Netlify MCP Server Setup for Cursor IDE (2026)

To set up the Netlify MCP server in Cursor, add a netlify entry to mcp.json that runs npx @netlify/mcp, then restart Cursor — it authenticates through your existing Netlify CLI login by default, so you don't need a token in the config unless you're running it somewhere without an interactive session. Once connected, Cursor can create and deploy sites, manage environment variables, and check build status without you opening the Netlify dashboard.

This is Netlify's own package (@netlify/mcp), not a community wrapper, so it tracks Netlify's platform changes directly and gets a one-click install option inside Cursor's own MCP directory.

What the Netlify MCP Server Actually Gives You

Once connected, Cursor can:

Prerequisites

Step 1: Log Into Netlify CLI (Recommended Auth Path)

If you have netlify-cli installed:

netlify login

This opens a browser to authorize the CLI. The MCP server reuses this session by default — no token needed in your mcp.json for local development.

Step 2: Add Netlify to Your MCP Config

Open ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or Settings → MCP in Cursor) and add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netlify": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@netlify/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

If you skipped Step 1, or you're running Cursor in an environment without a persisted CLI session (a remote box, a fresh container), add a Personal Access Token instead:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netlify": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@netlify/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "NETLIFY_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-pat-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Generate a PAT from Netlify → User settings → Applications → New access token. Don't commit it — keep mcp.json out of version control or use your OS keychain if Cursor supports env var references in your setup.

Cursor also offers a one-click install for this server from its own MCP directory, which writes the config for you — useful if you want to skip hand-editing JSON.

Step 3: Restart Cursor and Verify

Fully quit and reopen Cursor. In chat, try:

List my Netlify sites

If real site names come back, you're connected. Then check something project-specific:

Show me the latest deploy status for [site name]

Step 4: Practical Workflows

Deploy from chat after a change

Deploy the current build of this site to Netlify and tell me the deploy URL when it's done

Debug a failed build without leaving the editor

The last deploy on [site name] failed — pull the build log and tell me what broke

Manage environment variables across environments

Show me the environment variables set on the "staging" context for this site, and add a new one called FEATURE_FLAG_BETA set to "true"

Check form submissions

How many submissions came into the "contact" form on this site in the last 7 days?

Audit site access before onboarding someone

List everyone with access to [site name] and what role each person has

Troubleshooting

Server fails to start / hangs on connect
Check your Node version first — node --version. Anything below 22 is a common cause of silent failures with @netlify/mcp. Upgrade via nvm (nvm install 22 && nvm use 22) and restart Cursor.

"Not authenticated" errors despite being logged into the CLI
The MCP process Cursor spawns doesn't always inherit your shell session the way a terminal does. If netlify status works fine in your terminal but the MCP tools still fail, fall back to a NETLIFY_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN in the env block — it sidesteps session-inheritance issues entirely.

Wrong site or team shows up in results
If you belong to multiple Netlify teams, the CLI session defaults to whichever team/site context was last active. Be explicit in your prompts ("on the site called X, under team Y") rather than assuming the AI knows which one you mean.

Deploy tool runs but nothing changes on the live site
Confirm which deploy context you targeted — production vs. a branch/preview deploy context. Netlify treats these differently, and a successful "deploy" to a preview context won't touch your live production URL.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need a Personal Access Token, or does the CLI login work?
A: For local development, the CLI login is enough — the MCP server reuses that session and no token is required in mcp.json. A PAT is mainly for environments without a persisted interactive session, like a remote dev box or a container that gets recreated often.

Q: Can this MCP server accidentally push a broken site to production?
A: Yes, in the sense that any deploy tool can — if you approve a deploy prompt without checking what's being deployed or which context it targets, it'll happen. Treat deploy-capable tool calls the way you'd treat a teammate asking to run netlify deploy --prod — confirm the target before agreeing.

Q: Does this replace the Netlify CLI, or work alongside it?
A: Alongside it. The MCP server is a thin layer that lets your AI assistant call the same underlying Netlify platform APIs the CLI uses, from inside a chat session. You'll likely still use netlify-cli directly for scripted CI steps — the MCP server is for the ad hoc, conversational side of site management.

Q: I manage sites across personal and team Netlify accounts — can one config handle both?
A: A single CLI-session-based config follows whatever account is currently logged in. For clean separation, run the server twice under different keys with separate PATs scoped to each account, similar to how you'd handle multiple GitHub or AWS accounts in one mcp.json.

Q: Is this specific to Cursor, or does the same package work with other AI tools?
A: Same package works anywhere that speaks MCP over stdio — Claude, Windsurf, and other MCP clients use the identical npx @netlify/mcp command. Cursor just happens to offer a one-click installer for it in its directory.

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