Cursor

Set up CE.SDK with Cursor

Cursor is an AI code editor. Ten minutes of setup turns it into a CE.SDK expert that takes you from an idea like “an ad designer with background removal” to a working editor running in your browser.

Before you start

You don’t need to be a developer to follow this guide. You need two things on your machine.

  • Cursor installed and signed in.
  • Node.js 20 or newer. It provides the npx command used below and runs the editor you build.

From setup to working editor in four steps

Step 01

Install the CE.SDK skills

Open a terminal in your project folder (in Cursor: Terminal, then New Terminal) and run one command. It installs the CE.SDK Agent Skills into .agents/skills/ beside your project: bundled CE.SDK docs plus starter kits for 10 web frameworks. Run it in the folder you want to build in, or add -g to install the skills once for every project on your machine.

Install the skills for Cursor 
npx skills add imgly/agent-skills -a cursor
Step 02

Connect the live docs

The MCP server gives Cursor real-time search over the current CE.SDK documentation, so answers stay accurate between releases. Create a file named mcp.json inside a .cursor folder at your project root (or ~/.cursor/mcp.json to enable it everywhere), paste this in, and reload Cursor. If you would rather not touch a config file, Cursor has a UI for it: Settings, then Tools & Integrations, then Add Custom MCP.

.cursor/mcp.json 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imgly_docs": {
      "url": "https://mcp.img.ly/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Step 03

Verify it works

Ask a docs question in Cursor’s chat. If the answer cites CE.SDK docs, the skills are active. Cursor picks a skill from your plain-language request on its own; to call one directly, type / and pick it by name, such as /docs-react. For the MCP server, open Cursor’s settings and confirm imgly_docs shows as connected.

Check the install 
Using the CE.SDK docs, how do I get started with React?
Step 04

Describe what you want to build

Open Cursor’s chat and paste a product idea. Cursor scaffolds the project, installs CE.SDK, wires up the features, and prints the command to run it (usually npm run dev). Run it and your editor opens in the browser.

Your first build prompt 
Build an ad designer web app with CE.SDK: pull stock photos from Unsplash, one-click background removal for product shots, AI image generation for campaign variants, and export finished ads as PNG and print-ready PDF.

What you can do

Three skills turn Cursor into a CE.SDK specialist. Ask in plain language and Cursor picks the right one, or call it by name from the / picker.

Build a feature

build sets up a CE.SDK Web project and implements the features you ask for. Describe the outcome and Cursor scaffolds and wires it up.

Understand a concept

explain breaks down how CE.SDK works and how the pieces fit together, adapted to your framework and level.

Look up the docs

docs-[framework] pulls reference guides and API docs into your editor across 10 frameworks, including React, Next.js, and Node.js.

Example prompts

Copy a starting point into Cursor’s chat. Start a product, extend it feature by feature, or ask how something works before you commit to it.

Scaffold an editor
Build a social media studio with CE.SDK: Instagram post and story presets, a template gallery for our campaigns, and MP4 export for animated posts.
Build a CE.SDK photo book creator with multi-page layouts, drag-and-drop photo placeholders, and print-ready PDF export.
Build a CE.SDK meme generator with a template gallery, text overlays with outline styles, and one-click PNG sharing.
Extend it
Add background removal so users can cut out product photos.
Add AI image generation so users can create visuals from a text prompt.
Lock our brand fonts and colors so users can only edit the text.
Understand it
Explain what CE.SDK gives me out of the box versus what I configure.
Explain how CE.SDK templates and placeholders work for non-design users.

Tips

Get better results from the first prompt.

  • Prompt with outcomes, not implementation: “users upload a photo and get a framed print preview” beats “integrate the export API”.
  • Use .cursor/mcp.json at the project root to share the MCP server with your team, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for every project.
  • Reload Cursor after editing mcp.json, and after installing the skills.
  • Skills fire from a plain-language request. To call one directly, type / and pick it by name, such as /build.
  • Run skills and MCP together: skills for scaffolding, the MCP server for live docs search.

Set up another agent

Point a different coding agent at CE.SDK.

Cursor

Ship a working editor

Install the skills, paste a prompt, and Cursor scaffolds a CE.SDK project you can run.

Read the Agent Skills docs Back to all agents

Cursor FAQs

No. Describe the product you want in plain language and Cursor scaffolds the project and tells you how to run it. You review the result in the browser and keep prompting until it matches your vision.

Not for the setup. The skills and the MCP server are free and need no API key, and the project Cursor scaffolds runs locally without a license key. Licensing only comes in when you deploy what you built.

Both, ideally. Agent Skills bundle the docs and starter kits offline so Cursor can scaffold autonomously. The MCP server adds real-time documentation search on top, so answers stay current between releases.

Check the path and JSON of `.cursor/mcp.json` or `~/.cursor/mcp.json`, then reload Cursor so it picks up the server.