How to connect an MCP server to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor

Step-by-step setup for remote and local MCP servers in the most popular AI apps. Copy-paste configs on every server page.

Claude (web and desktop)

Open Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
Paste the server's remote URL from its page here, then sign in if asked.
For local servers, use Claude Desktop's config file or Claude Code: claude mcp add <name> -- npx -y <package>.

ChatGPT

Remote MCP servers connect through Settings → Apps & Connectors. Custom servers need Developer mode under Advanced.
ChatGPT on the web can't launch local servers. Use a remote one.

Cursor

Open Settings → MCP → Add new MCP server, or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json.
Paste the JSON from the Cursor tab on any server page.

VS Code

Add the server to .vscode/mcp.json using the VS Code tab on the server page.

Before you connect anything

Check the status: green means it answered our live handshake recently.
Check the publisher: a ✓ verified domain means the publisher proved they own that domain to the official MCP Registry.
Prefer servers whose tools are marked read-only if you only need to look things up.

The 3-minute MCP brief

Every Monday: what launched, what broke, and which servers are worth plugging into your AI. Written by humans, powered by live data.

Try “Notion”, “Stripe”, “create invoice”, “browser”