How to Connect MCP to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code: Complete Setup Guide

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Setup takes under 5 minutes per client. Here’s exactly how to connect MCP servers to the three most popular AI coding tools.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+ installed (check with node -v)
  • Your AI client installed (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code with Copilot)

Method 1: Claude Desktop

Step 1: Find the config file

# macOS
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Windows
%APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Linux
~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Step 2: Add your MCP servers

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/your/project"]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here" }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

Quit and reopen. You’ll see a hammer icon showing available tools. Ask Claude: “List my GitHub repositories” – it should work.

Method 2: Cursor IDE

Step 1: Open Settings

Cmd+Shift+P > “Cursor Settings” > Features > MCP Servers

Step 2: Add server config

Same JSON format as Claude Desktop. Add your servers and save.

Step 3: Use in Composer

Open Composer (Cmd+I), and your MCP tools are available. Ask: “Search my codebase for all TODO comments” (using filesystem MCP).

Method 3: VS Code (via Continue or Copilot)

With Continue extension:

// ~/.continue/config.json
{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "github",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_xxx" }
    }
  ]
}

Method 4: Claude Code (CLI)

# Add globally
claude mcp add github --command "npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github"

# Or per-project (.claude/config.json in your repo)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"] }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

  • “Tool not found” – Restart the client after config changes
  • “Permission denied” – Check your API token/key has correct scopes
  • “Timeout” – The MCP server crashed. Check logs or run the command manually to see errors
  • “npx not found” – Ensure Node.js is in your PATH

Your First Test

After setup, try these prompts:

  • “What files are in my current directory?” (filesystem)
  • “Show my open GitHub PRs” (github)
  • “What’s in the users table?” (database)

If these work, MCP is connected. You’re ready to build.

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