Setup guide

Use Public Signal in Cursor

Research Instagram creators without leaving your editor.

Add to Cursor

Opens the Cursor app to confirm, then signs you in through the browser. If it doesn't open, use the manual setup in step 2.

https://publicsignallabs.com/mcp

This address is public and is not a secret. You never need to open it in a browser: your app pastes it in during setup.

Before you start

For Cursor users on a computer where Cursor is installed.

• Cursor installed and signed in on your computer. Phone and tablet setups are not covered.
• A browser that can open Cursor links, for the one-click route below.
• A Public Signal account whose credits you want research to use.
• Company devices may restrict outside MCP servers. If your organization blocks them, ask your administrator or use the hosted agent.

Effort: About 5 minutes. Take it one step at a time; nothing here runs research or spends credits until you send the first request yourself.

Steps

1. 1. Add Public Signal to Cursor

   Select Add to Cursor at the top of this guide. Your browser asks permission to open Cursor: allow it. Cursor offers to install a server named public-signal with our connection address.

   Confirm the installation inside Cursor. The install link carries only the public connection address: no account, token, or secret.

   You should now see: Cursor lists public-signal among your MCP servers.

2. 2. Sign in to Public Signal and approve access

   Cursor opens a browser sign-in. Use the Public Signal account whose credits you want to use, review the access request, and approve it. Your password is not shared with Cursor.

   Manual fallback: open ~/.cursor/mcp.json in a text editor and add the configuration below. If mcpServers already exists, add only its public-signal entry alongside your other servers; do not replace the file. Save it, then open Cursor's Customize settings, find the server under Available Tools, and complete its sign-in.

   Cursor configuration

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "public-signal": {
         "url": "https://publicsignallabs.com/mcp"
       }
     }
   }

   You should now see: Cursor shows the public-signal server as authenticated.

3. 3. Check the tools, then try one lookup

   Confirm Public Signal's tools appear in Cursor's MCP or agent tools list and the server is enabled. Then send the bounded first request from this guide when you are ready. Live research uses your Public Signal credits.

   You should now see: You receive a short profile summary with a source link.

Your first request

Copy the request below and send it in your app when you are ready. It asks for exactly one profile, so you can confirm the connection without starting a large search. Running it uses Public Signal credits, and your app may have its own usage charges.

Using Public Signal, look up the public Instagram profile @natgeo. Summarize its bio and follower count, and include its profile link. Use only one profile lookup; do not fetch follower lists or expand the research.

Keep it switched on

• Keep the public-signal server enabled in Cursor's MCP settings so agent sessions can reach it.
• If a session cannot see the tools, start a new session rather than re-adding the server.

Next, bring your own campaign brief and ask for a small evidence-backed shortlist. Build your first creator shortlist walks through that.

If something goes wrong

• The button did not open Cursor: Make sure the Cursor desktop app is installed and try again, allowing the browser's Open app prompt. Otherwise use the manual setup in step 2: the result is identical.
• My organization blocks the server: Some Cursor enterprise policies restrict MCP servers. Ask your administrator whether outside servers are allowed, or research in your Public Signal workspace instead.
• It keeps asking me to sign in: Finish approval in the same browser where you are signed in to Public Signal, using the account whose credits you want, then return to Cursor.
• I connected it, but nothing happens: Confirm the server is enabled and its tools are listed in the current session. Disabled servers and stale sessions are the usual cause.

Still stuck? Get connection help covers the common cases across every app, or write to support@publicsignallabs.com.

Remove the connection

• In Cursor's MCP settings, disable or delete the public-signal server.
• Use any available logout or clear-authentication control as well. Removing configuration alone does not establish revocation; contact support if needed. Disconnecting does not restore used credits.

Good to know

• Signing in lets your app use Public Signal on your behalf. Your Public Signal password is not shared with the app.
• Research uses your Public Signal credits. Your AI app may have its own plan or usage charges, and hosted-agent chats also consume credits for model inference.
• Public Signal uses browser sign-in, not API keys or manually pasted access tokens. Use automatic registration where offered; do not invent a client ID or secret.
• Prefer to skip setup entirely? Open the agent and research here instead.