Using IconVectors with Cursor

This page explains the recommended local setup for Cursor.

Overview

Cursor supports local stdio MCP servers as well as remote transports. For IconVectors, the best fit is a local stdio helper launched by Cursor while the editor itself is started separately.

The recommended model is:

Start IconVectors yourself.
Let Cursor launch the IconVectors MCP helper.
Keep the configured port aligned with the IconVectors bridge port.

Before you begin

Make sure these files are available for your platform.

Windows

Application files:

C:\Program Files\Axialis\IconVectors\IconVectors.exe
C:\Program Files\Axialis\IconVectors\IconVectorsMcp.exe

Optional helper files:

%APPDATA%\Axialis\IconVectors\MCP\iconvectors-mcp-tools.json
%APPDATA%\Axialis\IconVectors\MCP\iconvectors-mcp-command-reference.md
%APPDATA%\Axialis\IconVectors\MCP\cursor-agent-instructions.template.md

macOS

Application bundle:

/Applications/IconVectors.app

Executables inside the bundle:

/Applications/IconVectors.app/Contents/MacOS/IconVectors
/Applications/IconVectors.app/Contents/MacOS/IconVectorsMcp

Optional helper files:

~/Library/Application Support/Axialis/IconVectors/MCP/iconvectors-mcp-tools.json
~/Library/Application Support/Axialis/IconVectors/MCP/iconvectors-mcp-command-reference.md
~/Library/Application Support/Axialis/IconVectors/MCP/cursor-agent-instructions.template.md

You can open the helper-files folder directly from IconVectors with Help ‣ Open MCP Files Folder.

Start IconVectors

Start the editor first, then leave it running while Cursor launches the MCP helper.

Windows:

& 'C:\Program Files\Axialis\IconVectors\IconVectors.exe'

macOS:

open /Applications/IconVectors.app

Do not normally start the editor with --mcp when using Cursor. In the normal Cursor workflow, Cursor should be the process that launches the MCP helper.

Configure Cursor

Create or edit one of these files:

project scope: .cursor/mcp.json
user scope: ~/.cursor/mcp.json

Windows example

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "iconvectors": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "C:\\Program Files\\Axialis\\IconVectors\\IconVectorsMcp.exe",
      "args": ["--port", "61337"]
    }
  }
}

macOS example

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "iconvectors": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/Applications/IconVectors.app/Contents/MacOS/IconVectorsMcp",
      "args": ["--port", "61337"]
    }
  }
}

Replace the path if IconVectors is installed elsewhere. If you changed the default IconVectors bridge port, use the same port here.

Working-directory fallback

If your environment launches the helper without a useful working directory, use a wrapper script.

Windows wrapper example:

@echo off
cd /d "C:\Program Files\Axialis\IconVectors"
"C:\Program Files\Axialis\IconVectors\IconVectorsMcp.exe" --port 61337

macOS wrapper example:

#!/bin/sh
cd "/Applications/IconVectors.app/Contents/MacOS"
exec "/Applications/IconVectors.app/Contents/MacOS/IconVectorsMcp" --port 61337

Then point Cursor to the wrapper instead of the helper directly.

Verify the connection

Good first prompts:

Use the IconVectors MCP server to call app.ping and confirm the editor is connected.
Use IconVectors to call app.getInfo and summarize the current application state.
Create a new 32x32 document, use the current palette, draw a simple centered icon, and export it as SVG.

Optional: add Cursor instructions

If you want Cursor to prefer IconVectors for icon work, start from the installed instructions template:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Axialis\IconVectors\MCP\cursor-agent-instructions.template.md
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Axialis/IconVectors/MCP/cursor-agent-instructions.template.md

Paste that content into your preferred Cursor project rules, workspace instructions, or custom instructions.

Troubleshooting

If Cursor does not connect:

make sure IconVectors is already running,
make sure the path to the MCP helper is correct,
make sure the configured port matches the IconVectors bridge port,
restart or reload Cursor after changing mcp.json,
test with app.ping before large editing tasks,
on macOS, if you installed the app outside /Applications, update the helper path accordingly,
on macOS, confirm that the helper exists at IconVectors.app/Contents/MacOS/IconVectorsMcp,
on macOS, if Gatekeeper or signing policies block launch, reinstall a properly signed copy of the app.