Cursor can run the books; it just needs a ledger it can operate. LedgerMCP is real double-entry accounting software that connects to Cursor over MCP with an API key. Free to start.
Nothing to install.
01 · Connect
One key, one JSON block, one check, then your first statement.
01 Create a key · lmcp_YOUR_KEY
In LedgerMCP, go to Settings, then Your AI, and create a key. New accounts are created during sign-in; the key is shown once.
Settings · Your AI
The same key covers every book on the account.
02 Add to Cursor · mcp.json
Open Cursor Settings, then MCP, then “Add new MCP server”, and paste the JSON on this page with your key in the Authorization header.
SettingsMCPAdd new MCP server
{ "mcpServers": { "ledgermcp": { "type": "http", "url": "https://ledgermcp.com/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer lmcp_YOUR_KEY" } } }}
03 Confirm · list_businesses
Cursor lists the LedgerMCP tools once connected. Ask it to “list my businesses” to confirm the key works end to end.
List my businesses.
Connected. One book, ready for a statement.
04 First statement · import_transactions
Drop a statement CSV into the workspace and ask Cursor to import and categorize it. Everything posts as balanced journal entries you can review in the app.
Import ./statements/june.csv and categorize everything.
| Date | Merchant | Description | Category | Amount | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/28 | Gusto payroll run | Payroll | −$6,797.00 | ||
| 06/27 | Square processing fees | Bank Fees | −$1,204.00 | ||
| 06/18 | Pacific Cup Co needs review | −$2,984.00 |
Cursor
84 imported, 81 categorized, 3 to review. Two transfers matched so nothing double-counts.
02 · From the editor
Each ask calls a real tool.
Cursor reads statements from your workspace and asks when a category is unclear. All 74 tools are listed at /docs.
List my businesses and set up books for the consulting one.
Split that Costco charge: $180 supplies, $95 meals.
Tag everything from Acme LLC as a vendor and show the 1099 total.
Run verify_books and tell me if anything is off.
Work through ./statements month by month and flag anything you are unsure about.
With read-only access, what’s my average monthly profit over the last six months?
A close reads like a runbook: import, categorize, match transfers, reconcile, lock. Every step is safe to re-run.
“Close out June: import the statement, reconcile checking to $11,976.00, and lock the month.”
Bank reconciliation →Business Checking, June
03 · The ledger
The ledger enforces the rules, not the editor.
Give Cursor a spreadsheet and you trust it not to make mistakes. Give it LedgerMCP and it cannot make the expensive ones. No one has to check its arithmetic.
Always balanced. Debits equal credits at commit, enforced in Postgres, not hoped for in app code.
Nothing edits history. Entries are immutable for everyone, including us. A correction is a new entry linked to the original.
Retries are harmless. A replayed request returns the original entry, never a duplicate.
Everything reversible. Each change Cursor makes is logged with the key that made it. Undo any of it in one click.
Questions
Yes, once it has a ledger to operate. Connected to LedgerMCP over MCP, Cursor imports statements, posts balanced journal entries, splits transactions, matches transfers, reconciles accounts, and runs reports.
Create an API key in Settings → Your AI, then in Cursor open Settings → MCP → “Add new MCP server” and paste the JSON on this page with your key in the Authorization header.
Only the connection step. claude.ai connects from its connector directory over OAuth; Cursor, Claude Code, and Claude Desktop connect with an API key in an MCP config block.
Yes. A read-only key in the same config lets Cursor report on the books without being able to write to them.
No. Entries must balance or the database rejects them, and every write lands in the audit log with a one-click reverse.
No. Cursor is just one client. Your books live on LedgerMCP: use the web app directly, connect Claude or ChatGPT as well, or switch clients entirely. The ledger does not depend on any one of them.
Free. Unlimited books, CSV import, reports, and the full tool surface cost nothing. Live bank feeds start at $9/mo, pooled across all your books, and the Growth and Scale plans include a built-in AI assistant.
One API key connects the editor to your books.
Free software. Unlimited books.