Connect Cursor to the PlantDemand MCP Server

Cursor is an AI-first code editor based on VS Code. It supports remote MCP servers through the editor’s settings. Once connected, you can ask Cursor about scheduling data while you work on integrations or reports.

Before you start

  • An active PlantDemand account with at least one plant configured
  • A Server-Api-Key generated for your account (see SOP 4.1)
  • Cursor installed and working with at least one MCP server already (or this is your first MCP setup — that is fine too)
  • Verify the curl examples in the quickstart work from your network before configuring the client

Configuration

Add the following configuration to Cursor:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plantdemand": {
      "url": "https://plantdemand.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Server-Api-Key": "${PLANTDEMAND_SERVER_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step-by-step setup

  1. Open Cursor and go to Cursor Settings > MCP (or use the command palette: “Open MCP Settings”).
  2. Click Add New Global MCP Server (or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json directly).
  3. Paste the PlantDemand configuration shown above into the JSON file.
  4. Set the PLANTDEMAND_SERVER_API_KEY environment variable in your shell profile, or replace the placeholder with the literal key (less secure).
  5. Restart Cursor. The PlantDemand server should appear in the MCP panel with a green status indicator.
  6. Open a chat in Cursor and try a prompt like “use the PlantDemand MCP server to list my plants” to verify.

Verifying the connection

After connecting, ask Cursor:

“List the plants I have access to in PlantDemand.”

If the assistant returns a list of plants, the connection is working. Try a follow-up:

“What is on the schedule for plant [your plant ID] tomorrow?”

Troubleshooting

  • Server shows red or “failed to connect”: Click the server entry to see the error. Most often it is the API key not being set, or the JSON having a syntax error.
  • Tools available but Cursor will not call them: In your prompt, explicitly mention “use the PlantDemand MCP server” until Cursor learns the pattern. You can also add a project-level rule in .cursorrules.
  • Environment variable not picked up: Cursor reads the environment from the shell that launched it. On macOS, launch Cursor from Terminal with open -a Cursor after setting the variable in your shell profile.

Where to go next