Top 10 Tips for Cursor IDE

1. Always start a new project in an empty folder, as Cursor uses the opened folder as the project root directory.

2. When expressing requirements, be specific but cautious, as Cursor will follow your requirements exactly. Unnecessary information can increase implementation complexity (for example, mentioning "upload" for local file operations might lead to complex backend development), while oversimplification gives Cursor too much freedom and can lead to loss of control.

3. Have Cursor write the README.md documentation from the project start, clearly documenting product features, tech stack, etc., and have it update at key milestones.

4. When having Cursor write code, ensure it includes clear comments for each code block to help you learn and understand the implementation logic.

5. Use Git for version control, write clear commit messages at key successful points to give yourself the ability to revert changes.

6. When using Composer to start a project, try to Save All and test in real-time, rather than Accept All, giving yourself space to handle issues and confirm new changes before accepting.

7. When using Composer and Chat features, try to use @codebase frequently, otherwise Cursor may have hallucinations and not know the project contents.

8. Add frequently used documentation links to Docs, such as your preferred AI API documentation, for easy @ reference when needed.

9. Make good use of Rules for AI in Settings, where prompts act as System Prompts to guide Cursor's response pace and style. Clearly stating your programming experience and language preferences there will greatly help the project. System Prompts

10. Use the Cursor.Directory website to quickly find rules suitable for your project and copy them to your project with one click.