How to Connect Cursor to Neon with MCP

Connecting Cursor to Neon's MCP server lets Cursor's agent create branches, inspect table schemas, run SQL and test database migrations on a temporary branch. You ask in plain English, and Cursor calls Neon's tools.

Checked against: Neon's Cursor guide and Cursor's MCP docs on 28 October 2026. eSEOspace did not run these steps; menus can change, so follow the vendor's page if it differs.

Before you start

Neon's Cursor guide lists:

• Cursor installed.
• A Neon account and project.
• Node.js 18 or later and npm.
• A Neon API key, only if you choose the API key route. Neon says to keep it secure, since it gives access to your Neon projects.

Steps

Option 1: Quick setup (recommended by Neon)

Run this in a terminal:

npx neon@latest init

Neon says it installs agent tooling and links a Neon project. Its README adds that it authenticates via OAuth, creates a Neon API key for you and configures your editor. When it finishes, restart Cursor and ask the agent "Get started with Neon".

Option 2: Remote server with OAuth

1. Create a .cursor directory in your project's root.
2. Paste this into a file named mcp.json in that directory, as Neon's guide gives it:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Neon": {
      "url": "https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp",
      "headers": {}
    }
  }
}

1. Save the file. Restart Cursor or run Developer: Reload Window from the Command Palette. If Cursor asks you to enable the server, click Enable.
2. An OAuth window opens in your browser. Follow the prompts to authorize Cursor.

Neon also offers a one-click Cursor deep link for this OAuth setup. It notes you'll then approve each MCP action.

Option 3: API key

Use this config instead, replacing the placeholder with your key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Neon": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_NEON_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Neon's guide says the API key route is how you reach an organization's account rather than your personal one. To avoid storing the key in the file, Cursor's docs support ${env:NAME} references in headers.

For a global setup, Neon says to open Cursor's settings and click + Add Custom MCP in the Tools & MCP section. Cursor's own docs now point to Customize in the sidebar and the global file ~/.cursor/mcp.json.

Check that it works

Neon's guide suggests opening Cursor chat in Agent mode and typing "List your available MCP tools."

Example prompts:

• "Tell me about my Neon project <project_id>." Neon says Cursor uses describe_project for this.
• "In my neon project id: <project_id> list all the tables." This uses get_database_tables.
• "Prepare a migration that adds a created_at column to the orders table." This uses prepare_database_migration, which Neon says tests the change on a temporary branch first.

Permissions and safety

Neon's README carries a warning: "Always review and authorize actions requested by the LLM before execution." Its MCP server docs add: "Never connect MCP agents to production databases."

Neon gives you URL options to limit access:

A read-only, project-scoped example from Neon's README:

"url": "https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp?readonly=true&projectId=my-project-id"

With OAuth, Neon says these options become a fixed grant at sign-in. Changing the URL later doesn't widen the token; you authorize again. roleName limits SQL only, so Neon suggests combining it with readonly=true and category.

Keep Cursor's default approval prompt on. See least privilege for MCP, excessive permissions and the MCP Security Center.

If it doesn't work

• Can't see organization projects. With OAuth, Neon says to include the org_id or project_id in your prompt, or use an API key.
• Older Cursor without JSON config. Neon's troubleshooting gives an mcp-remote fallback:

npx -y mcp-remote@latest https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp \
 --header "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_NEON_API_KEY>"

• Server not showing. Reload the window, then check that the server is enabled.
• Other errors. Cursor's docs say to open the Output panel (Cmd+Shift+U) and select "MCP Logs."

Next step

Point Cursor at a development branch with readonly=true first, then add write access when you trust the workflow. The Neon MCP server profile explains every URL option. For other pairings, browse the MCP connection guides, or see how Claude Code connects to Neon.

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