Build production-ready chat, multiplayer games, live events, auctions, delivery tracking, and collaborative apps using natural language — powered by the Hosted PubNub MCP Server and PubNub AI Skills.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Hosted MCP Server | 16 tools via https://mcp.pubnub.com — pub/sub, presence, history, App Context, Illuminate, Insights, keyset management |
| 22 AI Skills | Domain-specific knowledge covering every major PubNub feature and vertical use case |
| 8 Slash Commands | Ready-to-use prompt templates for the most common realtime use cases |
| Best-Practice Rules | Always-on guidance: no exposed keys, persistent userId, retry logic, TLS |
Install from the Cursor Marketplace — search for PubNub Realtime Development.
On install:
- Cursor loads the plugin and connects to
https://mcp.pubnub.com - You'll be prompted to authenticate with your PubNub account via OAuth
- All 16 MCP tools become available in the Cursor agent
- Skills activate automatically based on what you're building
Skills teach the Cursor agent how to build with PubNub correctly. They activate automatically in Agent Decides mode — no slash commands needed.
| Skill | Invoked when you mention... |
|---|---|
pubnub-app-developer |
pub/sub, channels, subscribe, publish, realtime |
pubnub-chat |
chat, messaging, direct message, group channel |
pubnub-presence |
online users, presence, who is connected, occupancy |
pubnub-security |
auth, encrypt, Access Manager, tokens, HIPAA |
pubnub-app-context |
user metadata, channel metadata, memberships, Objects API |
pubnub-scale |
high volume, channel groups, 10K+ users, performance |
| Skill | Invoked when you mention... |
|---|---|
pubnub-reliability |
reconnect, missed messages, retry, offline, idempotent |
pubnub-functions |
serverless, webhook, edge function, KVStore, scheduled |
pubnub-history |
message history, storage, catch-up, pagination |
pubnub-events-and-actions |
webhook, Lambda, Kafka, SQS, EventBridge, S3 |
pubnub-observability |
logging, debugging, cost, incident, usage metrics |
pubnub-keyset-management |
keys, keysets, environments, dev/prod, key rotation |
pubnub-illuminate |
analytics, decisions, business objects, metrics, automation |
pubnub-choose-docs-path |
routes intent to the right skill and MCP tool automatically |
| Skill | Invoked when you mention... |
|---|---|
pubnub-multiplayer-gaming |
multiplayer, game lobby, state sync, matchmaking, Unity, Unreal |
pubnub-live-auctions |
auction, bidding, countdown timer, anti-sniping |
pubnub-live-sport-updates |
sports scores, scoreboard, play-by-play, live feed |
pubnub-live-stock-quote-updates |
stock quotes, market data, price alerts, watchlist |
pubnub-live-betting-casino |
betting, in-play odds, casino, wager, compliance |
pubnub-live-voting |
voting, polling, vote tally, live results |
pubnub-order-delivery-driver |
delivery tracking, GPS, order status, driver, dispatch |
pubnub-telemedicine |
telemedicine, HIPAA, patient, waiting room, WebRTC |
Type any of these in the Cursor chat to start a guided build:
| Command | What it builds |
|---|---|
/scaffold-pubnub-app |
A new PubNub app tailored to your language and use case |
/build-chat-app |
Full chat with messaging, presence, history, and user profiles |
/build-multiplayer-game |
Game lobby, state sync, matchmaking, and reconnect handling |
/build-live-auction |
Realtime bidding, anti-sniping, presence, and bid history |
/build-sports-dashboard |
Live scores, play-by-play feed, and viewer count |
/build-delivery-tracker |
GPS streaming, order status pipeline, and customer tracking |
/build-telemedicine-app |
HIPAA-compliant chat, virtual waiting room, and WebRTC signaling |
/setup-illuminate |
Realtime analytics pipeline, Decisions, and automation |
Copy and paste any of these directly into Cursor chat:
Build a React multiplayer trivia game with PubNub — include a lobby,
real-time question broadcasting, answer collection, and a live leaderboard.
Add live auction bidding to my existing app. Include realtime bid updates,
active bidder count, anti-sniping behavior, and server-side bid validation.
Set up HIPAA-compliant chat for a telemedicine platform — secure messaging
between patients and providers, a virtual waiting room, and an audit log.
Build a live sports dashboard showing real-time scores and play-by-play
for multiple matches, with catch-up for users who join mid-game.
Add real-time stock quote streaming to my trading app with price alerts
and a live watchlist showing top movers.
Build a live voting system for a TV show audience — realtime vote tallying,
duplicate prevention, and a live results leaderboard.
The PubNub MCP server exposes 16 tools across 5 categories. Full reference at pubnub.com/docs/ai/available-mcp-tools.
| Category | Tools |
|---|---|
| Documentation | get_sdk_documentation, get_chat_sdk_documentation, how_to, write_pubnub_app, get_sdk_migration_guide, get_general_migration_guide |
| App & Keyset management | manage_apps, manage_keysets, get_usage_metrics |
| Real-time communication | send_pubnub_message, subscribe_and_receive_pubnub_messages, get_pubnub_messages, get_pubnub_presence, manage_app_context |
| Illuminate analytics | manage_illuminate |
| Insights analytics | insights |