Corcava MCP Setup for Cursor: Connect Tasks and Projects to Your Editor

Connect Cursor to Corcava via MCP to bring project management directly into your IDE. This guide shows you how to add Corcava as an MCP server, restart/reload, and test with your first workflow.

Prerequisites

Cursor installed on your system
A Corcava account with API key access
Basic familiarity with editing JSON files

Step 1: Get Your Corcava API Key

Log in to Corcava
Navigate to Settings → Integrations
Find the Public API section
Click Add API Key
Copy the key immediately (it's only shown once)
Store it securely - you'll need it in the next step

💡 Tip

Name your API key descriptively (e.g., "Cursor - Work Laptop") so you can manage multiple keys easily.

Step 2: Locate Your MCP Configuration File

Cursor stores MCP server configuration in a single file across all platforms:

Configuration File Location

~/.cursor/mcp.json

The ~ symbol refers to your home directory:

macOS/Linux: /Users/yourusername/.cursor/mcp.json
Windows: C:\Users\yourusername\.cursor\mcp.json

If the File Doesn't Exist

If ~/.cursor/mcp.json doesn't exist:

Create the .cursor directory in your home folder (if it doesn't exist)
Create a new file named mcp.json
Start with an empty JSON object: {}

Step 3: Add Corcava MCP Server Configuration

Open ~/.cursor/mcp.json in a text editor and add the Corcava MCP server configuration.

If This Is Your First MCP Server

If the file is empty or doesn't have an mcpServers section, use this structure:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "corcava": {
      "url": "https://app.corcava.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

If You Already Have Other MCP Servers

If you already have MCP servers configured, add Corcava to the existing mcpServers object:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "existing-server": {
      ...
    },
    "corcava": {
      "url": "https://app.corcava.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

⚠️ Important

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with the actual API key you copied in Step 1
There must be a space between "Bearer" and your API key
Do not include quotes around the API key in the header value
Ensure the JSON is valid (no trailing commas, proper quotes)

Step 4: Save and Restart Cursor

Save the mcp.json file
Completely quit Cursor (not just close the window)
Restart Cursor
Wait for Cursor to fully initialize

Alternative: Reload Window

Some Cursor versions support reloading without a full restart:

Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
Type "Reload Window" and select it

Note: A full restart is more reliable. Use reload only if restart doesn't work.

Step 5: Verify Tools Are Available

After restarting, verify that Cursor's AI can see Corcava's MCP tools:

Verification Prompt

In Cursor's chat, ask:

"What MCP tools are available from Corcava?"

Expected Response:

The AI should list tools like:

list_tasks
get_task
create_task
update_task
list_projects
start_time_tracking
And more...

Step 6: First Test Workflow

Try these workflows to test your connection:

1. List Tasks

Prompt:

"What tasks do I have in Corcava?"

Expected: AI lists your tasks or says there are none.

2. Open a Task

Prompt:

"Show me details for the [task name] task"

Expected: AI retrieves and displays task details including description, status, and comments.

3. Add a Progress Comment

Prompt:

"Add a comment to task [task name] that says 'API changes completed, ready for review'"

Expected: AI adds the comment to the task.

Note: This is a write operation. The AI should ask for confirmation before adding the comment.

IDE-Focused Workflows

Cursor's integration with Corcava enables powerful IDE workflows:

Code-to-Task Linking

Link your code changes to Corcava tasks:

"I'm working on the login feature task. Help me implement it and then add a comment when done."

Task Context in Editor

Get task requirements while coding:

"What are the acceptance criteria for the dashboard task?"

Progress Updates

Log progress directly from your editor:

"Update the API refactor task status to in progress and add a comment about the changes I made."

Troubleshooting

❌ Connection or Auth Failures

Possible Causes:

Invalid API key or incorrect header format
API key was revoked
Network connectivity issues

Fix:

Verify API key is active in Corcava Settings → Integrations
Check header format: "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
Ensure there's a space after "Bearer"
Try regenerating the API key

Read 401 troubleshooting guide →

Read connection troubleshooting guide →

❌ Changes Not Applied After Editing Config

Possible Causes:

Didn't fully restart Cursor
Config file in wrong location
JSON syntax errors

Fix:

Verify config file is at ~/.cursor/mcp.json
Validate JSON syntax
Completely quit and restart Cursor (not just reload)
Check Cursor logs for error messages

Read Cursor reload troubleshooting →

❌ Tools Not Showing Up

Possible Causes:

MCP server connection failed
Auth failure that still allows connection
Client caching issue

Fix:

Check connection and auth first
Try a full restart (not just reload)
Verify the endpoint URL is correct

Read tools troubleshooting guide →

Next Steps

Cursor Workflows

Weekly planning, status reports, and time tracking from your IDE

Editor Workflows

Implement tasks and log progress back to Corcava

Connect Cursor to Corcava

Bring project management into your IDE

Start Free Trial → Cursor Workflows

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