How to Add XSurch MCP to Cursor AI for Enhanced Web Scraping Capabilities

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How to Add XSurch MCP to Cursor AI for Enhanced Web Scraping Capabilities

Adding specialized tools to Cursor AI can significantly enhance your ability to search, crawl, and scrape the internet. One of the most popular options available is XSurch MCP, which offers extensive functionality for these tasks. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of adding XSurch to your Cursor AI setup.

Why Choose XSurch?

When considering tools for internet searches and web scraping, several options stand out in the market. Based on data from smitheree.ai, XSurch is among the most popular applications, competing with alternatives like Tavoli and Link Up. What sets XSurch apart is its impressive 18,000 monthly tool calls compared to Tavoli’s approximately 5,000, making it a more robust option for frequent users.

Installation Process

The installation process is straightforward but requires attention to detail. Here’s how to proceed:

  1. Navigate to smitheree.ai and locate XSurch in the popular apps section
  2. Scroll down to the install section and click on the Cursor option
  3. Connect your GitHub account (create one if needed – it’s free and a valuable resource for coding projects)
  4. Authorize smitheree.ai to connect with your GitHub account
  5. Copy the provided code snippet
  6. Open Cursor AI and paste the code into the terminal (using Shift+Control+V or Shift+Command+V)
  7. Press Enter to install the server
  8. Restart Cursor when prompted

Configuring the MCP.JSON File

Unlike what some tutorials might show, the current version of Cursor handles MCP additions differently. Instead of showing a pop-up dialog box, Cursor typically opens the MCP.JSON file directly. To properly configure it:

  1. When the MCP.JSON file opens, you’ll need to add the XSurch configuration
  2. If you already have other MCP servers installed, only copy the portion of the new code after the “MCP servers” opening bracket
  3. Paste the code after your last existing MCP server entry
  4. Ensure there are commas between each MCP server entry, but not after the final one
  5. Check for any red error indicators in the file before closing

Verifying the Installation

After saving the configuration file, Cursor will begin activating the tools. You’ll see XSurch (labeled as XA) appear in your tools list. Once all tools show green indicators, they’re ready to use.

Available Functionality

With XSurch properly installed, you gain access to a variety of powerful tools, including:

  • Web searching capabilities
  • Scholarly research functions
  • Research paper search tools
  • Web crawling features
  • Enhanced scraping abilities

These tools make XSurch particularly valuable for academic research, data collection, and comprehensive web analysis tasks.

By following these steps, you can significantly enhance your Cursor AI’s capabilities for web searching and data extraction, streamlining your workflow for internet-based research and development tasks.

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