Compatible with every major AI agent and IDE
What is the Ably MCP Server?
Connect your Ably account to any AI agent to orchestrate real-time communication infrastructure through natural language. This server provides full access to the Ably REST API for robust pub/sub messaging and presence management.
What you can do
- Messaging — Publish messages to single or multiple channels, retrieve message history, and update or delete existing messages.
- Presence Tracking — Monitor real-time member status and history within specific channels to see who is online.
- Push Notifications — Send direct push notifications to devices or client IDs for mobile and web engagement.
- Channel Management — List active channels, fetch metadata, and monitor usage statistics across your application.
- Security & Tokens — Revoke tokens before expiry to maintain tight control over your real-time infrastructure access.
How it works
- Subscribe to this server
- Enter your Ably API Key
- Start managing your real-time streams from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client
Who is this for?
- Backend Developers — Debug real-time message flows and check channel states directly from the terminal or IDE.
- DevOps Engineers — Monitor application stats and manage API key security without leaving the command line.
- Product Engineers — Test push notification payloads and presence logic during feature development.
Built-in capabilities (14)
Get presence for multiple channels
Publish messages to multiple channels at once
Publish batch push notifications
Get metadata for a specific channel
Get a specific message by serial
Retrieve message history for a channel
Get current presence members for a channel
Get presence history for a channel
Retrieve application usage statistics
Enumerate all active channels
Publish a message to a specific channel
Publish a direct push notification
Requires revocableTokens: true on the API key. Revoke Ably tokens before their expiry
Update, delete, or append to a message
Why Cursor?
Cursor's Agent mode turns Ably into an in-editor superpower. Ask Cursor to generate code using live data from Ably and it fetches, processes, and writes. all in a single agentic loop. 14 tools appear alongside file editing and terminal access, creating a unified development environment grounded in real-time information.
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Agent mode turns Cursor into an autonomous coding assistant that can read files, run commands, and call MCP tools without switching context
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Cursor's Composer feature can generate entire files using real-time data fetched through MCP. no copy-pasting from external dashboards
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MCP tools appear alongside built-in tools like file reading and terminal access, creating a unified agentic environment
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VS Code extension compatibility means your existing workflow, keybindings, and extensions all work alongside MCP tools
Ably in Cursor
Ably and 4,000+ other MCP servers. One platform. One governance layer.
Teams that connect Ably to Cursor through Vinkius don't need to source, host, or maintain individual MCP servers. Every tool call runs inside a hardened runtime with credential isolation, DLP, and a signed audit chain.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Server catalog | Find and host yourself | 4,000+ managed |
| Infrastructure | Self-hosted | Sandboxed V8 isolates |
| Credential handling | Plaintext in config | Vault + runtime injection |
| Data loss prevention | None | Configurable DLP policies |
| Kill switch | None | Global instant shutdown |
| Financial circuit breakers | None | Per-server limits + alerts |
| Audit trail | None | Ed25519 signed logs |
| SIEM log streaming | None | Splunk, Datadog, Webhook |
| Honeytokens | None | Canary alerts on leak |
| Custom domains | Not applicable | DNS challenge verified |
| GDPR compliance | Manual effort | Automated purge + export |
Why teams choose Vinkius for Ably in Cursor
The Ably 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. All 14 tools execute in hardened sandboxes optimized for native MCP execution.
Your AI agents in Cursor only access the data you authorize, with DLP that blocks sensitive information from ever reaching the model, kill switch for instant shutdown, and up to 60% token savings. Enterprise-grade infrastructure, zero maintenance.

* 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
How Vinkius secures
Ably for Cursor
Every tool call from Cursor to the Ably MCP Server is protected by DLP redaction, cryptographic audit chains, V8 sandbox isolation, kill switch, and financial circuit breakers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see who is currently active in a specific channel?
Yes. Use the get_presence tool with the target Channel ID to retrieve a list of all members currently connected and their status.
How do I send a single message to multiple channels at once?
You can use the batch_publish tool. Provide a comma-separated list of channel IDs and the data payload to broadcast to all of them in one request.
Is it possible to retrieve the history of messages sent to a channel?
Absolutely. Use the get_messages tool to fetch the message history for any channel, with options to filter by timestamp or limit the number of results.
What is Agent mode and why does it matter for MCP?
Agent mode is Cursor's autonomous execution mode where the AI can perform multi-step tasks: reading files, editing code, running terminal commands, and calling MCP tools. Without Agent mode, Cursor operates in a simpler ask-and-answer mode that doesn't support tool calling. Always ensure you're in Agent mode when working with MCP servers.
Where does Cursor store MCP configuration?
Cursor looks for MCP server configurations in a 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?
No. MCP tools are only available in Agent mode through the chat panel. Inline completions and Tab suggestions do not trigger MCP tool calls. This is by design. tool calls require user visibility and approval.
How do I verify MCP tools are loaded?
Open Settings → Features → MCP and look for your server name. A green indicator means the server is connected. You can also check Agent mode's available tools by clicking the tools dropdown in the chat panel.
Tools not appearing in Cursor
Ensure you are in Agent mode (not Ask mode). MCP tools only work in Agent mode.
Server shows as disconnected
Check Settings → Features → MCP and verify the server status. Try clicking the refresh button.
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