Getting Started with Cursor — The AI-First Code Editor

What is Cursor?

Cursor is an AI-first code editor built on top of VS Code. It integrates large language models directly into the coding workflow, allowing you to:

• Generate code from natural language descriptions
• Edit existing code using conversational prompts
• Explain code you’re unfamiliar with
• Find and fix bugs automatically
• Refactor and improve your codebase

Think of it as VS Code with an AI pair programmer that never gets tired.

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Installation

Step 1: Download Cursor

Visit cursor.sh and download the version for your operating system (macOS, Windows, or Linux).

Step 2: Install and Launch

Run the installer and open Cursor. On first launch, you’ll be prompted to:

• Sign in (required for AI features)
• Import your VS Code settings, extensions, and themes

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The Cursor Interface

Cursor looks familiar because it is VS Code under the hood. The main differences you’ll notice:

The AI Chat Panel (Cmd+L)

This is where you’ll have conversations with the AI. You can:

• Ask coding questions
• Generate new code
• Get explanations of complex code
• Request bug fixes

Tab Completion (Cmd+K)

Press Cmd+K (or Ctrl+K on Windows/Linux) to open the inline AI editor. Type a description of what you want to change, and Cursor will generate the code.

Composer (Cmd+I)

For larger tasks, Cmd+I opens Composer — a more powerful mode for multi-file edits and complex implementations.

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Your First Project with Cursor

1. Create a New Project

# Create a new React project
npm create vite@latest my-app -- --template react-ts
cd my-app

Then open the folder in Cursor (File > Open Folder).

2. Generate Your First Component

Press Cmd+K and type:

Create a Header component with navigation links and a dark mode toggle

Cursor will generate the component code inline. Press Tab to accept, or Esc to reject.

3. Iterate with Chat

Press Cmd+L to open the chat panel and ask:

“Add responsive mobile menu that slides in from the right”

Cursor will analyze your codebase and generate the appropriate changes.

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Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Cmd+K	AI code generation/editing
Cmd+L	Open AI chat panel
Cmd+I	Open Composer for complex tasks
Cmd+Shift+L	Edit all occurrences
Cmd+Enter	Accept AI suggestion
Esc	Reject AI suggestion

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Best Practices for Using Cursor

1. Start with Context

Before generating code, show Cursor the relevant files:

“Look at the src/App.tsx file, then help me add authentication”

2. Use Specific Prompts

Instead of: “Make this better”

Try: “Convert this class component to a functional component with React hooks”

3. Review Before Accepting

Always review AI-generated code before accepting. The AI can make mistakes, especially with:

• Complex business logic
• Security-sensitive code
• Performance-critical sections

4. Iterate in Small Steps

Don’t ask Cursor to build an entire feature at once. Break it down:

1. Create the component structure
2. Add the basic functionality
3. Style it
4. Add edge cases and error handling

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Cursor Settings Worth Configuring

AI Model Selection

Go to Cursor > Settings > Models to choose between:

• Claude 3.5 Sonnet — Balanced for most tasks
• GPT-4o — Good for general reasoning
• Cursor Small — Faster, for simple edits

Autocomplete

Configure how aggressive AI suggestions are in Settings > Autocomplete:

• Aggressive — Suggests frequently
• Medium — Balanced
• Conservative — Only suggests when confident

Privacy

By default, Cursor sends your code to AI providers for processing. You can disable this in Settings > Privacy if needed.

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Common Use Cases

Generating Boilerplate

“Create a React form with validation using Zod and React Hook Form”

Explaining Code

“Explain what this function does in simple terms”

Finding Bugs

“Find any potential bugs in this file and explain them”

Refactoring

“Convert this callback-based function to use async/await”

Writing Tests

“Write unit tests for this component using Vitest”

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Limitations to Be Aware Of

While Cursor is powerful, it has limitations:

1. Context windows — Very large codebases may exceed what the AI can process
2. Framework knowledge — May struggle with very new or niche frameworks
3. Security — Never paste sensitive keys or credentials into AI chat
4. Stale information — Training data cutoffs mean it may not know about very recent library updates

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Next Steps

Now that you have Cursor set up, try these exercises:

1. Day 1: Open one of your existing projects and ask Cursor to explain a complex file
2. Day 2: Use Cmd+K to generate a new component
3. Day 3: Try the Composer to make a multi-file change

Happy coding!