Connect the Reddit MCP to Cursor

Give Cursor's agent live Reddit tools by adding the redditapis-mcp server to mcp.json. Scope it globally for every project or per repo, set your key, and Cursor can search and read Reddit inline.

Get API Key Cursor MCP docs

Written by Emma, developer relations at Redditapis. The server is the published redditapis-mcp package, so every field below is verified against the live package and Cursor's own docs.

How do you add the Reddit MCP to Cursor?

Add the redditapis-mcp server under the mcpServers key in ~/.cursor/mcp.json for every project, or in .cursor/mcp.json to scope it to one repo. Set REDDITAPIS_KEY to your Redditapis key. Open Settings, MCP, and the reddit server shows a green status dot with its tool count when it connects. That gives Cursor's agent 11 read-only Reddit tools.

Set up the Reddit MCP in Cursor

Cursor reads MCP servers from a JSON file that can live in your home directory (every project) or your repo (one project). The shape is the standard mcpServers block.

Method: Config fileConfig: ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (project)Key: mcpServers

The server (same for every client)

$ npx -y redditapis-mcp@latest

~/.cursor/mcp.json (or .cursor/mcp.json)

// global:  ~/.cursor/mcp.json      project:  .cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reddit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "redditapis-mcp@latest"],
      "env": { "REDDITAPIS_KEY": "YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Pick global or project

Use ~/.cursor/mcp.json to make the server available in every project, or .cursor/mcp.json at a repo root to scope it to that one codebase.

Add the server block

Paste the mcpServers entry and set REDDITAPIS_KEY to your key. Cursor uses the same command and args every MCP client uses to launch the server over stdio.

Enable it in Settings

Open Settings, then MCP. The reddit server appears in the list; a green dot means it connected, a red dot means the command or key is wrong.

Call the tools

In the agent, ask Cursor to look up a subreddit or a thread. It calls the reddit tools and works from the live JSON instead of a paste.

Confirm it connected

Settings, MCP lists reddit with a green status dot and the number of tools it loaded. A red dot points at a bad key or a command npx cannot resolve. Toggle the server off there without deleting the config when you do not need it.

The 11 Reddit tools Cursor gets

The published server is read-only, so these tools read Reddit and never write. Votes, comments, and DMs stay REST write endpoints your agent calls directly, kept off the tool surface so a model cannot trigger a write by picking a tool. Your key, REDDITAPIS_KEY, authenticates every call.

reddit_searchreddit_subreddit_postsreddit_subreddit_topreddit_postreddit_post_commentsreddit_search_commentsreddit_search_communitiesreddit_search_mediareddit_search_usersreddit_user_profilereddit_user_comments

Same server, a different client?

The redditapis-mcp server runs the same way everywhere; only the config file and key differ per client. Setup for the others:

Reddit MCP for Claude Desktop , mcpServers in JSON
Reddit MCP for Claude Code , mcpServers in JSON
Reddit MCP for VS Code , servers in JSON
Reddit MCP for Windsurf , mcpServers in JSON
Reddit MCP for Kilo Code , mcp in JSONC
Reddit MCP for OpenClaw , mcp.servers in JSON
Reddit MCP for Hermes , mcp_servers in YAML
Reddit MCP server overview , the server, tools, and pricing
Reddit API for AI agents , tool use, MCP, and RAG on Reddit

By the numbers

Reddit MCP access, by the numbers

Every Redditapis figure resolves to our published per-call rates; every external figure is a primary US source.

Redditapis bills reads at $0.002 per call, votes at $0.005, writes at $0.012, and DMs at $0.025, one flat rate for every account with no minimum spend. (Redditapis pricing, 2026)
The published redditapis-mcp server exposes 11 read tools behind one Bearer key, and every new account starts with $0.50 in free credits, enough for roughly 250 reads before any charge. (Redditapis, 2026)
Reddit's own commercial Data API is priced at $0.24 per 1,000 API calls, the rate that ended third-party apps like Apollo in 2023. (The Verge, 2023)
Reddit's free Data API tier is capped at 100 queries per minute per OAuth client, and 10 queries per minute without OAuth, so an MCP client polling at volume needs a managed layer. (Reddit Data API Wiki, 2026)
Reddit signed a reported $60 million-a-year deal to license its data for AI training, a sign of how valuable structured Reddit context has become for models. (Reuters, 2024)

Frequently asked questions

Cursor reads two files. ~/.cursor/mcp.json in your home directory applies to every project, and .cursor/mcp.json at a repo root scopes the server to that codebase. Both use the mcpServers key, so the reddit block is identical; only the location changes what it applies to.

Open Settings, then MCP. The reddit server shows in the list with a status dot: green means it connected and loaded its tools, red means the command or the REDDITAPIS_KEY is wrong. The list also shows how many tools the server exposed.

Use ~/.cursor/mcp.json when you want Reddit tools in every Cursor project. Use .cursor/mcp.json when the server is only relevant to one repo, or when you want to commit it so teammates on that repo get the same setup. You can keep the key out of a committed file with env interpolation.

The redditapis-mcp server gives Cursor 11 read-only tools, including reddit_search for posts, reddit_search_comments for comment bodies, and reddit_user_profile for redditor lookups. The full set covers subreddit listings, top posts, single posts, comment trees, communities, media, and users.

No. Authentication is a single Redditapis bearer token in the env block, so you skip Reddit developer-app review and the OAuth handshake. Get a key, paste it into REDDITAPIS_KEY in mcp.json, and Cursor's agent has live Reddit tools the same session.

Keep reading.

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Reddit API documentation

The complete 2026 reference: auth, all 28 endpoints, and code.

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Endpoint-level costs and quick monthly totals - reads from $0.002 / call.

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Reddit API guides and tutorials

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Official Reddit API vs Redditapis

Access, setup, rate limits, and pricing, side by side.

Affiliate program

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REST endpoints for Reddit data with no PRAW and no OAuth dance.

Reddit scraping benchmarks

Real throughput, error rates, and cost benchmarks for Reddit scraping.

Reddit API answers

Direct answers on cost, access, rate limits, endpoints, and auth.

How much the Reddit API costs

Per-call pricing from $0.002 a read, with $0.50 in free credits.

Reddit API in Python

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Reddit shadowban checker

Check if a Reddit account is shadowbanned in seconds, free and no login.

Give Cursor live Reddit tools.

$0.50 in free credits at signup, no card required. Copy your bearer token, paste it into the config above, and the reddit tools are live the same session.

Get API Key Read the docs

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