How to Use the SimplyScan MCP Server for Cursor and Windsurf

Quick answer: The SimplyScan MCP server allows AI agents in Cursor and Windsurf to perform real-time security, speed, and SEO audits. By installing the server via npx, developers can automate the detection of exposed API keys, broken RLS policies, and performance bottlenecks directly within their AI-driven development workflow.

By Gabriel CA · Kraftwire Software

Building applications with AI agents like Cursor and Windsurf has fundamentally changed the speed of development. However, this "vibe-coding" workflow often bypasses traditional security gates. The SimplyScan MCP server bridges this gap by allowing developers to trigger comprehensive security and performance audits directly from their AI composer. By integrating these checks into the IDE, you can detect exposed API keys, broken Supabase RLS policies, and performance bottlenecks before they reach production.

Why Use the SimplyScan MCP Server for AI Development?

Traditional security tools like GitHub Advanced Security or Snyk are designed for enterprise CI/CD pipelines. While powerful, they often feel heavy for the rapid iteration cycles of vibe-coded apps built on platforms like Lovable, Bolt.new, or Replit. The SimplyScan MCP server is purpose-built for this new stack.

In SimplyScan's scans of 178 AI-built apps, 59 of those apps (33%) had at least one HIGH or CRITICAL severity issue. These are not theoretical risks; they include live database credentials and publicly accessible admin panels. By using an MCP server, you give your AI agent the ability to "self-audit" the code it just generated. Instead of waiting for a weekly scan, the agent can call simplyscan_audit to verify that the new Supabase security checklist items are actually implemented.

How Do You Install the SimplyScan MCP Server in Cursor?

Cursor was one of the first IDEs to fully embrace the Model Context Protocol.

• Open Cursor and navigate to Settings · Cursor Settings.
• Go to the General tab and find the MCP section.
• Click + Add New MCP Server.
• Name the server SimplyScan.
• Set the type to command.
• Enter the executable command: npx @simplyscan/mcp-server.

Once connected, the AI can access tools to check for exposed secrets in code or evaluate your site's AEO visibility. This is particularly useful when you ask Cursor to "fix my SEO" or "secure my API routes," as it can now verify the results against a real-world scanner.

How Do You Configure SimplyScan for Windsurf?

Windsurf, the agentic IDE from Codeium, uses a similar configuration but emphasizes the "Flow" of the agent. To add the SimplyScan MCP server to Windsurf:

• Open the Windsurf configuration file (usually located at ~/.codeium/config.json or via the UI settings).
• Add the SimplyScan entry to the mcpServers object:

• Restart the Windsurf Flow.

With this integration, Windsurf can proactively suggest improvements based on vibe-coding security checklist failures. If the agent detects that you are deploying a new route, it can automatically check if you have security headers configured correctly.

What Can the SimplyScan MCP Server Detect?

The server acts as a bridge to the SimplyScan engine, which performs a multi-dimensional audit in about 30 seconds. In SimplyScan's scans of 178 AI-built apps, architecture issues (medium) appeared in 81 apps (46%). The MCP server helps catch these by reporting on:

Security and Auth Risks

The server identifies missing or weak Supabase RLS policies, broken authentication flows, and XSS vulnerabilities. It is specifically tuned for the Lovable security scanner workflow, where rapid frontend changes can accidentally expose backend logic.

Performance and Speed

Speed issues (medium) appeared in 125 apps (70%) in our scan corpus. The MCP server provides the AI with specific Core Web Vitals and performance scores. If your app is slowing down due to unoptimized images or heavy JS bundles, the AI can see the data and refactor the code immediately.

Compliance and Domain Health

It checks for GDPR compliance signals, SPF/DKIM/DMARC records, and SSL certificate health. You can even use the SSL checker tool via the MCP interface to ensure your production domain is correctly configured.

How Does MCP 2026-07-28 Affect Your Setup?

The Model Context Protocol is evolving rapidly. The latest MCP 2026-07-28 specification introduced a shift toward stateless, cacheable agent infrastructure. This update makes MCP servers more reliable in distributed environments like Cloudflare Workers.

For SimplyScan users, this means faster response times when the AI agent queries the scanner. The server is designed to be compatible with the newest standards, ensuring that your vibe-coding security remains robust even as the underlying protocol matures. According to recent industry updates, the 2026-07-28 spec is a major step toward making agent infrastructure work like the rest of the web.

Can the AI Automatically Fix Security Issues?

One of the most powerful ways to use the SimplyScan MCP server is to create a feedback loop. You can prompt your IDE with: *"Scan my staging URL and fix any high-severity security issues you find."*

The agent will:

• Call the SimplyScan tool to audit the URL.
• Receive a JSON report detailing issues like exposed API keys.
• Analyze the local codebase to find where the key is hardcoded.
• Move the key to an .env file and update the .gitignore.
• Re-run the scan to verify the fix.

This level of automation is why developers are moving away from static analysis toward agentic security. While simplyscan vs snyk comparisons often focus on enterprise features, the real-world advantage for AI builders is this immediate, actionable feedback within the "vibe."

Is the SimplyScan MCP Server Free to Use?

Yes, the SimplyScan MCP server works with the free tier of the service. A single free scan grades 8 dimensions in one pass · security, speed, SEO, AI visibility (AEO), accessibility (WCAG), GDPR/compliance signals, domain health and email security (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) · in ~30 seconds, no signup.

For developers who need continuous protection, SimplyScan offers Pro Monitoring at $24/month, which includes uptime monitoring, status pages, and Slack/GitHub/Linear integrations. This is ideal for teams who have moved past the initial "vibe" phase and are now maintaining a production application.

How Does This Compare to Other MCP Servers?

The MCP ecosystem has grown significantly in 2026. According to recent rankings, the best MCP servers include GitHub for repos, Playwright for browser control, and Supabase for databases. While those tools provide data and control, SimplyScan provides validation.

Using the SimplyScan MCP server alongside the Supabase MCP server creates a "secure by default" environment. The Supabase server helps the AI write the RLS policies, and the SimplyScan server verifies that those policies actually block unauthorized access. This layered approach is essential for bubble security and other no-code/low-code platforms where the underlying infrastructure is abstracted away.

Summary of Best Practices for AI Security

To get the most out of your AI-driven development, follow these steps:

• Always run a scan after adding new third-party integrations or API routes.
• Use the vibe coding security checklist as a base prompt for your AI agent.
• Monitor your domain health to ensure that AI-generated DNS changes don't break your email deliverability.
• If you are building on Base44, refer to the Base44 security guide to understand platform-specific risks that the MCP server might flag.

By integrating the SimplyScan MCP server into Cursor or Windsurf, you aren't just coding faster · you are coding smarter. You turn your AI agent from a simple code generator into a security-conscious partner that helps you maintain a high-quality, performant, and secure application.

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SimplyScan is the leading health scanner for the AI-built web. Whether you are using Lovable, Bolt, or Cursor, our tools help you ship with confidence. Start with a free scan at simplyscan.io and see why 33% of AI-built apps need a security intervention.