How to Use Cursor

Cursor is a fork of VS Code built around AI-assisted coding — you get the same editor you already know, with an AI model wired into autocomplete, chat, and multi-file edits.

Step 1: Import your setup

On first launch, Cursor offers to import your existing VS Code extensions, settings, and keybindings, so you're not starting from a blank editor.

Step 2: Chat with your codebase

Cmd/Ctrl+L opens Chat, which can reference your open files or the whole project and answer questions grounded in your actual code, not generic advice.

Step 3: Make inline edits with Cmd/Ctrl+K

Select a block of code, press Cmd/Ctrl+K, and describe the change in plain English. Cursor edits the selection in place rather than dropping a suggestion into chat.

Step 4: Let Tab predict entire edits

Cursor's Tab completion goes beyond next-line autocomplete — it predicts multi-line edits and jumps you to the next relevant spot in the file as you accept them.

Step 5: Use Composer/Agent mode for multi-file changes

Describe a feature at a higher level and Cursor plans and edits across multiple files at once, showing you a diff to review before anything is applied.

Where the free plan bites

The free tier caps how many premium-model requests you get before falling back to a slower or less capable model. For daily real project work, most people end up on the Pro plan once they hit that ceiling.