How to Set Up Cursor AI IDE

Download and Install

Get Cursor from cursor.com for Mac, Windows, or Linux. It's built on VS Code so the interface is immediately familiar. Your VS Code settings and extensions transfer automatically.

Import VS Code Configuration

On first launch, Cursor imports your VS Code extensions, themes, keybindings, and settings. Review the import and confirm. Everything should look like your existing VS Code setup.

Configure AI Model

Go to Cursor Settings > Models. Choose your preferred AI backend. Claude is recommended for code quality. Configure your API keys if using the Pro plan with custom model access.

Learn the Key Commands

Cmd+K opens inline editing. Cmd+L opens the chat panel. Cmd+Shift+K generates code from descriptions. @ references let you point the AI at specific files or documentation.

Set Up Codebase Indexing

Cursor indexes your entire project for context-aware suggestions. Ensure your .gitignore is clean so node_modules and build artifacts aren't indexed. Large repos may take a few minutes.

Customize Rules and Context

Create a .cursorrules file in your project root to give the AI persistent context about your codebase conventions, preferred libraries, and coding style.