---
title: "Cursor MCP: Connect Ken"
description: "Add Ken's remote MCP server to Cursor with OAuth or an API key: exact steps checked against the vendor's docs, example prompts and fixes."
path: /mcp/cursor
family: mcp
updated: 2026-10-17
html: /mcp/cursor
sources:
  - "https://cursor.com/docs/context/mcp"
facts:
  client: "Cursor by Anysphere"
  transport: "Remote HTTP"
  auth: "OAuth sign-in, or an API key in headers"
  server_url: "https://mcp.ken.so/mcp"
  client_plan_needed: "Not tied to a plan in Cursor's docs. Enterprise and team admins can restrict MCP servers."
  platforms: "Cursor desktop app"
---

# Cursor MCP: Connect Ken

Cursor connects to Ken's remote MCP server from one mcp.json entry. Add Ken's server URL under mcpServers in ~/.cursor/mcp.json, then connect Ken from the Customize page and sign in to Ken in your browser. A Ken API key header also works.

## How Do You Connect Ken to Cursor?

**In short:** Add https://mcp.ken.so/mcp as a remote MCP server in Cursor, then sign in to Ken in your browser.

1. **Open Your Global MCP Config**: Create or open ~/.cursor/mcp.json to use Ken in every project. Use .cursor/mcp.json inside a project to scope Ken to that project.
2. **Add Ken Under mcpServers**: Paste this entry and save the file. Cursor registers itself with Ken, so no client ID is needed.

   ```
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "ken": {
         "url": "https://mcp.ken.so/mcp"
       }
     }
   }
   ```
3. **Connect and Sign In**: Open Customize in the Cursor sidebar, find ken in your MCP servers, make sure it is on, and select Connect. Your browser opens the Ken sign-in. Sign in with the account you use in the Ken app, then select Allow access on the Ken approval screen. You never paste a client ID or secret.
4. **Ask Cursor's Agent**: Cursor uses Ken's tools when your request needs them and asks for approval before it runs an MCP tool.

## Can You Use a Ken API Key Instead of OAuth?

**In short:** Yes. Cursor can send your Ken API key as a Bearer token when a browser sign-in is not an option.

1. **Use a Ken API Key Header Instead**: Create a key in the Ken app under Settings > Integrations > API Keys and set it as KEN_API_KEY in your environment. Cursor fills ${env:KEN_API_KEY} from it, so the key stays out of mcp.json.

   ```
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "ken": {
         "url": "https://mcp.ken.so/mcp",
         "headers": {
           "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:KEN_API_KEY}"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   ```

## What Can You Ask Ken From Cursor?

**In short:** Ask in plain language. The client picks the Ken tool, and Ken runs it with your workspace role.

**Example requests in Cursor and the Ken MCP tool that answers each one**

| Ask | Ken tool used | What the tool does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Find VPs of Sales at US software companies with 50 to 200 employees. | search_read | Searches Ken's people and company database and returns filter facets. |
| Load Ken's campaign-planning skill and plan a 3-step cold email campaign for that list. | load_skill | Loads one Ken workflow skill, such as campaign-planning, into the chat. |
| Before I launch, preview who lands in the Series B segment. | segments_read | Previews which contacts land in a campaign segment. |
| How many emails a day can this campaign send with the inboxes it has? | campaign_flow_read | Estimates how many emails a campaign can send with its inboxes. |
| Which of my campaigns are running right now? | campaigns_read | Lists campaigns and reads one campaign's settings and status. |
| How did my campaigns do this week? Show sends, replies and bounces for each one. | analytics_read | Reads campaign performance, engagement, deliverability and reply classifications. |

Admins and members get read and write tools. View-only members get read tools plus inbox replies.

## What If Ken Does Not Connect in Cursor?

**In short:** Most failures come from a skipped sign-in step or a client setting.

**Common Cursor connection problems and fixes**

| Problem | Fix |
| --- | --- |
| Ken shows an error or no tools | Open the Output panel (Cmd+Shift+U on a Mac), pick MCP Logs from the dropdown and read the connection or auth error. |
| Another MCP server misbehaves next to Ken | Switch servers off one at a time with their toggles in Customize to find the one that fails. A failing server does not stop the others. |
| Ken worked, then asks you to sign in every time | The client's saved registration is gone. Remove Ken and add it again so the client registers itself again. |
| Ken answers 401 with an API key | The key was revoked or mistyped. Create a new one in the Ken app under Settings > Integrations > API Keys. |

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Should I put Ken in ~/.cursor/mcp.json or .cursor/mcp.json?

~/.cursor/mcp.json makes Ken available in every project. .cursor/mcp.json in a repo scopes it to that project and lets you commit it for your team, without any key in the file.

### Does Cursor run Ken's tools without asking?

No. Cursor asks for approval before it uses MCP tools by default, so you see each Ken call before it runs.

### Can my team admin block Ken in Cursor?

Yes. Cursor lets Enterprise admins set MCP policy and allowlist servers. Ask your admin to allow Ken's server URL if Ken does not appear.

### Which Ken workspace does Cursor use?

With one workspace, Ken picks it for you. If you belong to several, say which workspace you mean in your request. Ken rejects calls to workspaces you are not a member of.

## Related

- [Ken MCP server](/mcp): What Ken's MCP server does and every client it works with
- [Claude MCP: Connect Ken as a Custom Connector](/mcp/claude)
- [ChatGPT MCP: Connect Ken as a Custom MCP Server](/mcp/chatgpt)
- [Claude Code MCP: Connect Ken](/mcp/claude-code)
- [Codex MCP: Connect Ken to OpenAI Codex](/mcp/codex)
- [Gemini CLI MCP: Connect Ken](/mcp/gemini-cli)
- [Connect Ken to Perplexity with MCP](/mcp/perplexity)
- [Connect Ken to VS Code and GitHub Copilot with MCP](/mcp/vs-code)
- [Connect Ken to Claude Desktop with MCP](/mcp/claude-desktop)
- [Ken pricing](/pricing): Plans and credit prices

## Sources

| Source | URL | Checked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cursor docs: Model Context Protocol | https://cursor.com/docs/context/mcp | 2026-10-17 |

## Changelog

- 2026-10-17: Page published.