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Cursor Setup

Configure ACE MCP with Cursor, the AI-first code editor - Complete step-by-step guide for all platforms.

Prerequisites
1

Node.js 18+ installed

Check with: node --version

2

Cursor installed

Download Cursor →

3

ACE CLI installed and logged in

4

ACE server running

1
Open Cursor Settings

Open Cursor and navigate to the MCP settings:

1

Open Cursor Settings

Press Cmd/Ctrl + ,

2

Search for "MCP"

Or navigate to: Features → MCP

3

Click "Edit MCP Settings"

This opens the MCP config file in your editor

Alternative: Edit Config File Directly

You can also manually edit the config file at the location shown in Step 2 below.

2
Add ACE Configuration

Add the ACE MCP server to your Cursor config file:

Config file location:

Add this configuration:

Important: Customize Your Namespace

Replace my-project with a unique namespace for your project. Use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens (e.g., my-webapp).

3
Restart Cursor

Reload Cursor for the changes to take effect:

Quick Reload

Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Type "Developer: Reload Window"

Or simply quit and restart Cursor.

4
Test the Connection

Open Cursor's AI chat (Cmd/Ctrl + L) and try these prompts:

Store a memory:

"Remember that this codebase uses TypeScript strict mode"

Query decisions:

"What architecture decisions have been made?"

Track an issue:

"Track an issue: the API response time is slow"

Success!

If Cursor's AI responds by using ACE tools, your setup is complete! You'll see tool usage indicators in the chat.

Troubleshooting

"ace: command not found"

The ACE CLI is not in your PATH. Try these fixes:

  1. Reinstall ACE globally: npm install -g @ace3-memory/ace
  2. Check if npm global bin is in PATH: npm bin -g
  3. Add npm global bin to your PATH in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
MCP settings not appearing in Cursor

Make sure you're using a recent version of Cursor:

  1. Update Cursor to the latest version
  2. MCP support was added in Cursor 0.40+
  3. Check Help → About to see your version
ACE tools not working in chat

If ACE tools don't appear or fail:

  1. Verify ACE server is running: ace status
  2. Check config file for JSON syntax errors
  3. Make sure the config file is in the correct location
  4. Restart Cursor completely (quit and reopen)
"Connection refused" errors

ACE server may not be running:

  1. Start ACE server: ace start
  2. Check health: curl http://localhost:7777/health
  3. Check if port 7777 is blocked by firewall

Pro Tips

Use with Cursor Composer

ACE works great with Cursor's Composer feature. Ask it to "recall what we know about the auth system" to provide context for multi-file edits.

Project-Specific Namespaces

Use different namespaces for different projects to keep memories isolated (e.g., frontend, backend).

Track Decisions

Ask Cursor to "track a decision" when you make important architecture choices. This builds an ADR (Architecture Decision Record) automatically.

View Dashboard

Visit ace3-ai.com/dashboard to visualize your memories, issues, and decisions in a knowledge graph.

Available ACE Tools

Once configured, Cursor can use these 20+ ACE tools:

ace_rememberace_recallace_get_contextace_searchace_track_issueace_resolve_issueace_find_solutionsace_track_decisionace_best_practicesace_get_statsace_log_workace_architectureace_patternsace_manage_tagsace_graph_connectace_graph_traverseace_create_planace_generate_planace_observe

Next Steps