Cursor IDE complete introductory tutorial, the most popular AI programming tool in 2026

Cursor is one of the hottest AI programming IDEs in 2026. It is developed by the Anysphere team and is deeply modified based on VS Code. It integrates models such as Claude, GPT series, and self-developed Cursor Tab into the code editor, allowing direct completion, reconstruction, generation, dialogue, and debugging. This article breaks down the entire process from downloading and installation to daily workflow, and provides an introductory tutorial for developers who have never used it before.

The content of this article is based on Cursor version 0.42 (the latest stable version in April 2026). Subsequent major versions may fine-tune the interface but the core functions remain unchanged. If you are already using GitHub Copilot or VS Code’s built-in AI, after reading it you will know which scenarios are more convenient and which can be replaced by Cursor.

What is Cursor and what does it have to do with VS Code?

Cursor is a fork of VS Code, not a plug-in. This means that all VS Code shortcut keys, plug-in market, and configuration files are directly compatible, but AI-related functions have been deeply rewritten to the core layer. You can move the .vscode directory directly and use it, and the migration cost is almost zero.

The biggest difference from the VS Code + Copilot plug-in is context management. Cursor can read the entire codebase by default (using local index + RAG search), while Copilot still stays at the current file + a small number of surrounding files. This makes the experience of refactoring, cross-file changes, and dependency tracing very different.

In terms of price, the free version of Cursor has 50 GPT-4 level model calls + 200 Cursor-small calls per month. $20 per month for Pro is unlimited. Business $40 per month plus Business Management. Twice more expensive than Copilot at $10, but both model selection and context window are significantly stronger.

Download, install and first time configuration

Download the corresponding platform installation package from the official website cursor.com, supporting macOS, Windows, and Linux. macOS users are recommended to use brew install --cask cursor for one-click installation to facilitate subsequent updates. The installation package is about 300MB, and the local indexer will be downloaded for about 100MB more when started for the first time.

When you start it for the first time, you will be asked if you want to import VS Code settings. If you have used VS Code before, it is strongly recommended to choose import. It copies settings.json, keybindings.json, extensions list, and all themes. The whole process takes less than 1 minute, and after the migration, it will be exactly the same as the original VS Code.

You can log in with GitHub or email. The free plan is available directly, and there is no compulsory card binding. It is recommended to run the free version for a week first and then upgrade once you are familiar with it. Note that the access stability of Cursor in mainland China is worse than that of Copilot. Domestic developers should prepare agents.

Core shortcuts Cmd K and Cmd L

Cmd K is for inline editing. Press Cmd K wherever the cursor is, and an input box will pop up to write instructions. AI will directly generate or rewrite code at the current position. For example, select a function and press Cmd K to enter "Add type annotation and error handling", and the changes can be completed in a few seconds. This is the most commonly used shortcut key on a daily basis.

Cmd L is a sidebar conversation, like ChatGPT but with code context. You can select the code and press Cmd L to ask questions, and the model will understand the context and give suggestions. For complex tasks such as "refactoring the state management of this module", Cmd L is more appropriate than Cmd K, because multiple rounds of iteration are possible.

There are two other things worth remembering: Cmd I is the multi-file editing mode of Composer, which can change N files at one time; Cmd Shift L is to send the current session to the entire codebase range. Together, these four cover 90% of daily AI usage scenarios.

Why is tab completion better than Copilot?

Cursor Tab is a self-developed low-latency completion model specially optimized for editor scenarios. Its biggest feature is the prediction of multi-line continuous editing: if you change a function name, it can predict the 3 to 5 call points you want to change next, and press Tab to continuously jump to them and automatically change them.

Compared with Copilot's single-point completion, Cursor Tab saves most time in reconstruction scenarios. For example, if you change useState to useReducer, Cursor will guide you along the way to change all related setter and dispatcher calls. Copilot only displays suggestions when you hit that line.

Latency-wise Cursor Tab averages 80 to 150 milliseconds and Copilot around 200 to 400 milliseconds. Daily editors can feel the difference. However, the Tab model can only use Cursor's own model and cannot be replaced by Claude. This is a pity for users who pursue the highest quality.

Composer multi-file editing practice

Composer is Cursor's most powerful and hardest to use feature. Press Cmd I to enter, enter a complete requirement such as "Add i18n support to the project, use next-intl, cover both Chinese and English languages", it will scan relevant files, plan changes, generate diff, and finally let you review them one by one.

The practical suggestion is to write down the requirements in detail. The results obtained by fuzzy instructions such as "optimize" are often incorrect. A good directive should contain three elements: action (what to add or change), scope (which files or directories), and constraints (which library to use or maintain compatibility). In this way, the error rate of Composer will be greatly reduced.

If the generated diff is incorrect, do not manually change it one by one. Directly continue to ask in Composer, "There is a problem with the change in src/utils.ts just now. You should use X instead of Y and regenerate it." AI retains context for redoing and is much better than manual work.

Access Claude and other models

Cursor has built-in support for Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Opus 4.7, GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and o4-mini. Toggle the model selector in the lower right corner. The free version can only use Cursor-small (own small models), and the Pro version can only use large models.

If you have your own API key, you can fill it in in Settings and use Bring Your Own Key mode to bypass the Cursor quota. This mode uses your own account according to the token, which may cost more but is not limited by the Cursor rate at all. Worth considering for heavy users.

There are considerations when choosing different models for different tasks. Cursor Tab is the fastest for daily completion. For reconstructing and understanding large modules, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is the most cost-effective. For complex planning use Claude Opus 4.7 or GPT-5. Gemini is suitable for scenarios that require very long context, such as reading an entire warehouse.

Project-level Rules and codebase indexing

The .cursorrules file is placed in the project root directory and is automatically read when Cursor starts. It contains project-specific conventions such as "use TypeScript strict mode", "place tests in the tests directory" and "disable the use of lodash", which AI will abide by in all builds.

When the Codebase index is started for the first time, it will scan all codes to generate a vector index, which may take 5 to 10 minutes for large projects. All cross-file queries are faster when done. It will be incrementally updated after each git pull. If there is an index error, just go to Settings → Features → Codebase Indexing → Reset to rebuild it.

The @ symbol is the syntax for manually referencing context. @file refers to a file, @folder refers to an entire directory, @symbol refers to a class or function, and @docs refers to a document. For complex queries, use the @ combination to precisely control the context, and the model answers will be much more accurate.

Debugging and bug fixing workflow

Cursor does not have a dedicated debug button, but using Cmd L to add error messages is the fastest way to fix bugs. Copy the entire error stack into it, and the model will read the relevant files and provide a repair plan, along with an explanation of why the bug occurs.

A more advanced way is to use Composer plus a test driver. First describe the bug phenomenon and let AI write a failed test, run it to confirm that it can be reproduced, and then let AI fix the code until the test passes. This process is much more reliable than directly modifying the code and avoids changing other places.

Performance bugs are difficult to diagnose by relying solely on AI. You need to use profiler to get the flame graph or analysis data first, and then paste the data into Cursor for analysis. AI cannot see runtime data, but it can quickly point out hotspots and optimization directions after getting the flame graph.

Daily workflow recommendations

My daily workflow looks like this. The first thing in the morning when you turn on the computer is git pull + Cursor to automatically rebuild the index. Use Composer to write new features and generate the first version in one go. Code review and other people's PR use Cmd L plus @ to analyze the quoted files. To fix the bug, use Cmd L to post the error.

Before submitting the code, use Cmd K to select the changes and write "Generate conventional commit style submission information". If there are unfinished tasks before leaving get off work, write them in the TODO section of .cursorrules, and Cursor will automatically read them when you open them the next day. This process can save 1 to 2 hours of mechanical coding time every day.

A pitfall to avoid: Don’t treat AI as a fully trusted collaborator. The generated code must be reviewed by yourself, especially boundary conditions, error handling, and performance-sensitive areas. Just because the AI ​​is written and runs well does not mean it is correct. The best approach is for AI to make the first draft and people to decide on the details.

Trade-offs between Copilot Claude Code and Copilot Claude Code

Cursor is suitable for developers who like an integrated IDE experience and have strong AI context needs. GitHub Copilot is suitable for teams with tight budgets and deep ties to the GitHub ecosystem. Claude Code is a command line tool suitable for heavy terminal users and headless automation scenarios.

If you can only choose one, I recommend trying the free version of Cursor first. After experiencing its Composer and codebase index, you will find that you can't go back to simple Copilot. If you are used to VS Code and don’t want to change IDE, use Copilot. If you mainly write scripts and backend, Claude Code plus VS Code is a more lightweight combination.

The three tools do not conflict and can be mixed. I write the main code myself in Cursor, switch heavy automation tasks to Claude Code to run the shell pipeline, and use Copilot Chat of GitHub Web UI to make emergency minor modifications directly in the browser.

FAQ

Is the free version of Cursor sufficient for daily use?

Sufficient for light use, 50 times GPT-4 + 200 times Cursor-small per month is approximately equivalent to 5 to 10 deep tasks per day. If you only write small projects or study, the free version is enough. Professional developers who average more than 4 hours of coding per day are recommended to upgrade to Pro, which costs $20 per month for unlimited access.

Will Cursor data be sent to the server?

The default is yes. Code snippets and context need to be sent to the OpenAI or Anthropic server to call the model. If there is sensitive code, go to Settings → Privacy to turn on Privacy Mode, and Cursor promises not to store or train it. The Enterprise Edition also supports local deployment of enterprise mode.

国内访问 Cursor 卡怎么办

配代理是最直接的方案。Cursor 的网络请求走 cursor.sh 和模型供应商域名，挂全局代理或者 PAC 模式都能解决。免费用户额度刷新可能延迟，付费用户基本不受影响。Settings → Network 也能配代理服务器。

Cursor 能离线用吗

不能。所有 AI 功能依赖云端模型，没网就只剩 VS Code 基础功能。这点和 GitHub Copilot 一样。如果有离线需求只能装本地模型方案比如 Ollama + Continue 插件，体验比 Cursor 差不少但能脱机。

Will I lose anything when migrating from VS Code?

Won't. All settings, keybindings, extensions, themes, and code snippets are automatically migrated. Git history and workspace configuration are unchanged. The only thing to note is that the Copilot plug-in is automatically disabled in Cursor due to functional conflicts. Other plugins are 99% compatible.

Cursor is one of the most worthwhile developer tools in 2026. From a VS Code fork to a current valuation of $9 billion, there is a real need for the AI ​​programming paradigm. Regardless of whether you choose it or not, you will have more say after using it for a week than reading reviews.