---
title: "Cursor + Railway"
description: "Deploy with Cursor on Railway. AI-first code editor. Composer mode for multi-file edits and background agents."
url: https://railway.com/agents/cursor
---

# Cursor + Railway

Cursor is an AI-first code editor built on VS Code. Its Composer mode enables multi-file edits with AI assistance, and background agents can work autonomously on tasks. With integrated terminal access, Cursor works seamlessly with the Railway CLI.

## Quick start

1. **Download Cursor** — Download and install Cursor from the official website

   ```
   https://cursor.sh
   ```

2. **Configure Railway MCP Server** — Add to .cursor/mcp.json: {"mcpServers": {"railway": {"url": "https://mcp.railway.com"}}}

3. **Open Composer** — Open Cursor's Composer for multi-file AI edits

   ```
   Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows)
   ```

4. **Deploy a SaaS starter** — Composer deploys railway.com/template/hono with Redis, production-ready in one prompt

   ```
   Deploy the Hono API template with a Redis cache for sessions
   ```

## MCP configuration

Connect Cursor to Railway with the remote MCP server. OAuth in the browser — no API keys to manage.

Setup guide: https://docs.railway.com/ai/remote-mcp-server#cursor

## Railway integrations

- MCP Server: https://docs.railway.com/ai/remote-mcp-server
- CLI: https://docs.railway.com/reference/cli-api
- Cursor Marketplace: https://cursor.com/marketplace/railway

## Example prompts

- "Deploy this Next.js app to Railway"
- "Add a MySQL database to my project"
- "Check deployment logs and diagnose the memory issue"
- "Set up private networking between my API and database"
- "Configure a custom Dockerfile for this monorepo"
- "Add WebSocket support with proper health checks"
- "Deploy Uptime Kuma for monitoring all my Railway services"
- "Set up Ghost CMS with MySQL and persistent storage for a blog"
- "Deploy the OpenClaw AI agent platform with vector database"
- "Create a multi-region setup with Postgres replicas for low latency"

## Common workflows

### Deploy a MySQL database

- Ask Composer to add MySQL to your project
- Composer creates the MySQL service via MCP
- Composer retrieves and sets DATABASE_URL
- Composer updates your code to use the database

### Composer deployment workflow

- Open Composer with Cmd+K
- Describe your deployment needs
- Cursor generates railway.toml if needed
- Run railway up in integrated terminal

### Debug with Composer

- Ask Composer to check deployment logs
- Cursor runs `railway logs` in terminal
- Composer analyzes errors and suggests fixes
- Apply fixes and redeploy

### MCP-powered deployment

- Configure Railway MCP server in settings
- Ask Cursor to deploy via MCP
- Cursor uses native Railway API access
- Monitor deployment through MCP responses

## Tips for success

- Configure the Railway MCP server for native Railway integration
- Or install from the Cursor Marketplace: /add-plugin railway
- Use Composer to generate Railway configurations
- Index your codebase for better context

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I give Cursor access to Railway for deployments?

Add the Railway MCP server to .cursor/mcp.json: {"mcpServers": {"railway": {"url": "https://mcp.railway.com"}}}. This gives Cursor native Railway API access via OAuth.

### Can Cursor deploy to Railway without leaving the IDE?

Yes! With the MCP server configured, ask Composer to deploy your project. Cursor handles authentication, deployment, and shows you the deployment URL.

### How do I troubleshoot Railway build errors in Cursor?

Ask Composer to check your deployment logs. It will fetch logs via the MCP server or CLI, identify the issue, and can fix your code directly.

## Troubleshooting

**Issue:** Railway CLI not found in Cursor terminal

**Solution:** Install Railway CLI globally and restart Cursor to refresh the PATH.

**Issue:** MCP server not connecting

**Solution:** Verify your .cursor/mcp.json configuration. Restart Cursor after making changes to the MCP config.

**Issue:** Composer doesn't understand Railway context

**Solution:** Add railway.toml and Railway docs to your project context. Use @railway.toml in Composer prompts.

## Community resources

- Railway Discord: https://discord.gg/railway
- Railway MCP Server: https://docs.railway.com/ai/remote-mcp-server
- Cursor Docs: https://docs.cursor.com

## Related agents

- [Pi](https://railway.com/agents/pi) — Minimal, extensible open-source coding agent in your terminal. Bring any of 15+ LLM providers.
- [GitHub Copilot](https://railway.com/agents/copilot) — AI pair programmer with agent mode. Workspace agent understands your entire project.
- [Grok Build](https://railway.com/agents/grok) — xAI's terminal coding agent. Plan Mode, parallel subagents, and native MCP.

Open this page in a browser: https://railway.com/agents/cursor