over stdio.

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3. MCP Configuration

Configuration File Setup

Cursor reads MCP server definitions from:

• Global Configuration: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
• Project Configuration: .cursor/mcp.json (inside project root)

Add the openboard server under mcpServers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openboard": {
      "command": "openboard",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor UI Setup

1. Open Cursor Settings (Cmd+, on macOS or Ctrl+, on Linux/Windows).
2. Navigate to Tools & MCP (or Features > MCP depending on Cursor version).
3. Click Add New MCP Server.
4. Set Name to openboard, Type to command, and Command to openboard mcp.
5. Verify the green active status indicator.

Note: For official Cursor MCP details, refer to Cursor Documentation.

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4. Verification

In Cursor Composer or Agent Chat, ask:

What MCP tools are available from openboard?

Cursor should list all 13 tools including list_boards, create_board, create_shapes, get_canvas_state, get_canvas_screenshot, and update_shapes.

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5. Example Workflows & Prompts

Multi-Step Architecture Diagramming in Cursor Composer

User:
List my OpenBoard whiteboards.

Cursor Agent:
[Calls list_boards]
Found 2 boards: "Core Architecture", "Data Pipeline".

User:
Create a new board called "Payment Flow".

Cursor Agent:
[Calls create_board with { name: "Payment Flow" }]
Created board "Payment Flow" (ID: "board_e43f11").

User:
Draw a checkout service that sends events to Kafka and writes to Postgres.

Cursor Agent:
[Calls create_shapes on "board_e43f11" with 3 boxes and 2 directional arrows]
Added Checkout Service, Kafka Queue, and Postgres DB with connected bindings.

User:
Inspect the canvas and verify all shape coordinates and arrow links.

Cursor Agent:
[Calls get_canvas_state and get_canvas_screenshot]
Verified all 3 shapes and 2 arrow bindings. Visual layout confirmed.