Beyond the Basics: Cursor Power User Guide

Cursor has become the IDE of choice for AI-augmented development. But watching most developers use it is painful - they're driving a Formula 1 car like a minivan. Tab completion and basic chat are just the beginning.

This matters because the productivity gap between Cursor novices and power users is enormous. I've seen developers go from 2x to 10x productivity simply by learning these techniques. The tool is capable of far more than most people realize.

I've spent six months pushing Cursor to its limits. Here are the techniques that actually matter.

Trick 1: The @codebase Command - Your Entire Project in Context

Most developers manually add files to context one by one. Stop doing this.

@codebase how does authentication work in this project?

Cursor indexes your entire repository and semantically searches for relevant code. It understands:

• File relationships and imports

• Function call graphs

• Variable references across files

• Test files associated with source files

Advanced usage:

@codebase what would break if I changed the User model's email field
from required to optional?

Cursor traces all usages of the User model, checks validation logic, tests, and API contracts. This analysis that would take 30 minutes of manual grep takes 10 seconds.

Pro tip: Run Cursor: Rebuild Index after major refactors or when switching branches with significant changes.

Trick 2: Multi-File Edits with Composer

The Composer (Cmd+I / Ctrl+I) is Cursor's most underused feature. It can edit multiple files in a single operation:

Add comprehensive error handling to all API routes in src/api/.
Each route should:
1. Wrap the handler in try-catch
2. Log errors with request context
3. Return appropriate HTTP status codes
4. Not expose internal error details to clients
Use our existing ApiError class from src/errors/

Composer analyzes all matching files, understands your codebase patterns, and applies consistent changes across files. Review the diff, accept or reject per-file.

Real example from my workflow:

Migrate all useState hooks for form state to React Hook Form
in the components under src/features/checkout/

Changed 12 files, 400+ lines, in one operation. Each change was contextually appropriate to its component.

Trick 3: The .cursorrules File - Persistent Context

Create a .cursorrules file in your project root to give Cursor permanent context:

Project Context
You are an expert in TypeScript, Next.js 15, and PostgreSQL.
Architecture
We use the App Router exclusively
Server Components by default, Client Components only when needed
Prisma for database access
Zod for validation
TanStack Query for client-side data fetching
Code Style
Prefer named exports over default exports
Use function declarations, not arrow functions, for components
Always use TypeScript strict mode conventions
Write tests for all new functions
Project-Specific Patterns
API routes return { success: boolean, data?: T, error?: string }
Use our custom useApiMutation hook for mutations
Date handling uses date-fns, not moment or native Date
Error boundaries wrap all route segments
Don't
Don't use 'any' type
Don't use console.log (use our logger utility)
Don't create new utility functions without checking src/lib first

This context is automatically included in every Cursor interaction. Your AI assistant now understands your codebase conventions.

Trick 4: Inline Generation with Comments

Type a descriptive comment, then hit Tab:

// Validate that the email is unique in the database,
// excluding the current user's own email during updates

Tab → Cursor generates:

async function isEmailUnique(email: string, excludeUserId?: string): Promise {
  const existingUser = await prisma.user.findFirst({
    where: {
      email: email.toLowerCase(),
      ...(excludeUserId && { id: { not: excludeUserId } }),
    },
  });
  return existingUser === null;
}

Power technique: Write your comment as a specification:

// Function: retryWithBackoff
// Retries an async operation with exponential backoff
// Parameters:
//   - fn: async function to retry
//   - maxRetries: maximum attempts (default 3)
//   - baseDelay: initial delay in ms (default 1000)
// Returns: result of fn, or throws after max retries
// Backoff formula: baseDelay * 2^attempt

Tab → Perfect implementation matching your spec.

Trick 5: Smart Refactoring with Cmd+K

Select code, press Cmd+K (Ctrl+K on Windows), and describe the transformation:

Before:

function processOrders(orders) {
  const results = [];
  for (let i = 0; i < orders.length; i++) {
    const order = orders[i];
    if (order.status === 'pending') {
      const processed = { ...order, processedAt: new Date() };
      results.push(processed);
    }
  }
  return results;
}

Prompt: "Convert to functional style with TypeScript types"

After:

interface Order {
  id: string;
  status: 'pending' | 'completed' | 'cancelled';
  // ... other fields
}

interface ProcessedOrder extends Order {
  processedAt: Date;
}
function processOrders(orders: Order[]): ProcessedOrder[] {
  return orders
    .filter((order): order is Order & { status: 'pending' } =>
      order.status === 'pending'
    )
    .map((order) => ({
      ...order,
      processedAt: new Date(),
    }));
}

Other powerful refactoring prompts:

• "Extract this into a custom hook"

• "Convert to use the repository pattern"

• "Make this function pure"

• "Split into smaller functions with single responsibility"

• "Add error handling and logging"

Trick 6: @web for Live Documentation

When you need current information that might not be in the model's training data:

@web what are the breaking changes in Next.js 15.1?

Cursor fetches live documentation and incorporates it into its response. Essential for:

• New library versions

• Recently released features

• Current best practices

• API changes

Combine with code:

@web what's the current recommended way to handle authentication in Next.js 15 App Router?
Then update our src/middleware.ts to follow these patterns.

Trick 7: @git for Repository Context

Reference your git history in conversations:

@git what changed in the last commit?

@git compare the auth module between main and this branch

@git find when the user validation logic was changed and why

This is incredibly powerful for:

• Understanding why code is the way it is

• Tracking down when bugs were introduced

• Reviewing changes before creating PRs

• Understanding teammates' changes

Trick 8: Generating Tests with @tests

Cursor has special understanding of test contexts:

@tests write comprehensive unit tests for the PaymentProcessor class

But the real power is in specific test requests:

@tests write edge case tests for processPayment:
What if the amount is negative?
What if the currency is unsupported?
What if the payment gateway times out?
What if the user has insufficient funds?
What if the same transaction is submitted twice?

Cursor generates tests that match your testing framework (Jest, Vitest, Mocha) and assertion style.

Trick 9: Debugging with @errors

When you have an error, don't just paste it. Use the @errors context:

@errors TypeError: Cannot read property 'map' of undefined
at ProductList (src/components/ProductList.tsx:23:15)

Cursor analyzes:

• The error message

• The stack trace

• The referenced file

• Related code

And provides targeted fixes, not generic suggestions.

Even more powerful:

@errors [paste full error]
Looking at the code, explain why this is happening and fix it

Trick 10: /edit for Surgical Changes

The /edit command makes precise modifications:

/edit src/api/users.ts:45-60 add rate limiting using our RateLimiter class

This is more precise than Composer for targeted changes. Specify:

• Exact file and line numbers

• The specific change you want

• Context from other parts of the codebase

Trick 11: Templates with /generate

Create reusable generation patterns:

/generate new API route for managing [resource]
Include:
GET (list with pagination)
GET/:id (single item)
POST (create with validation)
PUT/:id (update)
DELETE/:id (soft delete)
Following our patterns in src/api/products.ts

Cursor generates a complete, consistent API route matching your existing patterns.

Create your own templates:

/generate component [ComponentName] with:
Props interface
Server component wrapper
Loading skeleton
Error boundary integration
Basic test file

Trick 12: @docs for Your Own Documentation

If you have internal documentation, reference it:

@docs review our API design guidelines and check if this endpoint follows them

Cursor can read markdown files, READMEs, and documentation in your repo. It treats them as authoritative sources.

Setup: Organize documentation in /docs or similar, and Cursor automatically indexes it.

Trick 13: Multi-Cursor AI with Cmd+Shift+K

Select multiple similar code blocks with multiple cursors, then Cmd+Shift+K:

Apply the same transformation to all selected blocks

Example: You have 10 API handlers that all need the same error handling pattern. Select all handler functions with multi-cursor, then apply the transformation once.

Trick 14: Privacy Mode for Sensitive Code

Working on proprietary algorithms or sensitive business logic? Enable Privacy Mode:

Settings → Cursor → Privacy Mode

In this mode:

• Code is not sent to AI for indexing

• Completions work but without full context

• Manual control over what gets shared

Use this for:

• Proprietary algorithms

• Security-critical code

• Client code under NDA

• Anything you wouldn't want in training data

Trick 15: Chaining Commands with "then"

Combine multiple operations in one prompt:

Refactor the PaymentService to use dependency injection,
then write unit tests for each public method,
then update the documentation to reflect the new architecture

Cursor executes each step in sequence, using the output of previous steps as context.

More complex chains:

@codebase find all places where we manually construct SQL queries,
then refactor them to use Prisma,
then add input validation,
then write tests for the refactored code

The Workflow: Putting It All Together

Here's how I use these techniques in a typical development session:

Starting a New Feature

1. Understand the codebase:

   @codebase how does the notification system work?
   

2. Plan with Composer:

   Cmd+I: I need to add email notifications for order status changes.
   Show me what files need to change and what the architecture should look like.
   

3. Generate with templates:

   /generate email notification service following our patterns
   

4. Implement with inline generation:
- Write specs as comments, Tab to implement

5. Test with @tests:

   @tests comprehensive tests for NotificationService
   

6. Review with @codebase:

   @codebase are there any other places that should trigger notifications?
   

Debugging a Production Issue

1. Analyze with @errors:

   @errors [paste full error with stack trace]
   

2. Investigate with @git:

   @git what changed in the affected files recently?
   

3. Fix with Cmd+K:
- Select problematic code, describe the fix

4. Verify with @tests:

   @tests write a regression test for this specific bug
   

The Mindset Shift

Stop thinking of Cursor as an autocomplete tool. Think of it as a developer who:

• Knows your entire codebase

• Follows your conventions

• Never gets tired

• Can check documentation instantly

• Works at your speed, not theirs

The techniques above aren't just productivity hacks - they represent a fundamentally different way of developing software. The developers who master these patterns don't just code faster; they think at a higher level of abstraction.

My Take: Invest the Learning Time

In my opinion, Cursor with these techniques is the most significant productivity improvement in my 15-year programming career. The initial learning investment pays dividends on every single task.

The developers who dismiss Cursor as "just fancy autocomplete" are leaving 10x productivity on the table. The developers who learn these power-user patterns become force multipliers for their teams.

Master these 15 techniques. Your velocity will never be the same.