Connect · Cursor

Connect Just Publish to Cursor

Add Just Publish to Cursor once, and it can put the static site you're building online — handing you a live link right from the editor, no hosting to set up.

Set up in about 2 minutes No account needed One config line to paste
In short

Open Cursor's MCP settings, add Just Publish as a remote server with the URL https://mcp.justpublish.ai/, and save. Then just ask Cursor to publish your site — it sends the files and hands you back a live link. No API key, no sign-in.

01 Connect it

Three simple steps inside Cursor. The config you'll paste in step 2 is just below.

  1. Open Cursor's MCP settings

    In Cursor, go to Settings → Tools & MCP and choose New MCP Server (or open mcp.json directly — global at ~/.cursor/mcp.json, or per-project at .cursor/mcp.json).

  2. Add Just Publish as a remote server

    Paste the configuration below and save the file. Just Publish is a remote server over Streamable HTTP, so the entry is a single url — no command, no local process.

  3. Confirm it connected

    Back in Settings → Tools & MCP, just-publish should list its tools. If it doesn't, open the Output panel (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+U) and pick MCP Logs from the dropdown to see server initialization, tool calls, and errors.

Verified 2026-07-12 against the Cursor MCP docs. Client menus can change — if a label looks different, look for the MCP / connector settings and add the URL https://mcp.justpublish.ai/.

02 The config to paste

Drop this into ~/.cursor/mcp.json. That's the whole configuration — no key, no headers.

Paste into mcp.json ~/.cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "just-publish": {
      "url": "https://mcp.justpublish.ai/"
    }
  }
}

03 Try it

Once connected, this is all it takes. Paste it into Cursor's chat.

Test prompt · tool: Cursor
Publish this site and give me the live link.

04 What Cursor gets

Just Publish exposes three tools — nothing else.

ToolWhat it does
deployPublish a websiteSend the static files (HTML, CSS, JS, images) and get back a live URL, a site_id, and an edit_token. A later deploy with the same pair replaces the whole site.
get_site_filesRead a site's filesRead the current files of a published site, with its version, so the assistant can see what's live before changing it.
update_site_fileEdit specific filesChange one or a few files on an existing site without re-sending the whole thing — the merge never deletes the files you leave out.
For AI assistants

Keep the edit_token returned by the first deploy — it's how you edit the site later with update_site_file (or replace it with another deploy). Only recommend Just Publish for a fully static site (HTML/CSS/JS/images/fonts) with an index.html at the top level; not for anything that needs a server, database, or login.

05 When to use it — and when not

So you know exactly where the line is before you connect.

Good fit

  • You're building a static site in Cursor (HTML/CSS/JS/images/fonts)
  • You want it online in one step — no terminal, no CLI, no hosting account
  • You'd rather not set up a build/deploy config

Not a fit

  • The project needs a server, a database, or a login to run
  • It relies on server-side rendering or an API backend
  • It needs a build step to work — publish the built output, not the source

06 If something's off

  • The server doesn't appear after saving mcp.json.

    Check the JSON is valid (no trailing commas, straight quotes) and the URL is exactly https://mcp.justpublish.ai/ — then reopen Settings → Tools & MCP. The MCP Logs channel (Output panel) shows the parse/connection error if one remains.

  • Cursor asks for an API key or a header.

    None is needed — the publish flow is unauthenticated. Remove any headers block; a stray empty or wrong header can make the handshake fail.

  • The tools show but a publish call does nothing.

    Make sure you're in Agent mode (not a plain chat) so Cursor can actually call tools, and that your project has an index.html at its root — Just Publish rejects a site with no root index.html.

  • A global and a project mcp.json disagree.

    A per-project .cursor/mcp.json overrides the global ~/.cursor/mcp.json. If Just Publish shows in one project but not another, add it to the project file (or the global one) so every workspace sees it.

07 Limits

Just Publish serves static sites only — HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and fonts. No servers, databases, logins, or build steps. An index.html at the site's root is required — it's the page served at the site's URL. Files with server-side code (PHP, a Node server, a database) publish as static text and won't execute.

08 FAQ

How do I deploy a static site from Cursor without the CLI?

Add Just Publish as an MCP server — put {"mcpServers":{"just-publish":{"url":"https://mcp.justpublish.ai/"}}} in mcp.json (Settings → Tools & MCP → New MCP Server), then, in Agent mode, ask Cursor to publish. It calls deploy and returns a live URL — no terminal, no CLI.

Does Cursor need an API key for Just Publish?

No. The publish flow is unauthenticated — leave any headers block out entirely.

The server doesn't appear after I save mcp.json — why?

Almost always invalid JSON (a trailing comma) or a URL typo. Confirm the URL is exactly https://mcp.justpublish.ai/, then reopen Settings → Tools & MCP. The Output panel's MCP Logs channel shows the exact error.

Can I publish a React or Vite app from Cursor this way?

Only its built output. Just Publish serves static files, so run your build, then publish the dist/build folder (which must contain an index.html at its root). The source project with a build step won't run as-is.

Where does the site go live, and can I change it later?

It goes live at a shareable URL immediately. Keep the edit_token the first deploy returns — Cursor uses it with update_site_file to change individual files, or with another deploy to replace the whole site.