Cursor

Cursor connects to Ranktide's MCP server over HTTP and reads the SEO skills from a folder.

Add the MCP server

Cursor reads MCP servers from ~/.cursor/mcp.json for every project, and from .cursor/mcp.json inside a project for that project only. Add Ranktide to one of them:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ranktide": {
      "url": "https://app.ranktide.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

If the file already lists other servers, add the ranktide entry inside the existing mcpServers object. You can also add the server from Cursor's MCP settings, which write the same file.

Sign in

Cursor shows that Ranktide needs sign-in. Start the sign-in from Ranktide's entry in Cursor's MCP settings, then sign in to Ranktide in your browser, pick your organisation and approve the connection.

Then send the connection check in a new chat:

Use Ranktide to check my connection and list my projects. Don't run any research.

Cursor should return your account, credit balance and projects. These calls use no credits.

Install the skills

Cursor 2.4 and later loads skills. It reads them from ~/.cursor/skills for every project, and from .cursor/skills inside a project for that project only. Each skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file. ranktide-skills.zip holds every Ranktide skill folder.

To install them for every project:

mkdir -p ~/.cursor/skills
curl -fL -o ranktide-skills.zip https://ranktide.io/skills/ranktide-skills.zip
unzip -o ranktide-skills.zip -d ~/.cursor/skills

For one project, run the same commands from the project root with .cursor/skills as the folder.

Cursor also reads skills from ~/.claude/skills, ~/.agents/skills and their project equivalents. If you already installed the skills for Claude Code or Codex, Cursor finds them there, so don't install a second copy.

On an older Cursor without skills, attach a skill's SKILL.md to your chat as a reference instead, or update Cursor.

Use a skill

Cursor uses a skill when your request matches it. You can also type / in the chat and pick the skill, for example /seo-audit.

Connect with an API key

API keys are for headless runs and CI, on the Growth plan and up. Create one in the app under Settings → API keys, then add a header to the server entry. Cursor can read the key from an environment variable, which keeps it out of the file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ranktide": {
      "url": "https://app.ranktide.io/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:RANKTIDE_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Anything Cursor does with the key acts as you, in the organisation that was active when you created it. See connect with an API key.

Update

Ranktide updates its MCP tools on the server. Start a new chat to load new tools.

To update the skills, download ranktide-skills.zip again and unzip it over the old folders. unzip -o replaces each SKILL.md without asking. If you edited a skill, copy your changes out first.

curl -fL -o ranktide-skills.zip https://ranktide.io/skills/ranktide-skills.zip
unzip -o ranktide-skills.zip -d ~/.cursor/skills

Troubleshooting

Cursor's own guides cover MCP and skills. For anything else, see the MCP reference or email support@ranktide.io.