Cursor: step-by-step

Step by step

Follow along

1. 1

   Install Cursor

   Download Cursor from cursor.com for Mac, Windows or Linux and install it like any normal app. It's built on VS Code, so on first launch you can import your existing VS Code settings, themes and extensions.

2. 2

   Sign in & choose a plan

   Create a free account and sign in. The free Hobby tier is plenty to start with; upgrade to Pro later only if you hit the limit on fast AI requests.

3. 3

   Open your project

   Use File → Open to open a project folder (or create a new one). Cursor quietly indexes your codebase so the AI understands your whole project, not just the file you're looking at.

4. 4

   Ask questions in Chat

   Press Cmd/Ctrl + L to open the AI chat. Ask anything about your code, paste an error to debug it, or request a change in plain English. Type @ to point the AI at a specific file, folder or the docs.

5. 5

   Build with Composer (Agent)

   Press Cmd/Ctrl + I to open Composer. Describe a feature in plain language and Cursor creates and edits the files needed across your project, then shows you each change to accept or reject.

6. 6

   Make quick inline edits

   Select some code and press Cmd/Ctrl + K to rewrite it in place, or generate new code right where your cursor is — perfect for small refactors and fixes.

7. 7

   Review every change

   Cursor shows a diff for everything it does. Read it, accept or reject per file, and commit to Git in small chunks so you always have a safe point to roll back to.