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Cursor IDE Cheatsheet

Master command reference, dev/prompting shortcuts, and setup guides for Cursor's AI-native editor.

Choose the Right Surface

Agent

Edits files, runs terminal commands, searches the codebase, and executes multi-step tasks.

Default mode

Plan

Researches code, asks questions, and constructs a reviewable plan before editing anything.

Shift + Tab

Ask

Explores codebase architecture and explains code without editing any files.

/ask

Inline Edit

Makes a targeted edit to the selected code directly inside the editor.

⌘ K · Ctrl K

Command Reference

Total Shortcuts: 0

Category	Action	macOS	Windows	Description
Agent	Toggle Agent Sidepanel Essential	`⌘ I`	`Ctrl I`	Open or close the main Agent panel.
Agent	Toggle Agent Layout Essential	`⌘ E`	`Ctrl E`	Switch between editor and agent view layout.
Agent	Open Mode Switcher Essential	`⌘ .`	`Ctrl .`	Toggle between Agent, Plan, or Ask modes.
Agent	Cycle Agent Modes Essential	`⇧ Tab`	`Shift Tab`	Rotate through the active AI modes.
Agent	Cycle AI Models Advanced	`⌘ /`	`Ctrl /`	Cycle through the available AI models.
Agent	Nudge Agent Essential	`Return`	`Enter`	Send the default prompt nudge.
Agent	Queue Message Advanced	`Ctrl Return`	`Ctrl Enter`	Queue a message while the agent is still acting.
Agent	Send Immediately Advanced	`⌘ Return`	`Ctrl Enter`	Send the prompt and interrupt the current task.
Agent	Toggle Voice Input Advanced	`⌘ ⇧ Space`	`Ctrl Shift Space`	Activate voice dictation.
Edit	Inline Code Edit Essential	`⌘ K`	`Ctrl K`	Generate or edit code right at the cursor.
Tab	Accept Auto-suggestion Essential	`Tab`	`Tab`	Accept the autocomplete suggestion.
Tab	Accept Next Word Advanced	`⌘ →`	`Ctrl →`	Accept the suggestion one word at a time.
Tab	Reject Suggestion Essential	`Esc`	`Esc`	Dismiss the active autocomplete suggestion.
Navigate	Command Palette Essential	`⌘ ⇧ P`	`Ctrl Shift P`	Open the main IDE command palette.
Navigate	Quick Open File Essential	`⌘ P`	`Ctrl P`	Navigate to a file by name.
Navigate	Global Search Essential	`⌘ ⇧ F`	`Ctrl Shift F`	Search text across the whole codebase.
Terminal	Toggle Terminal Essential	⌃ `	Ctrl `	Open the integrated terminal panel.
Setup	Cursor Settings Essential	`⌘ ⇧ J`	`Ctrl Shift J`	Open Cursor's own options and settings.
Setup	General Options Essential	`⌘ ,`	`Ctrl ,`	Open the global settings panel.

The CLEAR Framework

Define strict boundaries so Cursor executes accurately without unnecessary edits.

C · Context

State the stack, scope, baseline functionality, and the relevant source files.

L · Limits

Define which files are in scope, which modules are untouchable, and any other constraints.

E · Expected

Detail the expected end-state behavior and the visual or functional outcome.

A · Actions

Explicitly list the steps Cursor should execute, in order, and how to verify them.

Prompt Templates

New Feature Blueprint

Inspect the existing component architecture before writing code. Preserve current UI tokens, responsive layouts, and strict TypeScript types. Create a reviewable plan first. Implement only after confirmation, and run tests upon completion.

Bug Investigation & Root Cause

Reproduce the issue first. Trace the data flow across modules, isolate the root cause with evidence, and fix it with the minimal code delta. Do not refactor unrelated code. Verify the fix with unit tests.

Project Rules (`.cursor/rules/*.mdc`)

Configure project-wide instructions to standardize agent code output across a team.

Rule File Best Practices

Keep rules modular and path-scoped using globs.
Reference canonical code files as structural examples.
Use AGENTS.md for directory-level domain context.
Store custom rules under .cursor/rules/name.mdc.

---
description: Frontend TSX standards
globs: src/components/**/*.tsx
alwaysApply: false
---
- Use Tailwind CSS tokens for colors and spacing.
- Enforce strict typing; avoid `any`.
- Keep components modular and export pure functions.

Model Context Protocol

Integrate external databases, documentation scraping, and API calls directly into Cursor's Agent loop using MCP.

Transport Options

Use stdio for local tools and HTTP/SSE for remote services.

Least Privilege

Restrict write capabilities; assign read-only access wherever possible.

Scoped Config

Use a project-level mcp.json for repository-specific tooling.

Environment Keys

Pass credentials securely using environment variables, e.g. ${env:KEY}.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "database": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
      "env": { "DATABASE_URL": "${env:DATABASE_URL}" }
    }
  }
}

CLI Installation

Control the Cursor Agent directly from a terminal, run isolated tasks in Git worktrees, and resume sessions seamlessly.

macOS / Linux

Installs the Cursor Agent CLI via the official install script.

curl https://cursor.com/install -fsS | bash

Windows PowerShell

Installs the Cursor Agent CLI on Windows via PowerShell.

irm 'https://cursor.com/install?win32=true' | iex

Production Loops

The safest AI workflow cycles between autonomous agent execution and human validation loops.

Inspect the repository first

Do not modify any files yet — read the relevant code and identify every targeted file.

Explain the proposed architecture change

List the risk factors and construct a test plan before touching any code.

Await explicit approval

Only execute the change once the plan has been reviewed and approved.

Inspect repository first. Do not modify files. Identify targeted files, explain proposed architecture changes, list risk factors, and construct a test plan. Await explicit approval before execution.

Safety Guardrails

Keep automated code generation safe and deterministic with explicit boundaries and automated checks.

Safe Defaults

Use Plan mode for discovery, review diffs line-by-line, and run unit tests prior to merging.

Review First

Audit package installations, database migration scripts, and any write-enabled MCP server calls.

High Risk

Never commit raw API keys or secrets in prompts. Keep .env files listed in .cursorignore.