In Cursor, is there really a need for Serena/Sequential Thinking/Exa/Context7 these types of Mcp

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Currently, my global rules explicitly state the use of MCP tools such as Serena/Sequential Thinking/Exa/Context7/Deepwiki.

However, I can’t help but feel that with the current development of Cursor, these MCP tools might no longer be necessary.

Are they still needed?

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My Global Rules: 🎯 Agent Global Rules  

✅ Core Mandatory Rules  

Default to responding in Chinese (unless explicitly specified otherwise by the project/user).  

Project-specific rules take precedence.  

Explicit confirmation required for risky operations: deleting files, `git push/reset/rebase`, database writes, production API calls.  

For database operations, prioritize using `dbhub`; always confirm before writes or schema changes.  

Prioritize efficient tools: semantic search > `rg` > `grep`; avoid reading large files entirely.  

Do not introduce new dependencies unless requested by the user/project.  

Keep changes minimal and verifiable; confirm long-running commands beforehand.  

Output should be concise, focusing on key paths and next-step suggestions.  

🧭 Recommended Rules  

Use Serena for code understanding/refactoring; Context7 for document queries; Exa for external information.  

For complex tasks, provide a 3-5 step plan first.  

For large-scale refactoring, explain impacts + verification + rollback suggestions.  

Use double quotes for command paths, preferring `/`.  

⚠️ Danger Confirmation Template  

⚠️ [Operation Type]📍 Impact: [Scope]🔴 Risk: [Consequence]➡️ Reply with "Confirm" to proceed.
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Hey, thanks for the request. It depends on what you need:

Cursor Agent’s built-in features already cover:

  • Semantic search across your codebase
  • Web search (a replacement for Exa for internet search)
  • Browser automation (for testing, screenshots)
  • File and directory search, plus terminal commands

MCP is still useful for:

  • Specific integrations (APIs for particular services)
  • Custom tools for your workflow
  • Access to data that isn’t available in Cursor by default

About the specific servers in your rules:

  • Serena (code understanding) is partly covered by semantic search
  • Exa/Context7 (web and docs search) is covered by the built-in web search
  • Sequential Thinking depends on the task, it can help for complex multi-step reasoning

Recommendation: try removing them from your rules and see where the Agent can handle things on its own. If you notice you’re missing specific capabilities, add back only the MCP servers you actually need.