Cursor

Cursor supports two connection methods: Skills (ZIP install) and MCP (via the Cursor MCP config). Skills drive the gen-ai CLI on your machine. MCP connects Cursor to the hosted Picsart MCP server at https://api.picsart.com/gen-ai/mcp, with nothing to install locally.

Prerequisites

1. A Picsart account with credits for generations.
2. A recent version of Cursor with support for remote MCP servers and OAuth sign-in.

That is all for MCP: the server is hosted by Picsart and you sign in from Cursor. You do not need the gen-ai CLI or gen-ai login. Those are needed only for the Skills method.

Method 1: Skills (recommended)

Skills need the gen-ai CLI

Skills run the gen-ai CLI on your machine. Before adding a skill, install the CLI and run gen-ai login once. Check with gen-ai --version and gen-ai credits. The MCP method does not need this.

Install

1. Download the skill ZIP from picsart.com/gen-ai-skills.
2. In Cursor, open Settings and go to the rules or skills directory.
3. Place the unzipped skill folder there.
4. Restart Cursor.

Alternatively, install via npx if your Cursor version supports it:

npx skills add PicsArt/gen-ai-skills

Use it

Ask in plain English in any Cursor conversation or agent panel:

• "Generate a product shot on a white background using Recraft V4."
• "Create a 9:16 teaser video from this image with Wan 2.7."
• "Generate 4 banner variants for this campaign brief in 16:9."

Cursor picks the skill, runs the gen-ai command, and returns the result.

Method 2: MCP

MCP gives Cursor direct access to every Picsart tool, including pricing, validation, and Drive operations. See the Cursor MCP documentation linked above for general MCP setup options.

Configure

Add the Picsart server to a Cursor MCP config file. Use .cursor/mcp.json in your project for one project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json to make it available in every project:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "picsart-gen-ai": {
      "url": "https://api.picsart.com/gen-ai/mcp"
    }
  }
}

No API key or headers are needed. Save the file.

Sign in to Picsart

1. Open the MCP server list in Cursor (the Customize page, or the MCP section of Cursor Settings in older versions).
2. Find picsart-gen-ai. If it asks for authentication, click its sign-in or connect action.
3. A browser window opens on the Picsart sign-in page. Sign in with your Picsart account.
4. Return to Cursor. The server shows its tools once sign-in completes.

Verify the connection

In Cursor's agent panel, ask:

"List available Picsart image models."

Cursor should call picsart_model_catalog or picsart_list_models and return results. If it does not, see Troubleshooting.

Use it

• "Quote the cost of a Seedance 2.0 video at 1080p, 8 seconds."
• "Generate a hero image with Flux 2 Pro and save it to Drive."
• "Remove the background from this image URL and return the result."

See the MCP Quickstart for the full tool list.

Troubleshooting

The skill cannot find gen-ai.

This affects the Skills method only. The CLI is not on Cursor's PATH. Run gen-ai --version in a terminal to confirm it is installed, then restart Cursor.

The sign-in window did not open.

Open the MCP server list, find picsart-gen-ai, and start sign-in again. You can also toggle the server off and on to trigger a new sign-in. Check the MCP logs (Output panel, MCP channel) for the error.

The MCP server is listed but tools do not appear.

Confirm you finished signing in. Then toggle the server off and on, or restart Cursor, so it reloads the tool list. Check that mcp.json is valid JSON with no trailing commas.

Generation fails with "unauthorized".

Your Picsart session has expired or was revoked. Sign in again from the picsart-gen-ai entry in Cursor's MCP server list.

Generation fails with "insufficient credits".

Ask Cursor "What's my Picsart credit balance?" (it calls picsart_credits). Top up at picsart.com.

The connection fails on a corporate network.

Cursor must reach https://api.picsart.com over HTTPS, and your browser must reach the Picsart sign-in page. Ask your network admin to allow both.

FAQ

Does Cursor's Skills support work the same way as Claude Code's?

The underlying skill format is the same. The install location and how you invoke it may differ slightly by Cursor version. Check Cursor's current skill/rules documentation for the exact directory path.

Do I need the gen-ai CLI for MCP?

No. The MCP server is hosted by Picsart and you sign in from Cursor. The CLI is needed only for the Skills method.

Can I use Skills and MCP at the same time in Cursor?

Yes. They do not conflict. The skill gives Cursor pre-built generation instructions; MCP gives it direct tool access.

Do I need the Cursor Pro plan to use MCP?

MCP support is available in Cursor's agent mode. Check Cursor's plan details for any tier restrictions on agent use.

Start creating

The Picsart MCP server is now connected. Visit the documentation for examples, available models, and prompt ideas.

Ready to generate?

View documentation