# Setting up Cursor for HighLevel work

Cursor is the IDE I use for marketplace apps, MCP servers, site builds and anything that ships as code.

---

## Install

1. Download from [cursor.com](https://cursor.com)
2. Sign in — Pro or Business if you use team rules and longer context daily
3. Open your project folder (git repo root)

---

## Why Cursor for this work

- **Codebase context** — it sees your repo, not just the open file
- **Agent mode** — multi-step edits, terminal, refactors
- **MCP support** — same protocol as Claude Desktop; connect HighLevel and custom servers
- **Rules** — `.cursor/rules` for conventions (API v2 OAuth, no secrets in repo, etc.)

Use Cursor when you are **building**. Use Super Agents inside HighLevel when **customers** are talking to your business.

---

## MCP in Cursor

Cursor reads MCP config from project or user settings (Settings → MCP, or `.cursor/mcp.json` in the project).

Example project-level `.cursor/mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "./"]
    }
  }
}
```

Add servers one at a time. Restart Cursor after config changes.

### Servers worth connecting for HighLevel builds

| Server | Purpose |
|--------|---------|
| Filesystem (scoped path) | Docs, skills, workflow exports in repo |
| Custom HighLevel MCP | Contact lookup, calendar slots (staging sub-account only) |
| GitHub | Issues, PRs, marketplace app repos |
| Postgres / Supabase | Middleware DB behind integrations |

**Never** point staging MCP at production with write tools until you have read-only working.

---

## Suggested project rules

Create `.cursor/rules/highlevel.mdc`:

```
- HighLevel API v2 uses OAuth per location; never commit tokens
- Webhooks must be idempotent (dedupe by event ID)
- MCP tools: narrow scope, read before write
- British English in user-facing copy
```

---

## Daily workflow

1. **Audit** — ask Cursor to summarise integration points in the repo
2. **Stage** — branch; implement one MCP tool or workflow at a time
3. **Apply** — test against staging sub-account; PR with description
4. **Hand back** — update README / architecture note in repo

Same four phases as client engagements — see orchestration methodology guide.

---

## What Cursor is not

- Not a customer-facing agent — do not embed Cursor in your funnel
- Not a replacement for n8n/workflow logic that must run 24/7 unattended
- Not safe to run destructive MCP writes on production without human review

For customer conversations, use Super Agents + skills from `/resources/agent-skills/`.