Last Updated: November 21, 2025
Cursor AI
AI-powered code editor (fork of VS Code)
AI
Coding
Core Features
Cmd/Ctrl + K
Inline AI edit (most powerful feature)
Cmd/Ctrl + L
Open AI chat sidebar
Cmd/Ctrl + I
Composer (multi-file edit)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L
New chat (clear conversation)
Tab
Accept AI autocomplete suggestion
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P
Command palette (same as VS Code)
Cmd+K (Inline Edit)
Select Code + Cmd+K
AI edit selected code
Cmd+K on Empty Line
Generate new code
Prompt Examples
"Add error handling", "Convert to async", "Add type hints"
Cmd+Enter
Submit prompt to AI
Accept (Tab)
Apply AI changes
Reject (Esc)
Discard AI suggestion
Regenerate
Ask AI to try again with different approach
Diff View
See before/after changes inline
Chat (Cmd+L)
Ask Questions
"How does this function work?", "Explain this pattern"
@file
Reference specific file in chat (@app.py)
@folder
Reference entire folder (@src/)
@codebase
Search entire codebase for context
@docs
Reference official documentation (e.g., @docs React hooks)
@web
Search the web for current information
Copy Code Block
Click copy icon on AI code suggestions
Insert at Cursor
Apply chat code directly to editor
Chat History
Access previous conversations in sidebar
Composer (Cmd+I)
Multi-File Editing
Edit multiple files simultaneously
Add Files
+ button to add files to composer context
Complex Instructions
"Refactor authentication to use JWT across auth.py and middleware.py"
Review Changes
See all proposed changes before applying
Accept All / Reject All
Bulk actions on composer suggestions
@codebase in Composer
Let AI find relevant files automatically
Autocomplete & Suggestions
Tab
Accept autocomplete (partial or full)
Cmd/Ctrl + →
Accept word by word
Ghost Text
Grayed-out AI suggestions as you type
Multi-Line Completions
AI suggests entire functions/blocks
Context-Aware
Suggestions based on entire codebase
Cmd/Ctrl + .
Show quick fixes (VS Code feature)
Codebase Search
@codebase
Semantic search across all files
"Find authentication logic"
Natural language code search
Cmd/Ctrl + P
Quick file open (standard VS Code)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F
Text search (standard VS Code)
Indexed Codebase
AI indexes your code for fast semantic search
AI Rules (.cursorrules)
.cursorrules File
Project root file with AI instructions
Coding Standards
"Always use TypeScript strict mode"
Frameworks
"Use Next.js App Router, not Pages Router"
Testing
"Write Jest tests for all new functions"
Style Guide
"Follow Airbnb style guide"
Example .cursorrules
Use TypeScript. Prefer functional components. Add JSDoc comments.
Models
GPT-4
Default model; powerful but slower
GPT-4o
Faster, optimized GPT-4
Claude 3.5 Sonnet
Excellent for code; long context window
GPT-3.5
Fast, basic tasks
Cursor Small
Fast autocomplete model
Switch Models
Settings > Features > AI Model
Settings & Customization
Cursor Settings
Cursor > Settings (or Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
Enable/Disable Autocomplete
Features > Cursor Tab
Privacy Mode
Features > Privacy Mode (no code sent to AI)
Include .gitignore
Respect .gitignore for AI indexing
Custom API Keys
Use own OpenAI/Anthropic keys
Usage Dashboard
Account > Usage (track requests)
Common Prompts
"Add error handling"
Wrap code in try-catch with proper errors
"Add TypeScript types"
Convert JavaScript to TypeScript
"Refactor to use hooks"
Convert class component to functional
"Add unit tests"
Generate test file with common cases
"Optimize performance"
Suggest performance improvements
"Add JSDoc comments"
Document functions with JSDoc
"Make this responsive"
Add CSS media queries
Debugging & Fixing
Select Error + Cmd+K
"Fix this error"
Chat with Error Message
Paste error, ask "How do I fix this?"
"Explain this error"
Get human-readable explanation
Terminal Error + Cmd+L
Copy error to chat for diagnosis
Pro Tips:
- Cmd+K for Everything: Select code, Cmd+K, type intent; fastest workflow
- Use @codebase: Let AI find relevant files instead of manual @file references
- .cursorrules = Consistency: Define project standards once; AI follows forever
- Composer for Refactoring: Big changes across multiple files in one shot
- Tab for Autocomplete: Trust the ghost text; saves massive time
- Chat for Learning: Ask "why" and "how" to understand code patterns
- @docs for Accuracy: Reference official docs for framework-specific questions
- Privacy Mode for Sensitive Code: Enable before opening work projects