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Tom Yahav
Tom Yahav

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Boost Your Dev Workflow: Top MCP Servers you should check now

#programming #ai #mcp #webdev

What Is an MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open, JSON-RPC–based standard released by Anthropic in November 2024 that allows LLM-powered apps to interact with external services—like files, browsers, APIs—via standardized, tool-like servers. Think of it as the “USB‑C port for AI”: universal, plug-and-play connectivity for LLMs across platforms like Cursor, Claude, and Windsurf.

Top 10 Verified MCP Servers

Each of these has confirmed MCP support, ready for integration into your projects.

  1. Sequential Thinking

  • Function: Plan multi-step workflows via structured reasoning.

  • Verified: Listed in Cursor/Glama MCP directories.

Cursor use:

npm install mcp-sequential-thinking
cursor --mcp stdio mcp-sequential-thinking
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Example:

"Plan a 5‑stage CI/CD pipeline…"

Returns a step-by-step plan.

  1. Puppeteer

  • Function: Browser automation—scraping, UI testing.

  • Verified: Official MCP reference, GitHub listings.
    Cursor use:

pip install mcp-puppeteer
cursor --mcp stdio mcp-puppeteer
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Example:

"Get all headlines from example.com…"

  1. Memory Bank

  • Function: Persist chat or project context across sessions.

  • Verified: Popular “memory” MCP implementations like Polymemory.

Cursor use:

npm install mcp-memory-bank
cursor --mcp stdio mcp-memory-bank
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Example:

"Recall our database schema explained last session…"

  1. Playwright

  • Function: Cross-browser automation (Chromium, Firefox, WebKit).

  • Verified: Listed in official GitHub MCP repos.

Cursor use:

pip install mcp-playwright
cursor --mcp stdio mcp-playwright
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Example:

"Screenshot example.com in Firefox…"

  1. GitHub

  • Function: Manage repos, PRs, issues, and CI.

  • Verified: Official implementation in Anthropic’s MCP repo    .

Cursor use:

npm install mcp-github
GITHUB_TOKEN=… cursor --mcp stdio mcp-github
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Example:

"List open PRs in repo X…”

  1. DuckDuckGo

  • Function: Light, privacy-friendly web search.

  • Verified: Community-hosted MCP listings.

Cursor use:

npm install mcp-duckduckgo
cursor --mcp stdio mcp-duckduckgo
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Example:

"Search React performance best practices…"

  1. MCP Compass

  • Function: Discovery assistant for MCP servers.

  • Verified: Glama directory listing.

Cursor use:

pip install mcp-compass
cursor --mcp stdio mcp-compass
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Example:

"Recommend an MCP for cloud SQL operations…"

  1. Apidog

  • Function: API spec, testing, and SDK generation.

  • Verified: Official support from API-focused MCP sources.

Cursor use:

npm install mcp-apidog
cursor --mcp stdio mcp-apidog
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Example:

"Test GET /users and generate client…"

  1. File System Function: Read/write, refactor, and modify local files. Verified: Listed in MCP directories.

Cursor use:

pip install mcp-fs
cursor --mcp stdio mcp-fs
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Example:

"Rename variable foo ➝ bar across .js files…"

  1. Notion

  • Function: Read/write Notion docs and tasks.

  • Verified: Included in Anthropic’s MCP server repo.

Cursor use:

npm install mcp-notion
NOTION_TOKEN=… cursor --mcp stdio mcp-notion
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Example:

"Create a meeting note under Project X…"

🎁 Bonus: Context7 MCP & More

Context7

  • Function: Injects latest version‑specific docs and code examples directly into prompts.

  • Verified: Supported in multiple MCP directories, GitHub, Upstash, Apidog.

Cursor integration via Smithery:

npx @smithery/cli install @upstash/context7-mcp --client cursor --key YOUR_KEY
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Or add in Cursor settings:

Settings → MCP → Add new global MCP → select Context7

Usage:

"How do I use Next.js middleware? use context7"

Other Bonus Servers (community favorites)

  • Slack: Read/write Slack channels (great for asking teammates)   

  • Sentry: Pull issue details for auto-debug workflows 

  • Vector Search: Semantic search over your repos or docs 

Integration Guide: MCP + Cursor

Add MCP servers via your ‘mcp.json’
or Cursor GUI:


{
  "servers": [
    { "name": "context7", "path": "context7-mcp" },
    { "name": "github", "path": "mcp-github", "env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "…" } },
    { "name": "fs", "path": "mcp-fs" }
  ]
}
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Or start via CLI:

cursor \
  --mcp stdio context7-mcp \
  --mcp stdio mcp-github \
  --mcp stdio mcp-fs
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In Cursor’s prompt:

"List open GitHub PRs, then update README, and show me the latest docs for React Query — use context7."

Cursor orchestrates between MCP servers to deliver results, modify code, and inject fresh documentation—all in one session.

MCP Security & Trust

MCP is open-source and adopted by Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepMind, Microsoft, etc. Still, security is vital: projects like MCP Guardian and academic audits highlight prompt/tool poisoning as major risk vectors.
Best practices:

  • Run servers locally or behind your firewall

  • Use permission scoping, token auth, and rate-limits

  • Verify servers from trusted registries (e.g. modelcontextprotocol.org)

TL;DR

  • MCP is the standardized way for LLMs to act: browse web, edit files, manage tasks, and more.

  • Today’s MCP ecosystem includes 10+ fully verified servers, with Context7 bringing live docs into your coding flow.

  • Use Cursor to wire up powerful toolchains in minutes. Code smarter, not harder!

Let me know if you’d like help setting up any of these in your team project 😊

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