How to Set Up Cursor AI

Head to cursor.com and click the download button. Cursor detects your OS automatically — you will get the right installer for Mac, Windows, or Linux.

The download is around 200 MB. While it downloads, this is a good time to think about what you want to build first.

Mac: Open the .dmg file and drag Cursor to your Applications folder. Launch it from your dock or Spotlight.

Windows: Run the .exe installer. Follow the prompts — defaults are fine. Cursor adds itself to your PATH automatically.

Linux: Download the .AppImage, make it executable with chmod +x, and run it.

On first launch, Cursor asks if you want to import VS Code settings. If you have VS Code installed, say yes — it brings over your extensions, themes, and keybindings.

Cursor requires an account to use AI features. You can sign up with Google, GitHub, or email. The free tier gives you a limited number of AI requests per month — enough to evaluate the tool.

Cursor Pro ($20/mo) removes limits on fast AI requests and gives you access to all models. If you are evaluating Cursor against other tools, the free tier is enough to get a feel for it.

Open Settings (Cmd+, on Mac, Ctrl+, on Windows) and navigate to Models. Cursor supports multiple AI models:

• Claude (Anthropic) — Best for complex reasoning, refactoring, and understanding large codebases. Recommended for most development work.
• GPT-4o (OpenAI) — Fast and capable. Great for quick edits, code generation, and general-purpose tasks.
• Gemini (Google) — Good at processing long context. Useful when you need to reference many files at once.
• Custom / API keys — You can add your own API keys for any supported provider if you want more control over costs.

Open a folder in Cursor — either an existing project or a brand-new empty directory. You can use File > Open Folder or drag a folder onto the Cursor window.

If you are starting fresh, create a new folder first:

mkdir my-first-cursor-project
cd my-first-cursor-project

Then open it in Cursor:

cursor .

Cursor indexes your project files in the background. For large projects (10,000+ files), the initial index takes a few seconds. After that, it is instant.

Press Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Windows) to open the AI chat panel. This is where you talk to the AI about your code.

Try a real prompt. If you opened an empty project, try:

Create a simple Express.js server with a health check
endpoint at /api/health that returns { status: "ok" }.
Include a package.json with the right dependencies.

Cursor will generate the files and show you a diff. Review the changes, then click Accept to apply them. You can also edit the generated code before accepting.

If you opened an existing project, try asking a question about your code:

@codebase How is authentication handled in this project?
Which files are involved?

Create a file called .cursorrules in your project root. This file tells Cursor about your coding preferences, tech stack, and project conventions.

Here is a practical example:

# .cursorrules

## Tech Stack
- Framework: Next.js 15 (App Router)
- Styling: Tailwind CSS
- Database: Supabase (Postgres)
- Language: TypeScript (strict mode)

## Conventions
- Use functional components with hooks
- Prefer server components; add 'use client' only when needed
- Use absolute imports from @/ prefix
- Error handling: always wrap async operations in try/catch
- Name files in kebab-case, components in PascalCase

## File Structure
- app/ — routes and layouts
- components/ — reusable UI components
- lib/ — utilities and helpers
- types/ — TypeScript type definitions

## Do Not
- Use any CSS-in-JS libraries
- Create files over 300 lines — split into smaller modules
- Use default exports for non-page components

Now that you have Cursor set up, it is time to build. Press Cmd+I (Mac) or Ctrl+I (Windows) to open Composer — Cursor's multi-file editing agent.

Composer is different from the chat panel. It can create, modify, and delete multiple files in a single operation. Describe a feature and let it work:

Add a user profile page at /profile that:
- Shows the user's name, email, and avatar
- Has an "Edit Profile" button that opens an inline form
- Saves changes to the database via a PATCH /api/users/me endpoint
- Shows a success toast after saving
- Handles loading and error states

Composer will plan the changes, create or modify the necessary files, and show you a complete diff. Review each file, make adjustments if needed, and accept.