The Beginner’s Guide To Cursor AI

You may have heard that Vibe Coding is the future of coding— That it enables anyone with the passion and ideas to turn their dreams into reality with little knowledge of how to code. I’m here to tell you that it is true! In this guide, we’ll explore Cursor – The AI Code Editor and how you can use it to build your dream app or website in no time, even if you are a complete beginner.

cursor ai guide

Table of Contents

What Is Cursor?

Cursor is a modern code editor designed to make programming faster and easier by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) directly into the development environment.

Built on top of Visual Studio Code (another great code editor tool), it retains compatibility with existing extensions and settings while adding powerful AI features.

Key Features

  • Natural Language Coding: Allows developers to write or modify code using everyday language prompts. This is huge!
  • Smart Code Rewrites: Enables updating multiple lines of code simultaneously, facilitating efficient refactoring and bulk changes.Codebase Querying: Indexes the entire codebase, allowing users to search and interact with it using natural language queries.
  • AI-Powered Autocomplete: Predicts and suggests code completions, streamlining the coding process.
  • Agent Mode: Executes tasks end-to-end, keeping developers informed and in control throughout the process.

Cursor Tool Origins

Want to know how it all began? Cursor was developed by Anysphere Inc. and launched in 2023 as a proprietary AI-powered integrated development environment (IDE) for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The company has received significant investment, including funding from OpenAI’s Startup Fund, to advance the development of AI systems aimed at enhancing developer productivity.

Where To Download Cursor?

You can download Cursor – AI Code Editor on it’s official website cursor.com.

Cursor Basics

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor built on Visual Studio Code, designed to make programming faster, smarter, and more efficient. Here’s what you can do with it:

AI Integration: Cursor uses advanced language models like GPT-4 and Claude to understand your code and help you write, edit, or explain it using plain English.

Code Chat: You can chat with the AI about your codebase, ask questions like “What does this function do?” or “Where is this variable used?”—and it will find the answers directly from your project. Heck, you can even ask it to code your whole static website!

Smart Autocomplete: Cursor suggests code as you type, but with deeper context from your files, not just isolated lines.

Agent Mode: This feature allows the AI to perform complex tasks across multiple files—like refactoring, fixing bugs, or implementing a new feature—while keeping you in control.

⚙️ How to Get Started

Once you have downloaded Cursor, you can import your existing codebase or start a new project.

Use the chat panel to interact with the AI, or trigger suggestions with / commands (command + K or control + K)

You can switch between different AI models (e.g., GPT-4, Claude 3.5) depending on your plan and use case.

💡 When to Use Cursor

Debugging: Explain errors, fix bugs, or trace logic.

Learning: Ask questions to understand unfamiliar code or syntax.

Speed: Generate boilerplate code, unit tests, or full components faster.

Bulk Editing: Change function names or update patterns across files instantly.

In short, Cursor isn’t just a code editor—it’s an assistant built into your workflow. You can think of it as your personal A.I. coding assistant, built into your coding environment or tool.

Cursor Prompt Examples

  • “Explain what this function does line by line.”
    → Use on any selected block of code for a detailed walkthrough.

  • “Refactor this code to be more readable.”
    → The AI will rewrite your code with better naming, formatting, or structure.

  • “Convert this JavaScript code to Python.”
    → Great for porting logic across languages.

  • “Write unit tests for this function using Jest.”
    → Automatically generates test cases based on your code.

  • “Find all references to getUserData in the codebase.”
    → Leverages Cursor’s search to trace function usage.

  • “Fix the bug in this code. It throws a TypeError on line 23.”
    → The AI attempts to identify and resolve the error.

  • “Add error handling to this async function.”
    → Improves robustness by wrapping code in try-catch blocks.

  • “Generate a React component that renders a user profile card.”
    → Quickly builds frontend components from scratch.

  • “Summarise what this file does in 3 bullet points.”
    → Helpful for onboarding or reviewing unfamiliar code.

  • “Split this large function into smaller ones based on logic.”
    → Breaks down long, complex functions into modular chunks.

Cursor Keyboard Shortcuts

Here’s a complete list of Cursor’s keyboard shortcuts, grouped by function. Note: Cmd (⌘) = Ctrl on Windows.

🛠 General

  • Cmd + I – Toggle Sidepanel
  • Cmd + L – Toggle Sidepanel
  • Cmd + . – Open Mode Menu
  • Cmd + / – Loop between AI models
  • Cmd + Shift + J – Open Cursor settings
  • Cmd + , – Open General settings
  • Cmd + Shift + P – Open Command Palette

💬 Chat (Focused on Chat Input)

  • Enter – Submit
  • Cmd + Shift + Backspace – Cancel generation
  • Cmd + Shift + L – Add selected code as context
  • Cmd + V – Add clipboard as context
  • Cmd + Shift + V – Add clipboard to input box
  • Cmd + Enter – Accept all changes
  • Cmd + Backspace – Reject all changes
  • Tab – Next message
  • Shift + Tab – Previous message
  • Cmd + Alt + / – Open model toggle
  • Cmd + N / Cmd + R – Create new chat
  • Cmd + T – New chat tab
  • Cmd + [ / Cmd + ] – Previous / Next chat
  • Cmd + W – Close chat
  • Esc – Unfocus input

⌨ Cmd + K Shortcuts

  • Cmd + K – Open
  • Cmd + Shift + K – Toggle input focus
  • Enter – Submit
  • Cmd + Shift + Backspace – Cancel
  • Option + Enter – Ask quick question

📄 Code Selection & Context

  • @ – Insert symbol reference
  • # – Insert file reference
  • / – Insert shortcut command
  • Cmd + Shift + L – Add selection to Chat
  • Cmd + Shift + K – Add selection to Edit
  • Cmd + L – Add selection to new Chat
  • Cmd + M – Toggle file reading strategies
  • Cmd + → – Accept next word of suggestion
  • Cmd + Enter – Search codebase in chat
  • Cmd + C + Cmd + V (with selected code) – Add as context
  • Cmd + C + Cmd + Shift + V – Add as text context

📥 Tab Completions

  • Tab – Accept suggestion
  • Cmd + → – Accept next word

💻 Terminal

  • Cmd + K – Open terminal prompt
  • Cmd + Enter – Run generated command
  • Esc – Accept command

What Can You Make With Cursor?

There are a lot of things you can build with Cursor (depending on your level of tech-savvyness or prompt engineering prowness).

1. Personal Portfolio Website
 Stack: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React

Use AI to scaffold the layout, generate responsive design, and write reusable components.

2. To-Do List App
 Stack: React + TypeScript or Vue

Let Cursor build the UI, manage state with hooks or Vuex, and generate CRUD logic.

3. Chat Application
 Stack: Node.js + Socket.IO + React

Use Cursor to wire up real-time messaging, handle client-server communication, and create a styled interface.

4. Blog CMS
 Stack: Next.js + MongoDB or Firebase

Generate API routes, admin dashboard, post editor, and dynamic blog pages.

5. Weather Dashboard
 Stack: React + OpenWeatherMap API

Cursor helps integrate the API, manage loading states, and display weather cards.

6. E-commerce Store
 Stack: Next.js or Shopify Hydrogen + Stripe

Let Cursor scaffold product pages, cart functionality, and payment integrations.

7. Expense Tracker
 Stack: Express + MongoDB + React

AI can create models, routes, and chart components to visualise expenses.

8. AI Chatbot Interface
 Stack: React + OpenAI API or Claude

Use Cursor to build the UI and backend integration with the LLM of your choice.

9. Quiz or Flashcard App
 Stack: React Native (for mobile) or Web App

Generate components for questions, answers, and scoring logic.

10. Authentication System
 Stack: NextAuth.js + Prisma + PostgreSQL

Have Cursor scaffold user login, register pages, and secure API routes.

What Are Some Cursor Alternatives?

If you’re looking for alternatives to Cursor, several AI-powered code editors and setups are gaining attention in the dev community. GitHub Copilot is a standout, praised for its responsiveness, accuracy, and affordability at just $10/month—with many users finding it a better deal for unlimited usage, especially with Claude 3.5 Sonnet.

Others recommend combining tools in VSCode like the Cline extension for agent tasks and Continue for code autocomplete. This setup lets you bring your own API keys and switch between models like DeepSeek V3, Gemini, or even Google Flash to control costs.

Windsurf is another Cursor-like platform but isn’t significantly cheaper if you’re already hitting usage limits. Roo (a Copilot-compatible fork) and local tools like DevProAI also offer unique features for those who prefer more control or offline solutions. Each has trade-offs, but they offer a spectrum of choices balancing price, performance, and flexibility.

Summary

To sum everything up—Cursor is a code editor that uses AI to help you write and understand code faster. You can ask it questions in plain English, and it can explain code, fix bugs, suggest changes, or even build features across multiple files. It’s built on VS Code, so it feels familiar but adds smart tools that save time and make coding easier for beginners and pros alike.