Quickstart

Download Cursor for macOS, Windows, or Linux from cursor.com, open the app, and sign in.

Then open a folder you already know something about. Familiar code makes it easier to judge whether the agent's output is any good.

Open the agent panel with Cmd+I and ask it to orient you. Something like:

Explain this codebase. Point me to the main entry points, key modules, and anything I should read before making changes.

The agent searches the repository, reads the files it considers relevant, and summarizes how the pieces fit together. This is the fastest way into an unfamiliar project, and it costs you nothing if the answer is wrong: nothing has been edited yet.

Ask for candidates before asking for code:

Suggest three small, safe improvements in this codebase. Explain the tradeoffs and wait for me to choose one.

Good first tasks carry low risk. Copy fixes, small UI corrections, and missing error handling all work well. If you already know what you want, describe the result you expect rather than the steps to get there.

The diff view shows every change the agent made. Read it before you accept it.

Then ask the agent to run the checks your project already has. Tests, a type checker, a linter, or a local build all serve as evidence that the change holds together. A change that has not been run is a proposal, not a result.

Once the basic loop feels familiar, use plan mode for anything that spans several files or needs a decision before coding. Press Shift+Tab in the agent input to toggle it.

In plan mode the agent researches the repository, asks clarifying questions, and produces an implementation plan for your approval before it writes code.