Cursor + Kanban
Cursor Kanban
A task board the Cursor agent can actually use. You plan the work. Cursor pulls tasks over MCP and moves them across columns as it ships.
Why Cursor needs a kanban board
Cursor reads the board
Over MCP, the Cursor agent can snapshot columns, create tasks, and move cards. You stay in the editor. The backlog is not a sticky note in chat.
You keep the plan
You decide what is next. Cursor pulls from To Do. It does not invent the roadmap. In Review is your gate between “the agent thinks it’s done” and “you agree.”
Same board on Mac
Keep Kanboard in a native macOS window next to Cursor, or in a browser tab. The cards are the same ones the agent is moving.
Keyboard-first for you
Vim-style H/J/K/L, N to capture a task, Cmd+K for the command palette. Capture work as fast as you can describe it to Cursor.
How Cursor works the board
Cursor already has the repo open. What it lacks, unless you give it one, is a durable queue. A Cursor kanban setup makes the top card in To Do the next unit of work. The agent calls get_board, claims the card with move_task, and updates it when the change is ready for you.
Persist that protocol in .cursor/rules (or AGENTS.md if you prefer a plain markdown file). Check Kanboard, take the top To Do task, move it to In Progress before writing code, and leave finished work in In Review.
Set up Cursor kanban in a few minutes
Create a board and an API key
Sign in, create a project (To Do, In Progress, In Review, Done), and generate an API key under Settings → Integrations. Copy the key. It is shown once.
Add Kanboard to Cursor
Global config is ~/.cursor/mcp.json. Project config is .cursor/mcp.json. You can write ${env:KANBOARD_API_KEY} instead of inlining the key.
~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (project)
{
"mcpServers": {
"kanboard": {
"url": "https://kanboard.io/api/mcp",
"headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
}
}
}Verify the connection
Open Cursor Settings → MCP. kanboard should show a green status dot and its tool list. If it does not connect, open the Output panel and pick MCP Logs. Then ask the agent to list your Kanboard projects.
Add a project rule
Save this as .cursor/rules/kanboard.mdc so the agent pulls from the board by default.
---
description: Pull work from the Kanboard MCP board
alwaysApply: true
---
Before you start work, call get_board and pick the top task in To Do.
Move that task to In Progress before writing code.
When you finish, move it to In Review (not Done).
File newly discovered work as new To Do cards.Prompts that work well
- “Pick up the top task in To Do.”
- “Break this feature into tasks and add them to my board.”
- “Move everything you finished today to In Review.”
Quirks, auto-run, and the full tool list live on the Cursor MCP setup page. Also using Claude Code or Codex? Same board, different config.
An editor, plus a board you can see
Cursor is where the code changes. Kanboard is the queue: a hosted AI agent board the agent updates while you watch. On a Mac, put the macOS kanban app next to Cursor. Download for macOS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Cursor kanban board?+
It is a shared task board the Cursor agent can read and update. You plan work in Kanboard. Cursor pulls the next task over MCP, moves it to In Progress, and parks it in In Review or Done when it ships.
How do I connect Cursor to Kanboard?+
Create an API key in Settings → Integrations, then add a kanboard entry to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (project). Cursor connects over Streamable HTTP with an Authorization header. Nothing extra to install.
Where do I put standing instructions for Cursor?+
Use a project rule in .cursor/rules (a .mdc file with alwaysApply: true), or a repo AGENTS.md. Cursor does not use CLAUDE.md for this.
Can I keep the API key out of mcp.json?+
Yes. Write ${env:KANBOARD_API_KEY} instead of the literal key. The variable must exist in the environment Cursor was launched from.
How much does Cursor kanban access cost?+
Kanboard Pro is $12/month and includes the board, the MCP server, REST API keys, unlimited projects and tasks, and the Mac app. Agents do not need their own seats.
Broader agent workflow: kanban for AI agents.
Give Cursor a board to pull from
One Pro plan covers you, Cursor, and every other agent you connect.