Add the FRED MCP server to Cursor

Config last verified Jun 1, 2026

The exact config to run FRED in Cursor — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.

Prerequisites

Cursor installed.
FRED_API_KEY — Free FRED API key from the St. Louis Fed, used to authenticate requests.

Setup

1. Open `~/.cursor/mcp.json`

2. Add this configuration

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json

~/.cursor/mcp.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fred": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "fred-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "FRED_API_KEY": "<FRED_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Cursor and confirm the FRED tools load.

Gotchas

Cursor keeps MCP servers under an "mcpServers" object in ~/.cursor/mcp.json for global use, and also reads a project-scoped .cursor/mcp.json so a repository can ship its own servers. Remote servers are configured with a bare "url" field and connect natively, with OAuth handled in-app when a server requires it.

← Back to the FRED MCP server