---
title: "Cursor"
description: "Give Cursor persistent memory with Basic Memory. Full notes, semantic search, and rich context that outlasts built-in memories."
canonical_url: "https://docs.basicmemory.com/integrations/cursor"
---
# Cursor

> Give Cursor persistent memory with Basic Memory. Full notes, semantic search, and rich context that outlasts built-in memories.

Cursor's built-in memories store short preference strings. Basic Memory gives it a full knowledge base — searchable notes with semantic connections that persist across every session and grow with your project.

> New to this setup? [Basic Memory for Cursor](https://basicmemory.com/for/cursor) has a two-minute overview of what persistent memory changes.

## Cloud Setup

<steps>

### Sign Up

Create your account at [basicmemory.com](https://basicmemory.com/?utm_source=docs&utm_medium=docs&utm_campaign=cursor)

### Configure Remote MCP in Cursor

Add the server to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (global) or `.cursor/mcp.json` in your project root — you can also reach this from **Cursor Settings → MCP**:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory-cloud": {
      "url": "https://cloud.basicmemory.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Authenticate

Follow the OAuth flow to grant Cursor access to your Basic Memory account.

### Verify

Ask the AI: `"What Basic Memory tools do you have?"`

</steps>

<tip>

See the [Cloud Setup Guide](https://docs.basicmemory.com/cloud/cloud-guide) for detailed instructions and troubleshooting.

</tip>

---

## Local Setup

<steps>

### Configure MCP

Cursor supports MCP natively. Add Basic Memory to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (global) or `.cursor/mcp.json` (per project) — see the [Cursor MCP docs](https://cursor.com/docs/context/mcp):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["basic-memory", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

### Install Basic Memory (optional)

```bash
# With uv
uv tool install basic-memory

# Or with pip
pip install basic-memory
```

### Verify

Ask the AI: `"What Basic Memory tools do you have?"`

You should see tools for note creation, search, and project management.

</steps>

---

## Try It

Once configured, try these prompts in Cursor:

```text
"Create a note documenting our API authentication approach and link it to the user-auth module."
```

```text
"Search my notes for anything related to database migration strategy."
```

```text
"What have I been working on this week? Check recent activity."
```

For the full list of available tools, see the [MCP Tools Reference](https://docs.basicmemory.com/reference/mcp-tools-reference).

---

## Troubleshooting

**MCP tools not appearing** — Verify uvx can run it (`uvx basic-memory --version`), check your JSON config syntax, and restart Cursor. Try an absolute path to `uvx` if needed.

**Tools appear but don't work** — Verify project directory permissions. If you installed the CLI (`uv tool install basic-memory`), run `basic-memory status` to check sync — `which basic-memory` only resolves for installed setups, not uvx.

**Cloud connection issues** — See the [Cloud Setup Guide](https://docs.basicmemory.com/cloud/cloud-guide) for OAuth troubleshooting.

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does Cursor have memory?

Cursor has a built-in "Memories" feature for storing short preferences, but it is limited to simple rules. Basic Memory provides full knowledge management — searchable notes, semantic connections, and rich context that grows with your project.

### Can I use Basic Memory and Cursor's built-in memories together?

Yes. Cursor's built-in memories handle quick preferences and rules. Basic Memory handles everything deeper — architecture decisions, project history, detailed technical context, and cross-session knowledge.

---

<note>

**Basic Memory also works with:** [Claude Code](https://docs.basicmemory.com/integrations/claude-code) · [OpenAI Codex](https://docs.basicmemory.com/integrations/codex) · [Claude Desktop](https://docs.basicmemory.com/integrations/claude-desktop) · [VS Code](https://docs.basicmemory.com/integrations/vscode) · [Obsidian](https://docs.basicmemory.com/integrations/obsidian)

</note>

## Next Steps

<card-group>
<card icon="i-lucide-folder-kanban" title="Project Documentation" to="https://docs.basicmemory.com/how-to/project-documentation">

Learn how to document your development projects.

</card>

<card icon="i-lucide-edit" title="Note Taking" to="https://docs.basicmemory.com/how-to/note-taking">

Master note-taking techniques for development.

</card>

<card icon="i-lucide-wrench" title="MCP Tools Reference" to="https://docs.basicmemory.com/reference/mcp-tools-reference">

See every tool Basic Memory exposes to your AI.

</card>

<card icon="i-lucide-file-text" title="Knowledge Format" to="https://docs.basicmemory.com/concepts/knowledge-format">

Structure your development documentation.

</card>
</card-group>


## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://docs.basicmemory.com/sitemap.md) for all pages.