Skip to main content

​
Getting Started with Cursor

Connect your Collate instance to Cursor IDE for AI-powered metadata exploration.

​
Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  1. Collate v1.8.0+ running (e.g., http://localhost:8585)
  2. MCP Application installed in Collate
    • Navigate to <YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/marketplace/apps/
    • Install McpApplication if not already installed
  3. MCP Application and Personal Access Token - Follow this guide to generate your PAT
  4. Cursor IDE installed with MCP support

​
Configure Cursor MCP Server

Cursor locates the MCP configuration file at: macOS/Linux: 
~/.cursor/mcp.json
Windows: 
%APPDATA%\Cursor\mcp.json
Create the .cursor directory if it doesn’t exist, then create the configuration file: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Collate": {
      "url": "<YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/mcp",
      "protocol": "sse",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR-Collate-PAT>"
      }
    }
  }
}
Replace <YOUR-Collate-SERVER> with your server URL and <YOUR-Collate-PAT> with your Personal Access Token from the Prerequisites step. Cursor MCP Configuration File
Project-Specific Configuration: You can also create .cursor/mcp.json in your project root directory. Project-specific configuration takes precedence over global configuration.

​
Restart Cursor

Save the configuration file and restart Cursor completely to load the MCP server:
  • macOS: Cmd+Q or Cursor → Quit Cursor
  • Windows/Linux: Close all Cursor windows and reopen
Cursor MCP Server Connected

​
Try It Out

Once Cursor restarts, test your connection by asking questions in Cursor’s chat:
“Imagine you’re a data analyst tasked with building a customer retention dashboard. You need tables that track customer transactions, engagement metrics, and churn indicators. Find relevant customer and transaction tables in the metadata catalog.”
You should see Cursor using the Collate MCP tools to search and retrieve information from your metadata catalog.

​
Troubleshooting

If you encounter connection issues:
  1. Verify Collate is running: curl <YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/api/health
  2. Check MCP endpoint: curl <YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/mcp (should return 401)
  3. Verify MCP Application is installed: Visit <YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/marketplace/apps/McpApplication
  4. Check configuration file syntax: Ensure JSON is valid and file path is correct
  5. Token expired: Generate a new PAT and update your configuration
  6. Restart Cursor after making configuration changes

​
Additional Resources