# How to use Cursor: the AI code editor, step by step

> Cursor is an AI code editor from Anysphere, built on VS Code. You describe a change in plain words, and its agent reads your project, edits files and runs commands. It suits small apps, unfamiliar code and bug fixes. Download it, open a folder, press Ctrl+I, ask for one change and read the diff before you keep it.

Mindket editors · Published 2026-11-06 · Updated 2026-11-06 · https://mindket.com/learn/tools/cursor

## In short

- Cursor is made by Anysphere, and its built-in agent edits your files from plain requests.
- Start in an empty folder with one small request, then read every changed line.
- Ask only reads, Agent edits, Plan writes a plan first and Debug hunts for the cause of a bug.
- Terminal commands wait for your approval by default, and a checkpoint puts your files back.
- Usage on the Free plan is limited, and paid plans cover heavier Agent work.

## What Cursor is

Cursor is a code editor with an AI agent inside it. A code editor is the app where programmers read and change the files of a program. Cursor is built on top of VS Code, so its layout and default shortcuts look familiar to anyone who has used that editor. You type what you want changed, and the agent finds the files involved, edits them and can run commands to check the result.

Anysphere, the company that trades as Cursor, was founded in 2022, and SpaceX bought it in a deal that closed on August 14, 2026. The desktop app runs on Windows 10 or later, macOS 12 Monterey or later and Linux. The same agents also run in the cloud from [cursor.com/agents](https://cursor.com/agents). The Free plan costs nothing and has limited usage, and heavier use of Agent needs a paid plan.

## What Cursor is good for

- **Explaining code you did not write**: Ask mode answers questions about a project and leaves every file alone, so it suits a first look at someone else's code.
- **Building a page or a feature from plain words**: Agent mode edits the files itself and can start the app or run its tests to check them.
- **Hunting a stubborn bug**: Debug mode is meant for tricky bugs that need evidence from the running app.
- **Planning a bigger change first**: Plan mode reads the codebase, asks you questions and writes a plan you can edit before any code changes.
- **Reviewing code before it goes out**: the /agent-review command checks your local changes, and Bugbot reviews pull requests on GitHub.
- **Finishing your lines as you type**: Tab completion offers code suggestions while you write, separate from the Agent chat.

## When to use Cursor, and when to pick another tool

Cursor fits people who want to watch an agent edit real files inside an editor. Other jobs fit other tools. [GitHub Copilot](https://mindket.com/learn/tools/github-copilot) adds an agent to the editor you already have, [Claude Code](https://mindket.com/learn/tools/claude-code) works from a terminal window, and [Ollama](https://mindket.com/learn/tools/ollama) or [LM Studio](https://mindket.com/learn/tools/lm-studio) run models on your own computer.

| Your job | Use Cursor? | Or try |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Build or change an app and see every edit in an editor | Yes, this is what it is for | GitHub Copilot in VS Code |
| Ask what an unfamiliar project does | Yes, in Ask mode | GitHub Copilot Chat |
| Work from a terminal window with no editor | Not its main way | Claude Code |
| Hand a GitHub issue to an agent and get a pull request back | Not its main route | GitHub Copilot cloud agent |
| Run a model on your own computer, offline | No, its agent uses models from cloud providers | Ollama or LM Studio |
| Chat, research or write an email | No, it is built around code | ChatGPT or Claude |

## How to use Cursor, step by step

These steps take you from the download page to a first change you have read and can undo. The menu names are the ones Cursor's help pages use.

1. **Download.** Go to [cursor.com/download](https://cursor.com/download) and click the button for your operating system. Windows gets an .exe installer and macOS a .dmg file.
2. **Install.** On a Mac, drag Cursor into the **Applications** folder. On Windows, run the installer. On Linux, use the apt or dnf package, or the AppImage file.
3. **Sign in.** Open Cursor and sign in with your Cursor account when it asks. You can create one at [cursor.com](https://cursor.com).
4. **Open a folder.** Choose **File** > **Open Folder** and pick a new empty folder. A folder is all Cursor needs to start working.
5. **Open Agent.** Press Ctrl+I on Windows or Linux, or Cmd+I on a Mac. The Agent panel opens beside your files.
6. **Type a request.** Describe one small change in plain words and press Enter, for example the prompt in the next section. Agent creates and edits files while you watch the chat.
7. **Read each command.** By default every terminal command waits for your approval. Read it, then approve or refuse.
8. **Read the diff.** When Agent finishes, look at each changed line and reject what you did not ask for. Agent saves its edits as it works, so this step is yours to do.
9. **Go back if you need to.** Hover over an earlier message and click **Restore Checkpoint**. Checkpoints live on your computer only, so also save a Git commit after each good step. Git is the tool that records every saved state of a project.

1. Choose **File** > **Open Folder** and pick a new empty folder. A folder is all Cursor needs to start.
   ![An illustration of Cursor with its File menu open and a gold ring around Open Folder.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/cursor-1-open-folder.webp?v=37f0a196dee4)
2. Press Ctrl+I, or Cmd+I on a Mac, to open the **Agent** panel on the right side of the window.
   ![An illustration of Cursor with a gold ring around the Agent panel on the right side of the window.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/cursor-2-agent-panel.webp?v=606b464f21a8)
3. Type one small change in plain words in the box at the bottom of the Agent panel and press Enter. Agent starts creating files while you watch the chat.
   ![An illustration of Cursor with a gold ring around the request box at the bottom of the Agent panel, which holds a typed request.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/cursor-3-request-box.webp?v=0555b1aa6955)
4. Go back if a step goes wrong. Point at an earlier message in the chat and click **Restore Checkpoint**.
   ![An illustration of Cursor with a gold ring around the Restore Checkpoint button beside a message in the Agent chat.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/cursor-4-restore-checkpoint.webp?v=2f2ffd5d8812)

*AI-made illustrations of Cursor's screens, drawn on 6 November 2026 to match these steps. They are not screenshots, so the real app may look different: follow what you see.*

> Cursor 3 added new views, such as an Agents view, so a button may sit somewhere other than these steps say. The tutorials at the top of this page show the steps on screen.

## An example to try

Open an empty folder in Cursor, open Agent and paste this request. It is a small job with a result you can check in a browser.

````text
Make a one-page website for a small bake sale in a single index.html file with embedded CSS and no external libraries.
Add a heading, a short welcome line, a list of three baked goods with one line each, and a button that says Order.
Keep it readable on a phone. Explain each file you create in one sentence.
````

- A new index.html appears in the file list, and the diff shows every line Agent wrote.
- Open index.html in a browser. You should see the heading, the welcome line, the three items and the Order button.
- Make the browser window narrow to check the phone layout, since the prompt asked for one.
- If something looks off, say so in one sentence, such as "the button is too small", and let Agent fix that one thing.
- Click **Restore Checkpoint** on your first message to watch the folder go back to empty.

## Tips for better results

- Make the first request one that only reads, in Ask mode or with a prompt like "Explain this codebase". Ask for a change after you know the layout.
- Keep each request small. One change gives you one diff to read.
- Type @ in the chat box, then a file name, when you know where the change belongs.
- Press Shift+Tab to switch modes, and choose Plan before a change that touches several files. Start a new chat when the task changes.
- When you type the same correction twice, turn it into a rule. [Mindket's Cursor rules guide](https://mindket.com/blog/cursor-rules) shows how.

## What it costs and what to watch

Since July 2025 the paid Pro plan has counted usage instead of a fixed number of requests, which surprised some customers with unexpected charges, as Wikipedia records. Read the current limits on [Cursor's pricing page](https://cursor.com/help/account-and-billing/pricing) before you rely on it every day.

Cursor's Run Modes page says plainly that "Auto-review is not a security boundary." Workspace trust is off by default, and the security page suggests a plain text editor for a repository you do not trust. Save a Git commit before a large request, since checkpoints live only on your computer.

## YouTube tutorials

- [Cursor 3.0 - Full Course for Beginners](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv8mLrLtyxo) (Tech With Tim)
- [Cursor: coding agents tutorial (2026)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF2WQgk1LtY) (leerob)
- [Cursor 3.0 Ultimate Guide: Beginner to Pro in 60 min](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DnOOa-5dTU) (Riley Brown)
- [Introducing Cursor 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxbULt_hCdA) (Cursor)

## Learn more about Cursor

- [Cursor AI tutorial: from install to your first reviewed change](https://mindket.com/learn/vibe-coding/cursor-tutorial)
- [What is vibe coding? Describe it, run it, check it](https://mindket.com/learn/vibe-coding/what-is-vibe-coding)
- [GitHub Copilot agent mode: build in VS Code, then hand work to the cloud](https://mindket.com/learn/vibe-coding/github-copilot-agent-mode)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cursor free?

Partly. You can sign up and use the Free plan at no charge, but its usage is limited. Heavier use of Agent needs a paid plan, and the Pro plan has counted usage rather than requests since July 2025.

### Do I need to know how to code to use Cursor?

Not to start. Cursor takes requests in plain words, and a first project can be a one-page site. You do need to read what it changes, so open the page, check the diff and use checkpoints to go back.

### Is Cursor the same as VS Code?

No. Cursor keeps VS Code's default keyboard shortcuts and adds its own for the AI features, such as Ctrl+L to send selected lines to Agent. VS Code itself gets an agent through GitHub Copilot.

### Should I use Cursor or GitHub Copilot?

It comes down to whether you will switch editors. Copilot installs into VS Code or JetBrains, while Cursor is an app of its own. Both let an agent edit files and run commands.

### Which AI models does Cursor use?

It offers models from several providers, including Claude, Grok and Google DeepMind, and its own Composer model. You can switch between them in the chat.

### Can Cursor change my files without asking?

Yes. Agent edits files in your folder without asking, except configuration files such as workspace settings. Terminal commands wait for approval by default. Use checkpoints and Git to go back, and a .cursorignore file to keep a file out of its reach.

## Sources

- [Cursor docs: Quickstart](https://cursor.com/docs/get-started/quickstart) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor help: Download and install Cursor](https://cursor.com/help/getting-started/install) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor help: Your first project](https://cursor.com/help/getting-started/first-project) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor help: Agent mode](https://cursor.com/help/ai-features/agent) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor help: Ask mode](https://cursor.com/help/ai-features/ask-mode) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor docs: Cursor Agent](https://cursor.com/docs/agent/overview) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor docs: Agent Security](https://cursor.com/docs/agent/security) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor docs: Run Modes](https://cursor.com/docs/agent/security/run-modes) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor docs: Agent Review](https://cursor.com/docs/agent/agent-review) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor help: Pricing](https://cursor.com/help/account-and-billing/pricing) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor help: Keyboard shortcuts](https://cursor.com/help/customization/keyboard-shortcuts) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor blog: Plan Mode](https://cursor.com/blog/plan-mode) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Cursor changelog](https://cursor.com/changelog) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Wikipedia: Cursor (company)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursor_(company)) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Tech With Tim on YouTube: Cursor 3.0 - Full Course for Beginners](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv8mLrLtyxo) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Riley Brown on YouTube: Cursor 3.0 Ultimate Guide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DnOOa-5dTU) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Cursor on YouTube: Introducing Cursor 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxbULt_hCdA) (read 2026-11-06)
- [leerob on YouTube: Cursor: coding agents tutorial (2026)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF2WQgk1LtY) (read 2026-11-06)

[Start the lesson](https://mindket.com/learn/vibe-coding/cursor-tutorial)