Cursor Integration
Cursor + Barndoor Automations
Connect Barndoor Automations as an MCP server inside Cursor so the agent can run structured workflows without leaving the editor.
MCP Server URL
https://mcp.diaphora.ai/mcp
Reference
Commands & settings
mcp.json entry
Add this under mcpServers in ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (project-only).
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Config | { "mcpServers": { "diaphora": { "url": "https://mcp.diaphora.ai/mcp" } } } |
Overview
How Barndoor Automations fits into Cursor
Cursor's agent can call Barndoor Automations directly through MCP. It handles connector access, structured extraction, and repeatable plan execution; Cursor's agent treats the results as grounded context while you keep working in the editor.
Developers lean on Cursor's agent for day-to-day editing, but connector access, repeatable extraction, and schema-shaped output are still best handled by Barndoor Automations plans. Adding Barndoor Automations as an MCP server lets the agent call those plans directly from chat.
The agent stays focused on reading and writing code, while Barndoor Automations handles the deterministic parts of the workflow such as gathering data from connected tools and returning structured, reliable results the agent can act on.
Setup
How to connect Barndoor Automations to Cursor
Barndoor Automations is exposed as a remote MCP server at https://mcp.diaphora.ai/mcp. Cursor connects to it through an mcp.json entry — add it once, authenticate, and the tools show up in every chat.
1. Create your Barndoor Automations account
Cursor authenticates through your Barndoor Automations identity, so get an account set up first if you don't already have one.
2. Add Barndoor Automations to mcp.json
Open Cursor Settings → Tools & MCP → New MCP Server (this opens mcp.json), or edit the file directly at ~/.cursor/mcp.json for every project or .cursor/mcp.json for just this one. Add a "diaphora" entry with the URL above — see the reference block below for the exact JSON.
3. Sign in through Barndoor Automations IAM
Back in Settings → Tools & MCP, the diaphora server shows a Needs login status the first time. Click it and Cursor hands off to the Barndoor Automations IAM login in your browser — authorize there and Cursor picks the session back up automatically.
4. Start calling Barndoor Automations plans from chat
Once authorized, the Barndoor Automations tools sit alongside Cursor's other MCP servers and the agent can call them mid-conversation — no need to reauthenticate until the token expires.
How it works
Working with the integration
1. Run the deterministic workflow through Barndoor Automations
Reach for a Barndoor Automations plan when the task needs connector access, repeatable extraction, or schema-shaped output rather than free-form generation.
- The agent calls the plan as an MCP tool instead of trying to reconstruct the workflow from scratch.
- It enforces structure before any result reaches the conversation.
2. Let the agent use the structured result as context
The MCP tool call returns a structured, schema-shaped result that the agent can read, summarize, or use to inform the next edit.
- This cuts down on hallucinated details, since the agent is grounded in real tool output.
- Results stay consistent across runs because the same plan enforces the same structure.
3. Ask the agent to act on the result, not re-derive it
Use Cursor's agent for what it does best — reading, writing, and refactoring code — based on the facts Barndoor Automations already gathered.
- Ask for code changes, tests, or documentation grounded in the plan's output.
- Keep the factual backbone anchored to the Barndoor Automations result rather than the model's own recall.
4. Rerun the plan when the facts change
When the underlying data changes, rerun the plan through MCP instead of asking the agent to regenerate context by hand.
- Results stay consistent because the plan, not the agent's memory, is the source of truth.
- The agent spends its time on code, not on reconstructing context.