What do I need before setting up Desplega with Cursor?

You need a Desplega account, an active API key (generated from the dashboard), and Cursor IDE installed. The setup takes about 5 minutes once you have these prerequisites.

How do I find my Desplega API key for Cursor?

Log into your Desplega dashboard, navigate to Settings → API Keys, and click "Generate MCP Key". Copy the key immediately as it will only be shown once for security reasons.

Can I use the same API key for multiple IDEs?

Yes, a single MCP API key works across Cursor, Claude Code, and other supported development environments. You can generate separate keys for different team members or projects from your dashboard.

Why isn't Cursor detecting my Desplega MCP server?

Ensure you've added the configuration to the correct mcpServers section in Cursor settings and restarted Cursor completely. Check that your API key is active in the Desplega dashboard. If issues persist, try removing and re-adding the MCP server configuration.

How do I verify the MCP server is working in Cursor?

Open Cursor's AI chat and try a test prompt like "Run a test for my homepage." If the MCP server is configured correctly, you should see Desplega's testing capabilities available in the AI assistant responses.

How-To/MCP/Cursor MCP Setup Guide

Cursor MCP Setup Guide

Add the desplega.ai Playwright MCP server to Cursor with an mcp.json configuration, then run Playwright-powered QA checks directly from your editor.

Prerequisites

Cursor IDE installed on your machine
Node.js (v18 or higher) and npm installed
A desplega.ai API key (generate your API key or register directly through the MCP server)

Quick Answer: How to Add an MCP Server to Cursor

To add the desplega.ai Playwright MCP server to Cursor, create a new MCP server entry, paste the mcp.json configuration below, set QA_USE_API_KEY to your desplega.ai key, restart Cursor, and verify the server from Cursor chat with a simple QA test prompt.

Open Cursor Settings

Navigate to Cursor Settings → MCP → New MCP Server

Add MCP Server Configuration

Add the following configuration to register the desplega.ai MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desplega-qa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@desplega.ai/qa-use-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "QA_USE_API_KEY": "your-desplega-ai-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Replace your-desplega-ai-api-key with your actual API key. If you don't have one yet, you can register through the MCP server's register_user tool.

Restart Cursor

After adding the configuration, restart Cursor to activate the MCP server connection.

Verify Installation

Open Cursor's AI chat and try the following prompt to verify the MCP server is working:

Initialize desplega QA mcp and test ...

The MCP server should initialize, set up browser automation, and start testing the specified case.

Cursor MCP Setup FAQ

What Cursor MCP tools help with QA testing?

The desplega.ai MCP server gives Cursor access to browser-based QA actions: initialize a test session, inspect a page, generate Playwright-style checks from natural language, and run exploratory flows without leaving the editor.

How do I troubleshoot Playwright MCP connection errors in Cursor IDE?

Check that the server is inside the top-level mcpServers object, confirm the JSON has no trailing commas, verify QA_USE_API_KEY, and fully quit and reopen Cursor so it reloads the MCP process.

Troubleshooting

MCP server not appearing in Cursor

Make sure you've restarted Cursor after adding the configuration. Check that the mcp.json syntax is valid and there are no trailing commas.

Authentication errors

Verify your API key is correct and hasn't expired. You can register a new account or check your existing key at app.desplega.ai.

Browser launch issues

The MCP server will automatically install Playwright browsers on first use. Make sure you have sufficient disk space and permissions.

Next Steps

Now that you have the MCP server configured, you're ready to start testing!