Adding the Zillapi Zillow MCP server to the Cursor editor for property lookups, Zestimates, and listing search inside the Agent
Wire the Zillapi MCP server into Cursor and query Zillow data from the Agent.

Connect Cursor’s Agent to live Zillow property data in two minutes. Get a free Zillapi key (100 credits, no card required), add one entry under Features → MCP, and the Agent gets property lookups, Zestimates, and listing search inside Cmd+L. No terminal. No code change. No SDK.

This guide is the exact settings path, the JSON config shape, the cache pitfall, and the prompts to confirm it works.

How the Cursor Agent reaches Zillow data: a prompt triggers a tool call over streamable-http to the Zillapi MCP server, which returns JSON that renders inline in the editor
One prompt becomes a tool call, then JSON back inside the editor.

Step 1: Get a Zillapi API key

Sign up at zillapi.com/signup. 100 free credits, no card. Your key looks like zk_..., so copy it from the dashboard.

Step 2: Open Cursor’s MCP settings

Cmd+Shift+J on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+J on Windows opens the Cursor settings panel.

Navigate to Features → MCP. You’ll see any existing MCP servers and a button to add a new one.

Step 3: Add the Zillapi server

Click Add new MCP server and fill in:

  • Name: zillapi
  • Transport: streamable-http
  • URL: https://api.zillapi.com/mcp
  • Headers: Authorization = Bearer zk_YOUR_KEY

Replace zk_YOUR_KEY with the value from your dashboard. Save.

Cursor stores this in one of two places depending on what you pick:

  • Global → ~/.cursor/mcp.json
  • Project → .cursor/mcp.json in the workspace root (commit this if you want teammates to inherit)

The raw JSON shape, in case you’d rather edit by hand:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zillapi": {
      "transport": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://api.zillapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer zk_YOUR_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor supports two kinds of MCP server. Zillapi is the remote kind, which is why there is no binary to install and no command to run.

Comparison of local stdio and remote streamable-http MCP transports in Cursor, showing the remote transport used by Zillapi needs no install and runs over HTTPS with a bearer token
Local stdio runs a subprocess; the remote transport is just an HTTPS call.

Step 4: Confirm and test

Open the Cursor Agent with Cmd+L (or Ctrl+L on Windows). Look in the available-tools tray. You should see zillapi listed with four tools:

  • lookup_property_by_address
  • lookup_property_by_zpid
  • get_zestimate
  • search_listings

Test with a prompt:

  • “What’s the Zestimate on 17 Zelma Dr, Greenville SC?”
  • “Find for-rent listings under $2,500 in Brooklyn NY.”
  • “Pull the full record for zpid 12345678.”

The Agent picks the right tool, calls the Zillapi MCP server, and shows the result inline.

Those four steps, start to finish, look like this.

Four numbered steps to add the Zillow MCP server in Cursor: get a Zillapi key, open the MCP settings, add the streamable-http server with a bearer token, then restart the Agent and confirm four tools appear
From signup to a working tool call in about two minutes.

Troubleshooting

The server appears in settings but no tools show up in the Agent. Cursor caches the tool list per session. Close the Cmd+L pane and reopen it. If still missing, restart Cursor entirely.

The Agent says it called the tool but got 401 Unauthorized. The Authorization header is missing the Bearer prefix or has a typo in the key. Open settings, edit the server, and make sure the value is exactly Bearer followed by your zk_ key.

The settings panel doesn’t have a “Features → MCP” section. Update Cursor. MCP support landed in 0.42 and got the dedicated UI in 0.45. Check Cursor → About.

Calls return 429 Too Many Requests. Free tier is 20 calls/min. Wait a minute, retry, or upgrade. Cursor will sometimes batch tool calls during long agent runs, which spikes the rate. Monthly ($5/mo, 200/min) handles that comfortably.

You hit a calls return 402 Payment Required mid-session. You’re out of credits. Top up at $4 per 1,000 on Monthly, $3 per 1,000 on Annual. Free tier does not support top-ups, so upgrade first.

Troubleshooting the Zillow MCP server in Cursor by symptom, mapping no tools showing, a 401 unauthorized, a 429 rate limit, and a 402 payment required to their cause and fix
Match the symptom to its cause, then jump straight to the fix.

What this unlocks inside Cursor

Once zillapi is wired up, every Cursor session (Agent, Composer, and Chat) can pull Zillow data on demand. A few patterns that work well:

  • Scaffolding a real-estate app: paste a Zillow URL, ask Cursor to scaffold a property card component using the actual response shape.
  • Test data generation: ask Cursor to pull 10 real listings in your area and seed your dev database from the response.
  • API exploration: ask “what does the response from lookup_property_by_zpid look like?” and Cursor calls the tool with a sample zpid and shows you live JSON instead of out-of-date docs.
  • Comparable sales scripts: have Cursor write a Python script that loops over sold listings and computes price-per-sqft averages.

Each pattern leans on the same four tools the Agent sees once the server is connected. Here is what each one returns and what it costs.

The four Zillapi MCP tools the Cursor Agent can call, mapping lookup by address, lookup by zpid, get zestimate, and search listings to the data each returns and its credit cost
One credit per successful call; search listings counts one per listing.

The same Zillapi key works in Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT, and the open-source skills repo. One key, every agent.

Don’t have a key yet? Sign up free at zillapi.com/signup for 100 credits, no card required. Paid plans start at $5/month if you outgrow it.