Cursor cheatsheet

Cursor has two surfaces that look similar but are not interchangeable: the Cursor editor and the agent/cursor-agent terminal CLI. The reference below keeps their commands separate. CLI rows were checked against the installed binary v2026.08.11-e8db854; editor workflows and documented CLI behavior were checked against Cursor’s official docs on 2026-08-18.

Use the search box for a flag, file, shortcut, or workflow such as resume, permissions, mcp, Bugbot, or model.

Command drill

16 verified Cursor commands. Read the task, type the command, press Enter. Every answer is on this page's tables - this drill only asks what the verified data already states.

Answer key - all 16 commands

Start an interactive terminal agent session in the current workspace. cursor-agent
Authenticate with Cursor using the browser flow. cursor-agent login
Show authentication status, account, and endpoint configuration. cursor-agent status
Sign out and clear stored authentication. cursor-agent logout
List previous chats for resuming. cursor-agent ls
Resume the latest chat session. cursor-agent resume
Continue the previous session. cursor-agent --continue
Update Cursor Agent to the latest version. cursor-agent update
Display version, system, and account information. cursor-agent about --format json
Start read-only planning mode; analyze and propose without edits. cursor-agent --mode plan
Start read-only Q&A mode for explanations and questions. cursor-agent --mode ask
List available models and exit. cursor-agent --list-models
Trust the current workspace without prompting. cursor-agent --trust
Allow commands unless explicitly denied. cursor-agent --force
Use Smart Auto: automatically run safe tool calls and prompt for the rest. cursor-agent --auto-review
Editor chat command that creates a reusable project rule. /create-rule

53 commands · verified against the installed binary v2026.08.11-e8db854 and the official docs · checked 2026-08-18 source source source source source source source

CLI: install & sessions

Start, authenticate, automate, and return to terminal agent conversations.

Command	What it does	Notes
`curl https://cursor.com/install -fsS \| bash` docs	Install Cursor CLI on macOS, Linux, or Windows WSL.	Verify with `cursor-agent --version`; the CLI is currently beta.
`cursor-agent`	Start an interactive terminal agent session in the current workspace.
`cursor-agent "<prompt>"` `cursor-agent "explain this repository"`	Start a session with an initial prompt.
`cursor-agent login`	Authenticate with Cursor using the browser flow.
`cursor-agent status`	Show authentication status, account, and endpoint configuration.
`cursor-agent logout`	Sign out and clear stored authentication.
`cursor-agent ls`	List previous chats for resuming.
`cursor-agent resume`	Resume the latest chat session.
`cursor-agent --resume <chat-id>`	Resume a specific chat by ID; omit the ID to select one.
`cursor-agent --continue`	Continue the previous session.
`cursor-agent update`	Update Cursor Agent to the latest version.	Alias: `cursor-agent upgrade`.
`cursor-agent about --format json`	Display version, system, and account information.

CLI: modes & models

Choose planning behavior, model selection, and machine-readable output.

Command	What it does	Notes
`cursor-agent --mode plan`	Start read-only planning mode; analyze and propose without edits.	Alias: `--plan`.
`cursor-agent --mode ask`	Start read-only Q&A mode for explanations and questions.
`cursor-agent --model <model>` `cursor-agent --model gpt-5 "review this change"`	Select a model for the session.
`cursor-agent --list-models`	List available models and exit.	The `cursor-agent models` command also lists models for the account.
`cursor-agent -p --output-format <text\|json\|stream-json>`	Run non-interactively and select human-readable or structured output.	`--output-format` requires print mode; `stream-json` is useful for event processing.
`CURSOR_API_KEY=<key> cursor-agent -p "<prompt>"` docs	Authenticate a script or CI job with an API key.	Prefer the environment variable over putting a key in shell history.

CLI: permissions & workspaces

Control what the terminal agent can touch before granting it autonomy.

Command	What it does	Notes
`cursor-agent --trust`	Trust the current workspace without prompting.	Only use in a workspace you have reviewed.
`cursor-agent --force`	Allow commands unless explicitly denied.	Alias: `--yolo`; use with care. In print mode, write access requires force.
`cursor-agent --auto-review`	Use Smart Auto: automatically run safe tool calls and prompt for the rest.
`cursor-agent --sandbox <enabled\|disabled>`	Explicitly enable or disable CLI sandbox mode.	Overrides configuration.
`cursor-agent --workspace <path-or-name>`	Choose a workspace directory or saved workspace.
`cursor-agent --add-dir <path>`	Add another workspace root; repeat for multiple roots.
`cursor-agent -w [name]`	Start in an isolated git worktree.	Use `--worktree-base <branch>` to choose its base.
`~/.cursor/cli-config.json` docs	Global CLI permission configuration.	Project-specific permissions live in `<project>/.cursor/cli.json`.
`Shell(git) / Read(src/) / Write(src/)` docs	Permission tokens for shell, file reads, and file writes.	Put tokens in `permissions.allow` or `permissions.deny`; deny rules take precedence.

Editor & CLI: rules

Give both Cursor surfaces durable, scoped project instructions.

Command	What it does	Notes
`.cursor/rules/<name>.mdc` docs	Create a version-controlled project rule with MDC frontmatter.	Use `description`, `globs`, and `alwaysApply` to control scope.
`AGENTS.md` docs	Use a plain root-level instruction file for simple project guidance.	The CLI also reads root-level `CLAUDE.md`; project rules are the richer, scoped system.
`.cursorrules` docs	Legacy project instruction file.	Still supported, but deprecated; use `.cursor/rules`.
`New Cursor Rule` docs	Editor Command Palette action to create a project rule.
`/create-rule`	Editor chat command that creates a reusable project rule.
`cursor-agent generate-rule`	Generate a Cursor rule with interactive CLI prompts.	Alias: `cursor-agent rule`.

Editor & CLI: MCP

Extend the agent with Model Context Protocol servers, then inspect and approve them deliberately.

Command	What it does	Notes
`.cursor/mcp.json` docs	Project MCP configuration detected by the IDE and CLI.	The CLI also reads `~/.cursor/mcp.json`.
`cursor-agent mcp list`	List configured MCP servers and their status.
`cursor-agent mcp list-tools <server>`	List a configured server’s tools and argument names.
`cursor-agent mcp login <server>`	Authenticate with a configured MCP server.
`cursor-agent mcp enable\|disable <server>`	Add or remove a server from the local approved list.	Disabling prevents loading and approval prompts.
`cursor-agent --approve-mcps`	Automatically approve all MCP servers for this run.	Review server trust before using this shortcut.

Editor: background agents & Bugbot

Delegate work to Cursor’s hosted agents and use automated pull-request review.

Command	What it does	Notes
`Ctrl+E` docs	Open the Background Agent control panel.
`Cloud Agents (formerly Background Agents)` docs	Delegate a task to an isolated cloud VM that can build, test, and return changes for review.	Start from Cursor Desktop, cursor.com/agents, integrations, or the API; source-control connection is required.
`cursor-agent worker start`	Start a private cloud worker that connects Cursor to an environment you control.	Use `cursor-agent worker --help` for pool, token, labels, and opt-in computer-use options.
`.cursor/BUGBOT.md` docs	Project-specific instructions automatically included in Bugbot reviews.	Nested files can scope guidance to changed-file directories.
`cursor review` docs	Comment on a pull request to manually trigger a Bugbot review.	Alias: `bugbot run`.
`cursor review verbose=true` docs	Request verbose Bugbot logs and a request ID for troubleshooting.

Editor: useful shortcuts

Fast navigation and context control in the Cursor editor; keybindings can be remapped.

Command	What it does	Notes
`Ctrl+Shift+P` docs	Open the Command Palette.
`Ctrl+I / Ctrl+L` docs	Toggle the AI side panel.
`Ctrl+.` docs	Open the mode menu.
`Ctrl+/` docs	Cycle through AI models.
`Ctrl+K` docs	Open Inline Edit; in the terminal, open the terminal prompt bar.	The active editor surface determines the action.
`@ / # / ! / /` docs	Add symbols/files, invoke shell mode, or open shortcut commands in chat.
`Tab` docs	Accept a Cursor Tab suggestion.
`Ctrl+R` docs	Review generated changes in the CLI; in the editor, keybindings can vary by context.	Use the Command Palette to inspect or remap the current binding.