Exposing MCP resources in Cursor

Angus Bezzina

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Using MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers with Cursor IDE can significantly improve your workflow, but Cursor doesn’t natively expose MCP resources, leading to:

• Limited Visibility: Hard to see what’s happening under the hood.
• Debugging Challenges: Troubleshooting is difficult without direct resource access.
• Workflow Disruptions: Relying solely on Cursor’s built-in tools slows development.

The Solution: A Custom MCP Bridge

A lightweight API endpoint can act as a bridge, exposing MCP resources inside Cursor. This tool:

• Aggregates MCP Data – Fetches real-time resource information.
• Formats Data for Cursor – Translates raw data into a digestible format.
• Enables Live Updates – Uses polling or WebSockets for real-time insights.

So, how might you implement such a thing? Here is a sample implementation

import express from "express";
import axios from "axios";

const app = express();
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
const MCP_SERVER_URL = "http://mcp-server.local/api/resources";

app.get("/api/mcp-resources", async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const response = await axios.get(MCP_SERVER_URL);
    const resources = response.data.resources.map((r: any) => ({
      id: r.id,
      status: r.status,
      name: r.name,
    }));

    res.json({ resources });
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).json({ error: "Failed to fetch MCP resources" });
  }
});

app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running on port ${PORT}`);
});

Why This Works

Many tools use middleware for better visibility, WebSockets for real-time updates, and custom integrations to enhance efficiency. While Cursor lacks native MCP support, this bridge ensures full control over resources.

By exposing MCP resources inside Cursor, this solution improves visibility, simplifies debugging and streamlines development. Try it out and optimize your workflow today!