Connect Gmail to Cursor
One remote MCP server, and Cursor's agent can work your inbox.
Cursor talks to outside tools over MCP, and it renders MCP Apps, so the inbox comes back as something you can act in rather than a blob of JSON in the agent transcript. Adding DaySurface is one remote server entry - there is no local process to run and no key to paste.
The server URL
https://mcp.daysurface.com/mcp
Transport is streamable HTTP. Auth is OAuth in the browser - there is no key to paste and no account to create.
Before you start
- A Google account with Gmail.
- Cursor, with the agent available. MCP tools are called by the agent, not by inline completions.
Add DaySurface to Cursor
-
01 Open the MCP settings
In Cursor, go to Settings and then MCP. This lists the servers the agent can reach and is where a new one is added.
-
02 Add the server
Add a new MCP server, choose the remote or HTTP option, and paste the DaySurface endpoint. Cursor writes this to an mcp.json - user-level makes it available everywhere, project-level scopes it to one repo.
-
03 Sign in with Google
Cursor opens the OAuth flow in your browser the first time the server is used. Check the scopes on the consent screen before approving them.
-
04 Check the tools are listed
Back in MCP settings, the server should show as connected with its tools enumerated. If it looks stuck, toggling the server off and on again re-runs the handshake.
What Cursor can do once it is connected
Triage a ranked inbox without leaving the chat
The inbox arrives as an interactive dashboard rendered inside the conversation, not as a wall of JSON for the model to summarise. You read, rank and clear threads in place.
Draft replies in a real composer
Replies open in an editable composer you can correct before anything sends. Nothing leaves your account on the model's say-so alone.
Fill and sign PDF attachments
Attached forms can be filled in from the thread. Signing is a step you complete yourself - the tool never types a signature on your behalf.
Search across threads by meaning, not just keywords
Search runs server-side over your mail and returns threads, so the agent works from what is actually in your inbox rather than what it can hold in context.
Add it to Cursor
The install picker has the one-click link for Cursor and the click-path for every other MCP client.
Open the install pickerQuestions
Cursor uses "mcpServers" - can I copy a config from another editor?
Not safely. The key names differ between clients: Cursor and Cline use mcpServers, VS Code uses servers, Zed uses context_servers, and Windsurf wants serverUrl where the others want url. A snippet pasted across clients tends to fail silently rather than error.
Should I commit the server to my repo?
You can, via a project-level mcp.json, and everyone who opens the project gets the server. Each person still signs in to their own Google account - sharing the config never shares mail access.
Do I need a DaySurface account?
No. There is no account to create and no password to set. You add the server to your client, then sign in to Google when it asks. Authorisation is the whole signup.
Is there an API key to paste?
No. Auth is OAuth in the browser. If a setup guide anywhere tells you to paste a key, it is not describing this server.
What does it get access to?
The Google scopes you approve in the consent screen, and nothing else. You can review them at the moment of sign-in and revoke them later from your Google account.
Can I run it myself instead?
Yes. It is MIT-licensed and self-hostable, and the same tools are exposed over a CLI and a plain HTTP API as well as MCP. Point your client at your own deployment instead of the hosted endpoint.