How to Use Cursor AI: Tips and Tricks for Developers

Cursor has rapidly become one of the most talked-about AI code editors in the developer community. Built as a fork of VS Code, it brings AI-powered coding assistance directly into a familiar editing environment — but with capabilities that go far beyond simple autocomplete. Whether you are a seasoned developer curious about the hype or a newcomer looking for the best way to code with AI, this guide covers everything you need to know about using Cursor effectively.

In this tutorial, we will walk through installation, explore every major feature, and share 10 power-user tips that will dramatically improve your productivity. By the end, you will understand not just how to use Cursor, but how to use it well.

Why Cursor Is Gaining Traction

The AI coding tool landscape has exploded in 2025-2026. GitHub Copilot was the pioneer, but developers have increasingly gravitated toward tools that offer deeper integration and more control. Cursor stands out for several reasons:

• VS Code compatibility: It imports your extensions, themes, and keybindings automatically. The learning curve is nearly zero for VS Code users.
• Multi-model support: You can use GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, or Claude 3 Opus depending on the task.
• Codebase-aware AI: Cursor indexes your entire project, so the AI understands your architecture — not just the file you have open.
• Composer mode: Multi-file edits orchestrated by AI, something no other editor does as seamlessly.

If you want to see how Cursor stacks up against other tools, check out our definitive guide to AI coding tools in 2026.

Getting Started: Download, Install, and First Project

Installation

1. Head to cursor.com and download the installer for your operating system (macOS, Windows, or Linux).
2. Run the installer. On first launch, Cursor will ask if you want to import your VS Code settings — say yes.
3. Sign in or create a Cursor account. The free tier gives you 2,000 completions per month and 50 premium requests (GPT-4/Claude).
4. Open a project folder. Cursor will automatically begin indexing your codebase in the background.

First Project Setup

Once you have a project open, give the indexer a minute or two to process your files. You will see a small indicator in the bottom status bar. Once indexing is complete, every AI feature becomes codebase-aware.

# Quick test: open terminal in Cursor and create a test file
echo "console.log('Hello from Cursor');" > test.js
# Then open test.js and start experimenting with AI features

Essential Features Walkthrough

Tab Completion and Inline Suggestions

This is the feature you will use most. As you type, Cursor predicts what you are about to write and shows ghost text suggestions. Press Tab to accept, or keep typing to ignore. The suggestions go beyond simple autocomplete — they understand your coding patterns, variable naming conventions, and the broader context of your file.

Key differences from GitHub Copilot tab completion:

• Cursor often suggests multi-line completions that are more contextually accurate
• Suggestions adapt based on your .cursorrules configuration
• You can cycle through alternatives with Alt+] and Alt+[

Cmd+K for Inline Edits

Select a block of code (or place your cursor on a line) and press Cmd+K (Ctrl+K on Windows/Linux). A prompt bar appears where you can describe what you want to change. This is incredibly powerful for:

• Refactoring a function without rewriting it manually
• Adding error handling to existing code
• Converting between formats (e.g., class component to functional component)
• Adding TypeScript types to untyped JavaScript

The key advantage of Cmd+K over chat is speed — you stay in your editing flow and see the diff immediately.

Cmd+L for Chat

Press Cmd+L to open the AI chat panel. This is your conversational interface with the AI. You can ask questions about your codebase, get explanations of complex code, brainstorm architecture decisions, or troubleshoot errors.

The chat panel maintains context across messages in a conversation, so you can iterate on solutions without re-explaining everything. You can also select code in the editor and press Cmd+L to automatically include it as context in your message.

Composer Mode for Multi-File Edits

This is Cursor’s killer feature and the biggest differentiator from tools like GitHub Copilot. Press Cmd+I to open Composer mode. Here, you can describe a change that spans multiple files, and Cursor will:

1. Identify which files need modification
2. Generate diffs for each file
3. Present all changes for your review before applying

Example use cases:

• “Add a dark mode toggle to the app — update the CSS, React component, and context provider”
• “Rename the User model to Account across the entire project”
• “Add input validation to all API route handlers”

@ Mentions for Context

One of Cursor’s most powerful yet underused features is the @ mention system. In any AI prompt (chat, Cmd+K, or Composer), you can reference specific context:

.cursorrules Configuration

The .cursorrules file sits in your project root and tells Cursor how to behave for your specific project. Think of it as a system prompt for your AI assistant. Here is a practical example:

# .cursorrules example for a Next.js project

You are an expert Next.js 14 developer using TypeScript and Tailwind CSS.

## Code Style
- Use functional components with arrow functions
- Prefer named exports over default exports
- Use Zod for runtime validation
- All components must have TypeScript interfaces for props

## Project Structure
- Pages go in app/ directory (App Router)
- Shared components in components/ui/
- API utilities in lib/api/
- Types in types/

## Testing
- Write tests with Vitest and React Testing Library
- Each component should have a .test.tsx file
- Test behavior, not implementation details

For a deeper dive into project-level AI configuration, see our guide on setting up Claude Code, which covers a similar concept with CLAUDE.md files.

10 Power-User Tips

1. Write a Great .cursorrules File

This is the single highest-leverage thing you can do. A well-written .cursorrules file means every AI interaction starts with the right context. Include your tech stack, coding conventions, project structure, and any patterns you want the AI to follow. Spend 30 minutes on this and save hours over the next month.

2. Use @codebase for Project-Wide Questions

Instead of manually searching through files, ask the AI with @codebase context. Questions like “Where is the authentication middleware defined?” or “Which components use the useCart hook?” become instant lookups instead of grep sessions. The indexed codebase search is fast and surprisingly accurate.

3. Chain Composer Edits for Complex Refactors

Large refactors work best when broken into sequential Composer steps. Instead of asking for a massive change all at once, break it down:

1. Step 1: “Create the new interface definitions in types/”
2. Step 2: “Update the API layer to use the new types”
3. Step 3: “Update the React components to match the new API”
4. Step 4: “Update the tests”

Each step builds on the previous one, and you can review and correct at each stage.

4. Pin Important Files in Context

In the chat panel, you can pin files that should always be included as context. Pin your main config files, type definitions, and key architectural files. This ensures the AI always has the most important context without you having to @ mention them every time.

5. Use Cursor with Claude 3.5 Sonnet for Best Results

In our testing and from community feedback, Claude 3.5 Sonnet consistently produces the best coding results in Cursor. It follows instructions more precisely, generates fewer hallucinated imports, and handles complex multi-file edits more reliably than other models. You can set your preferred model in Cursor > Settings > Models. For our detailed comparison of AI models for coding, see our Claude Code vs Cursor comparison.

6. Keyboard Shortcuts That Save Hours

7. Debug with AI Chat Instead of console.log

When you hit a bug, resist the urge to scatter console.log statements everywhere. Instead, select the problematic code, press Cmd+L, and describe the issue. The AI can often identify the bug immediately because it can reason about your code structure, check types, and trace data flow — all things that console.log-based debugging makes you do manually.

8. Generate Tests from Implementation

After writing a function or component, select it and use Cmd+K with a prompt like “Write comprehensive tests for this function, including edge cases.” Cursor generates tests that match your testing framework because it reads your existing test files and package.json. This is one of the highest-ROI uses of AI coding tools — it turns a 20-minute task into a 2-minute one.

9. Use Cmd+K for Quick Inline Fixes

Cmd+K is not just for big refactors. Use it for small, frequent tasks:

• “Add JSDoc comments to this function”
• “Make this function async”
• “Add error handling for the null case”
• “Convert this to a ternary”

The speed of Cmd+K for these micro-edits is what makes Cursor feel faster than chat-based AI workflows.

10. Review AI Diffs Carefully Before Accepting

This is the most important tip and the one most developers skip. Cursor shows you diffs before applying changes — actually read them. AI-generated code is usually 80-90% correct, but the remaining 10-20% can introduce subtle bugs. Pay special attention to:

• Import statements (AI sometimes adds imports for non-existent modules)
• Error handling (AI tends toward optimistic code paths)
• Edge cases (AI may not handle null, undefined, or empty arrays)
• Security implications (AI does not think about injection attacks or auth checks unless prompted)

For more on this topic, our AI code review tools comparison dives deep into how to maintain code quality when using AI.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

After working with Cursor extensively and hearing from hundreds of developers, these are the most common mistakes that undermine productivity:

1. Not configuring .cursorrules: Using Cursor without a .cursorrules file is like using a search engine without specifying what you are looking for. You will get results, but they will not match your project conventions.
2. Providing too little context: If you ask “fix this” with no explanation of what is broken, the AI will guess — and often guess wrong. Be specific about expected vs. actual behavior.
3. Accepting large changes without review: Composer mode can generate impressive multi-file changes, but you need to review each file. Do not blindly accept 500 lines of generated code.
4. Ignoring the chat history: Cursor chat maintains context within a conversation. Starting a new chat for every question wastes context and forces you to re-explain your setup.
5. Fighting the AI instead of guiding it: If the AI keeps producing wrong output, the problem is usually your prompt, not the model. Rephrase, add constraints, or provide examples.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cursor free to use?

Cursor offers a free tier with 2,000 completions per month and 50 premium requests. The Pro plan at $20/month unlocks unlimited completions and 500 premium requests. For most developers, the free tier is enough to evaluate whether Cursor fits their workflow before committing.

Does Cursor work with all programming languages?

Yes. Since Cursor is built on VS Code, it supports every language that VS Code supports through extensions. The AI features work best with popular languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, Java, and C++, but they handle any language reasonably well.

Is my code sent to external servers?

By default, code context is sent to the AI model provider (OpenAI or Anthropic) to generate responses. Cursor offers a Privacy Mode that limits what is sent, and enterprise plans include options for self-hosted models. You can configure these settings in Cursor > Settings > Privacy.

Can I use Cursor with my VS Code extensions?

Yes. Cursor is a fork of VS Code and supports the vast majority of VS Code extensions. On first install, it can automatically import your extensions and settings. A few extensions that deeply modify the editor internals may have compatibility issues, but this is rare.

How does Cursor compare to using Claude Code directly?

Cursor provides a GUI-based editing experience with AI integrated into the visual editor, while Claude Code operates as a terminal-based agent that can make changes autonomously. Many developers use both — Cursor for day-to-day coding and Claude Code for larger autonomous tasks. Our Claude Code vs Cursor comparison covers this in detail.