How to Use Crawleo MCP in Cursor IDE (Full Setup Guide)
Cursor's AI is great at writing code, and with the Crawleo MCP server it can also research the live web without leaving the editor. This full setup guide shows where Cursor stores MCP servers, how to add Crawleo to mcp.json with your API key, and how to confirm the tools so Cursor's agent can search and crawl while it works on your project.
What you'll learn
- Where Cursor stores MCP server config
- Adding Crawleo to mcp.json
- Authenticating with your API key
- Running live search and crawl inside Cursor
Step-by-step guide
- 1
Copy your Crawleo API key
From the Crawleo Dashboard, copy your API key to authenticate Cursor's connection to the MCP server.
- 2
Open Cursor MCP settings
In Cursor, open Settings → MCP (or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json) to manage your MCP servers.
- 3
Add the Crawleo server
Add the Crawleo entry to mcp.json with its command and your API key in the env block, following the Crawleo MCP docs.
- 4
Enable and verify
Save and toggle the server on. A green status and the listed tools confirm Cursor has loaded Crawleo's search and crawl capabilities.
- 5
Ask Cursor to research the web
In the chat, ask Cursor to look something up or read a documentation URL. It calls Crawleo and brings the results straight into your workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Does Cursor support both local and remote MCP servers?
Yes. You can run the Crawleo MCP server as a local command or point Cursor at a remote endpoint — both are configured in the same mcp.json file.
Do I need a paid Crawleo plan to follow this tutorial?
No. Crawleo has a free tier that includes credits for search and crawling, so you can complete the entire setup and run real requests without entering a card. Create an account at crawleo.dev, grab your API key, and you're ready.
Where do I get my Crawleo API key?
Sign in at crawleo.dev, open your Dashboard, and copy the API key from the API Keys section. Treat it like a password and store it in an environment variable rather than committing it to source control.
Try it with your own API key
Create a free Crawleo account and follow along — no card required.
