Internet Archive MCP Server for Cursor 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
Cursor is an AI-first code editor built on VS Code that integrates LLM-powered coding assistance directly into the development workflow. Its Agent mode enables autonomous multi-step coding tasks, and MCP support lets agents access external data sources and APIs during code generation.
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{
"mcpServers": {
"internet-archive": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About Internet Archive MCP Server
Connect the Internet Archive to any AI agent and access the world's largest digital library — 40M+ books, videos, audio recordings, software, images, and archived web pages — plus the Wayback Machine for historical website snapshots, all through natural conversation.
Cursor's Agent mode turns Internet Archive into an in-editor superpower. Ask Cursor to generate code using live data from Internet Archive and it fetches, processes, and writes. all in a single agentic loop. 10 tools appear alongside file editing and terminal access, creating a unified development environment grounded in real-time information.
What you can do
- Universal Search — Search across the entire Internet Archive collection for books, films, music, software, images, and web pages with complex query syntax
- Collection Browsing — Explore curated collections like Prelinger Archives, Project Gutenberg, NASA images, TV news, and more
- Media Type Filtering — Search specifically for texts, movies, audio, software, images, or datasets
- Creator Search — Find all works by a specific author, director, musician, or organization
- Historical Date Range — Discover content from specific decades or year ranges
- Item Metadata — Get complete details for any item including description, subjects, collections, file formats, and download links
- File Listings — See all downloadable files for an item with formats (PDF, EPUB, MP4, MP3) and sizes
- User Reviews — Read community reviews and ratings for archived items
- Wayback Machine — Check if any URL has been archived and find the closest snapshot date
- View Statistics — Track popularity and access counts for archived items
The Internet Archive MCP Server exposes 10 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Cursor in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect Internet Archive to Cursor via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the Internet Archive MCP Server with Cursor.
Open MCP Settings
Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) → search "MCP Settings"
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above into the mcp.json file that opens
Save the file
Cursor will automatically detect the new MCP server
Start using Internet Archive
Open Agent mode in chat and ask: "Using Internet Archive, help me...". 10 tools available
Why Use Cursor with the Internet Archive MCP Server
Cursor AI Code Editor provides unique advantages when paired with Internet Archive through the Model Context Protocol.
Agent mode turns Cursor into an autonomous coding assistant that can read files, run commands, and call MCP tools without switching context
Cursor's Composer feature can generate entire files using real-time data fetched through MCP. no copy-pasting from external dashboards
MCP tools appear alongside built-in tools like file reading and terminal access, creating a unified agentic environment
VS Code extension compatibility means your existing workflow, keybindings, and extensions all work alongside MCP tools
Internet Archive + Cursor Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Cursor combined with the Internet Archive MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Code generation with live data: ask Cursor to generate a security report module using live DNS and subdomain data fetched through MCP
Automated documentation: have Cursor query your API's tool schemas and generate TypeScript interfaces or OpenAPI specs automatically
Infrastructure-as-code: Cursor can fetch domain configurations and generate corresponding Terraform or CloudFormation templates
Test scaffolding: ask Cursor to pull real API responses via MCP and generate unit test fixtures from actual data
Internet Archive MCP Tools for Cursor (10)
These 10 tools become available when you connect Internet Archive to Cursor via MCP:
get_item_files
Items may contain multiple files in various formats (PDF, EPUB, MP4, MP3, JPEG, etc.). The identifier is the unique item ID from search results or the item URL. Use this to see what formats are available for download. Files can be downloaded from: https://archive.org/download/{identifier}/{filename} Get the file listing for a specific Internet Archive item
get_item_metadata
Returns: title, creator, date, description, subjects, collection(s), publisher, language, license, download stats, reviews, and complete file listing with formats and sizes. The identifier is obtained from search results or can be found in the item URL (e.g., from https://archive.org/details/big_buck_bunny, the identifier is "big_buck_bunny"). Use this to get comprehensive information about a specific item before downloading or citing it. Get complete metadata and details for a specific Internet Archive item
get_item_reviews
Each review includes reviewer name, star rating, review text, and submission date. Use this to understand community reception and quality assessment of items. Not all items have reviews — community items tend to have more user feedback. Get user reviews for a specific Internet Archive item
get_views_stats
Returns total views and, when available, daily view counts and geographic breakdown. Use this to measure the popularity and reach of archived content. The identifier is the unique item ID from search results or the item URL. Get view count statistics for an Internet Archive item
search
The query parameter supports complex search syntax: AND, OR, NOT, wildcards (*), phrase matching ("..."), and field-specific searches (title:"X", subject:"Y"). Returns item identifiers, titles, media types, creators, dates, and collection info. Use this for broad searches across all media types. Optional fields parameter specifies which fields to return (comma-separated: "identifier,title,mediatype,creator,date,collection"). Default returns 25 rows; use rows to get up to 100 per page. Use page for pagination. Sort options: "date desc", "date asc", "title asc", "title desc", "creator asc", "downloads desc". Example queries: "moon landing", "subject:world war 2", "collection:prelinger". Search the Internet Archive for books, videos, audio, software, images, and more
search_by_collection
Common collections: "prelinger" (Prelinger Archives), "fedflix" (Federal government films), "gutenberg" (Project Gutenberg ebooks), "opensource_movies" (community films), "netlabels" (netlabel music), "softwarelibrary" (classic software), "tv" (TV news archive), "pubmed" (medical journal articles), "nasa" (NASA images and videos), "americanlibraries" (library collections). Returns items within that collection with their identifiers, titles, and metadata. Use this to browse or search within curated collections. Search for items in a specific Internet Archive collection
search_by_creator
The creator name should match how it appears in the item metadata (may be full name or organization name). Use this to find the complete works of an author, all films by a director, or all content from an organization. Example creators: "George Orwell", "Charlie Chaplin", "NASA", "Project Gutenberg". Search for items created by a specific person or organization
search_by_date_range
Combines a search query with year filtering to find historical content from a specific era. Use this to find content from specific decades or periods. Example: query="science fiction", startYear="1950", endYear="1959" finds 1950s sci-fi. The query parameter can be any valid search term. Years should be 4-digit format. Search for items within a specific year range
search_by_mediatype
Media types include: "texts" (books, articles, documents), "movies" (films, videos, TV clips), "audio" (music, podcasts, radio, audiobooks), "software" (classic PC games, applications), "image" (photos, artwork, maps), "dataset" (data files), "web" (web pages). Use this when you want to find only items of a specific format. Example: mediatype="movies" returns only video content. Search for items of a specific media type in the Internet Archive
wayback_availability
Returns the closest (most recent) archived snapshot with its timestamp and availability status. Use this to find archived versions of websites, verify if a page is preserved, or get the date of the most recent snapshot. The archived URL can be accessed at: https://web.archive.org/web/{timestamp}/{original_url}. Example: For https://example.com, returns the closest archived snapshot date and URL. Check if a URL has been archived by the Wayback Machine and find available snapshots
Example Prompts for Internet Archive in Cursor
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Cursor agent to start working with Internet Archive immediately.
"Search for public domain films from the 1940s."
"Check if https://example.com has been archived."
"Show me all NASA images available."
Troubleshooting Internet Archive MCP Server with Cursor
Common issues when connecting Internet Archive to Cursor through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Tools not appearing in Cursor
Server shows as disconnected
Internet Archive + Cursor FAQ
Common questions about integrating Internet Archive MCP Server with Cursor.
What is Agent mode and why does it matter for MCP?
Where does Cursor store MCP configuration?
mcp.json file. You can configure servers at the project level (.cursor/mcp.json in your project root) or globally (~/.cursor/mcp.json). Project-level configs take precedence.Can Cursor use MCP tools in inline edits?
How do I verify MCP tools are loaded?
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Connect Internet Archive to Cursor
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 10 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.