Getting Started

Spotlight offers several ways to run depending on your workflow and preferences. All options provide the same core debugging capabilities. Choose the one that fits best.

Three Ways to Run Spotlight

Combine Options

You can use multiple options together. For example, run the Desktop App for visual debugging while also connecting Cursor via MCP for AI-assisted debugging.

Option	Best For	Platform	UI
Desktop App	Visual debugging in a dedicated window	All platforms	Built-in
CLI	Terminal workflows, wrapping apps, automation	All platforms	Browser
MCP Server	AI-assisted debugging with Cursor, Claude, etc.	All platforms	none

Desktop App Standalone app with built-in UI. Best for visual debugging and dedicated window workflows.

CLI Run apps with automatic instrumentation, stream events to your terminal, or start the sidecar server.

MCP Server Connect Spotlight to AI coding assistants like Cursor and Claude for AI-assisted debugging.

Next Steps

After choosing your setup method, you may need to configure your application’s Sentry SDK:

SDK Configuration Learn how to configure Sentry SDKs to send data to Spotlight

Most SDKs automatically detect the SENTRY_SPOTLIGHT environment variable—just set it to 1 or the sidecar URL.