Beginner~10 minIntegrations

MCP + Cursor Integration

Set up Knowns MCP in Cursor and let your AI read tasks, docs, and memory in real time.

MCPCursorSetup
knowns init
knowns mcp setup
Restart editor
kn-research
Use daily

One-time setup

Connect Knowns to Cursor (or any MCP-compatible editor) so your AI assistant can read tasks, docs, and memory without copy-pasting.

What You'll Set Up

  • MCP server config for your editor
  • AI assistant with live access to your tasks, docs, and memory
  • A test conversation proving it works

Initialize Knowns

If you haven't already:

cd your-project
knowns init
File structure
your-project/
├── .knowns/           ← created by init
│   ├── docs/
│   ├── tasks/
│   └── config.json
├── KNOWNS.md          ← project guidelines
└── .mcp.json          ← MCP config (next step)

Auto-Setup MCP

The fastest path:

knowns mcp setup

This creates the right config file for your environment. For Cursor, it writes .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "knowns": {
      "command": "knowns",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Other editors

The same config works for Claude Code (.mcp.json), Kiro (.kiro/settings/mcp.json), and Continue (.continue/config.json). See the MCP Integration docs for all platforms.

Restart Your Editor

After adding the config, restart your editor so it picks up the MCP server.

Test It

Open a chat with your AI assistant and try:

Test: List tasks
You: What tasks do I have in this project?

AI:  [Calls tasks({ action: "list" })]
   You have 3 tasks:
   - task-abc: "Add user auth" (in-progress)
   - task-def: "Fix search bug" (todo)
   - task-ghi: "Update docs" (done)
Test: Read a doc
You: Show me the auth spec

AI:  [Calls docs({ action: "get", path: "specs/auth", smart: true })]
   Here's your auth spec:
   - AC-1: Users can register...
   - AC-2: Users can login...
Test: Check memory
You: What patterns do we use in this project?

AI:  [Calls memory({ action: "list", layer: "project" })]
   Project patterns:
   - "Express + TypeScript with Prisma ORM"
   - "JWT auth with bcrypt hashing"
   - "Controller → Service → Repository pattern"

Use It Daily

Now your AI assistant has full context:

Daily usage
You: Work on task abc

AI:  [Reads task, linked spec, related docs, project memory]
   I see task "Add user auth" with 5 ACs linked to
   the auth spec. Starting implementation...

What MCP Gives You

Without MCPWith MCP
Copy-paste task descriptions into chatAI reads tasks directly
Re-explain project conventions every sessionAI loads memory automatically
Manually track what's doneAI checks ACs and updates status
Context lost between sessionsMemory persists forever

Troubleshooting

MCP server not found?

Check that Knowns is installed (knowns --version), re-run knowns mcp setup, and restart your editor.

Tools not appearing?

Make sure the project is initialized with knowns init. Test the server manually with knowns mcp --stdio.

What's next?

Now that MCP is connected, try the AI Task Workflow to see it in action, or explore the Memory System to understand what your AI remembers.

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