Connect ToolRouter to Cursor

Written by Blake Folgado, last update:

Connect Cursor to ToolRouter through project or user mcp config. Add the remote server, complete the advertised account flow and check a real tool call. One connection reaches the live catalog of hosted tools and provider operations.

Before you start

You need Cursor with remote MCP enabled and permission to add a custom server. Workspace policy can restrict servers or actions. Free operations can be used without buying credits; paid operations need the account access and credits described by the response. Provider-account actions may need a separate connected account.

Connect ToolRouter

  1. Open Cursor Settings > Tools & MCP, or edit the project file .cursor/mcp.json.
  2. Add the JSON below inside your existing mcpServers object; keep other servers.
  3. Reload the server and finish the authentication prompt.
  4. Use Agent mode and enable ToolRouter for the conversation. Workspace policy may require an admin allowlist.
json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "toolrouter": {
      "url": "https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

If the first call returns an account-claim or setup link, use that link to retain the account and unlock the operations you need. For OAuth clients, complete browser sign-in. Keep credentials in the client credential store rather than pasting tokens into a prompt or shared configuration.

Check a real result

Ask for a free, read-only first task:

Use ToolRouter to discover a free operation for current weather in London, run it, and show the tool, skill and every field returned.

The useful check is a successful provider result in this conversation. A saved server entry or a visible tool list only establishes configuration. If no operation is available through this profile, report that result rather than inventing a tool name.

Check a public result from the editor

Cursor Agent can use ToolRouter while you work on the code behind a website or report. A local MCP configuration applies to that environment; cloud agents need their own connection and repository context.

Example prompt:

Use ToolRouter to inspect the deployed page I provide. Discover the screenshot and page-metadata operations, show the selected schemas and prices, then return the completed screenshot URL and the actual metadata. Do not edit the app.

This is a task template, not a recorded run. Review the sources or output asset before using it in a report.

Add the ToolRouter workflow skill

For a client that supports local skills, run the installer in your project and select the supported agent:

bash
pnpm dlx skills add Humanleap/agent-skills --skill toolrouter

The skill teaches discovery, schema checks, asynchronous jobs and source handling. It does not authenticate the account or add provider permissions. Your client documents these skill locations: .agents/skills/<skill>/SKILL.md; .cursor/skills/<skill>/SKILL.md; ~/.agents/skills/<skill>/SKILL.md; ~/.cursor/skills/<skill>/SKILL.md.

The discovery and execution workflow

  1. Call discover with a query that describes the outcome: extract a page, research a company, check keyword demand, generate media or publish an authorised post.
  2. Select the returned tool and skill. Read the exact input schema, price, provider-account requirements and limitations.
  3. Call use_tool with that tool, skill and schema-matching input. Built-in tools are called directly; inspect the current tools/list first.
  4. If the response returns an asynchronous job handle, use the advertised status operation, such as job_get, until output is complete or an error is clear.
  5. Return original source URLs, completed asset links or the provider action result. Keep the retrieval date and any provider error visible.

A search operation and a social publishing operation have different authority and account requirements. An installed skill does not choose a provider or authorise a purchase for you.

Costs, accounts and recurring work

Read the discovered price and check credits_balance before a paid batch. Review pricing and billing; do not assume every provider uses the same charging unit. Account actions require the correct upstream account and permission for the actual post or message.

An MCP connection does not schedule a background agent. Use Cursor's documented automation capability or your own scheduler for recurring jobs, with an explicit scope and budget. Check the previous job status before retrying an uncertain write.

Troubleshooting

The tools are missing

Enable the server for the conversation, reload MCP or restart the session, then check workspace policy. Configuration in a local editor does not automatically apply to a cloud agent.

Authentication or account access fails

Reconnect using the advertised OAuth flow, or use the returned account-claim link. A paid or provider-account operation can still fail after a free call works. Check the exact requirement returned by the tool.

The assistant answers without using ToolRouter

Ask it to name the actual operation and show returned fields or source URLs. A plausible answer without a tool result is not evidence of a provider call.

A job is queued or an action times out

Read the returned job status before repeating the call. A queued job is unfinished; an uncertain publishing response needs a status or provider readback before retrying.

Setup reviewed against the linked client documentation on 3 October 2026. Configuration instructions do not establish an authenticated end-to-end run in every client or an approved marketplace listing.