How to Get a Free DR 72 Dofollow Backlink from Cursor Directory

Introduction

If you build a developer tool, an AI product, or a SaaS app, there's a good chance you already have an MCP server, a set of Skills, or some Rules lying around. Or you could ship one in an afternoon. That makes Cursor Directory one of the easiest high-authority backlinks you can get. You paste a public GitHub repo URL, click scan, and you end up with a dedicated plugin page and a dofollow link back to your site.

This guide is based on a hands-on thread from @tarasshyn on X. It also covers two related "developer ecosystem directory" channels he highlighted: the Linear integration directory (DR 85) and the EmDash plugin directory from Cloudflare (DR 76).

What Is Cursor Directory?

Cursor Directory is a community directory for users of the Cursor code editor. It lists MCP servers, Skills, Rules, and other plugin resources. The submission page sums up the pitch: "Submit a plugin to Cursor Directory and reach 300k+ developers."

One thing to be clear about: Cursor Directory is not Cursor's official curated list. Submitting here won't put you in Cursor's official store, and the curated list is much harder to get into. For SEO purposes, though, the directory is valuable on its own.

Domain Rating and Link Attributes

Item	Details (from the original post)
Domain Rating	DR 72
Page	Dedicated plugin page for your project
Link attribute	Dofollow
Cost	Free

Step-by-Step: Submitting to Cursor Directory

1. Put your plugin in a public GitHub repo. Add your MCP server and Skills (Rules are fine too) to a public repository. Use the README to explain what the plugin does, and include a link to your website.
2. Open the submission page. Go to https://cursor.directory/plugins/new and paste your repo URL.
3. Click "Scan repo". The directory scans the repository and detects any MCP servers, Skills, and Rules inside it.
4. Review and submit. Check the detected name, description, and other details, then submit to generate your plugin page.
5. Check the backlink. Once the page is live, log out and view it as a visitor. Confirm the link to your site is there and has no rel="nofollow".

Bonus Channel #1: Linear Integration Directory (DR 85)

In the same thread, @tarasshyn quoted an earlier post of his about the Linear integration directory. It's DR 85, with a dedicated page and dofollow links. Here are the steps he shared (credited to @aarondelasy):

1. Build a Linear OAuth integration. For example, let users create Linear issues straight from your SaaS.
2. Publish a docs page that explains how to connect the integration. This is the install link Linear asks for.
3. Prepare your assets. Use Linear's Figma template to make an icon and 1–3 showcase images.
4. Submit. Fill out the submission form from Linear's integration directory guide and email your assets to integrations@linear.app.

The bar is higher than Cursor Directory because you need a working OAuth integration. In return you get a higher DR, and for B2B and collaboration SaaS the listing is a real distribution channel in its own right.

Bonus Channel #2: EmDash Plugin Directory (DR 76)

The Linear post in turn quoted a post about EmDash, the CMS from Cloudflare (DR 76):

1. Build a plugin for EmDash.
2. Put your website URL in the author.url field of the plugin manifest.
3. Log in with your Bluesky account and run emdash-plugin publish.

Pro tip: use your own domain as your Bluesky handle to keep your branding consistent.

Pitfalls and Things to Watch Out For

• The repo must be public. Private repos can't be scanned.
• This is not the official Cursor store. Don't market a Cursor Directory listing as an official endorsement. The curated list is a different, much harder target.
• Ship something genuinely useful. A thrown-together empty repo might go live, but it won't bring real users and may get cleaned out later.
• Verify the link attributes yourself. The DR and dofollow details here come from the original post, and platform rules change. After you go live, inspect the href and rel yourself.
• Dofollow doesn't guarantee indexing or rankings. Backlinks are one part of SEO, not the whole picture.

Who Is This For?

• Developer tools, API products, and AI-powered SaaS
• Products that already have an MCP server, or whose core features could be wrapped as MCP tools or Skills
• Collaboration and project-management SaaS (add the Linear integration directory too)
• Teams building CMS or website plugins (a good fit for EmDash)

Pure content sites and local service businesses usually aren't a good fit.

Sources:

• Cursor Directory: https://x.com/tarasshyn/status/2117279565689016726
• Linear integration directory: https://x.com/tarasshyn/status/2116935548803973433
• EmDash (quoted in the Linear post): https://x.com/i/status/2116573909839430019