How to Connect Cursor to AeroChat MCP
Connecting AeroChat’s MCP server to Cursor works differently from connecting it to Claude or ChatGPT: instead of pasting one URL into a connector, you generate an API key in AeroChat, then paste a ready-made configuration snippet (with that key inside it) into Cursor’s MCP settings. It’s still a no-code setup, just a different shape, since Cursor configures MCP servers through a settings file rather than a web-based connector flow. Here’s the process, with screenshots from a real connection.
What you’ll need before you start
- An active AeroChat account with admin access.
- Cursor installed, with access to its settings.
- A safe place to paste and store the API key you’re about to generate. It’s shown to you exactly once.
Step 1: Open the MCP integration in AeroChat
In your AeroChat admin panel, go to the Integrations tab. You’ll see AeroChat’s available integrations, MCP among them. Open it. If it hasn’t been set up yet, it’ll show as not configured.
Step 2: Review and set permissions
Inside the MCP integration, you’ll see a list of permissions the connector can be granted. Read permissions are selected by default. If you want Cursor to be able to do more than retrieve information (write actions as well), select the additional write permissions here before generating your key, since these determine what the MCP connection can actually do once it’s live.
Step 3: Generate and save your API key
Click generate API key. AeroChat shows you the key once. Copy it immediately and store it somewhere safe, because it will not be displayed again after you navigate away. If you lose it, you’ll need to generate a new one and update your Cursor configuration to match.
Step 4: Copy the client configuration snippet
Scroll down within the MCP integration page to the client configuration section. AeroChat provides a ready-made code snippet specifically formatted for Cursor. Copy it as-is; you’ll be editing one value inside it in a moment, not writing anything from scratch.
Step 5: Add a new MCP server in Cursor
Open Cursor and navigate to Customize, then select MCP. Choose the option to add a new MCP server, and select the appropriate scope (user-level, so it’s available across your projects). Paste the code snippet you copied from AeroChat into the configuration.
Step 6: Swap in your real API key
The pasted snippet includes a placeholder where your API key goes. Replace it with the actual key you generated and saved in Step 3, then save the file.
Step 7: Verify the connection
Once saved, Cursor shows AeroChat’s MCP server as connected, along with the permissions you granted. Confirm from the other side too: back in AeroChat’s admin panel, the MCP integration should now show as connected rather than not configured.
Why connect AeroChat to Cursor?
MCP, the Model Context Protocol, gives an AI tool a defined, permissioned way to reach an external system’s data directly, instead of you copying information back and forth manually. For a developer working inside Cursor on anything related to your AeroChat setup, a connected MCP server means Cursor can work with your AeroChat data as a live source rather than a static description of it. This is a different mechanism from the tool-calling and skills your AeroChat chatbot itself uses to help customers, covered in what are AI agent skills and how a chatbot performs actions. It runs on the same underlying idea though: a scoped, permissioned connection rather than open-ended access.
How this differs from connecting Claude or ChatGPT
| Claude / ChatGPT | Cursor | |
|---|---|---|
| What you copy from AeroChat | A server endpoint URL | An API key plus a ready-made config snippet |
| How you connect | Paste the URL into a custom connector, then sign in with OAuth | Paste the snippet into an MCP server config, then insert your API key |
| Where the setup lives | A settings screen in the web app | A configuration file inside Cursor’s MCP settings |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Lost or never saved the API key | Generate a new one in AeroChat’s MCP settings and update the key value in your Cursor config. The old key won’t be shown again. |
| Cursor doesn’t show AeroChat as connected after saving | Confirm the snippet was pasted in full and that the API key placeholder was actually replaced, not left as-is. |
| Cursor can read data but can’t take actions | Check the permissions selected in Step 2. If only read permissions were granted, write actions won’t be available regardless of the Cursor-side configuration. |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a developer to do this?
You don’t need to write any code. The snippet is provided ready-made, but this setup does assume some comfort editing a configuration file, which is a slightly more technical step than the URL-and-sign-in flow used for Claude or ChatGPT.
Can I use the same API key for multiple tools?
Best practice is a separate key per connection, since it lets you revoke access to one tool (Cursor, for example) without breaking a different connection using its own key.
What happens if I only grant read permissions?
Cursor’s MCP connection will be able to retrieve information from AeroChat but won’t be able to perform write actions. Add the relevant write permissions in AeroChat’s MCP settings if you need more than read access.
If you use Claude or ChatGPT instead of Cursor, the setup uses a simpler URL-and-sign-in flow. See how to connect AeroChat MCP with Claude and with ChatGPT.
