Cursor
Category: Code
How I use Cursor
Cursor was my introduction to coding. It was the first IDE I ever used, and it is still the one I use for nearly everything I build. What started as a place to practise small bits of Python has become the workspace behind most of my projects.
I use it to build, navigate codebases, debug issues, and ship changes all within the app. It is still an editor, but it also feels like a working environment for the whole project. I can write code myself, make inline edits, inspect a codebase with an agent, switch models depending on the task, and test things in the editor browser when I need to see whether something actually works.
I like being able to stay in control of how a project takes shape while having an agent alongside me to manage the work I can delegate. It might scaffold a new project, investigate a problem, or implement a first version for me to review and refine. Other parts I still want to do myself, especially when I am learning, trying to understand how something works, or making decisions that affect the project's direction.
The value for me is not having an agent do everything, but being able to choose where it helps and where I still want to think through the work myself.
Features I use most
- Inline edit: Lets me change or ask about a specific piece of code without leaving the file.
- Browser control: Lets an agent navigate the app, inspect elements with dev tools, adjust CSS, test interactions and verify its own changes.
- Model switching: Lets me choose among speed, stronger reasoning or a model that suits a particular task.
- Multi-agents: Split larger jobs into smaller streams, such as frontend, backend and testing.
- Built-in Git: Keeps implementation, debugging, diffs and deployment together.
- Plan Mode: Breaks down objectives into steps before execution, for review before any code is changed.
- Cloud Agents: Handles longer-running tasks in a remote environment, where the agent can run with minimal intervention.
I mainly access them using shortcuts to speed up the process and make moving through a project more efficient. Here are a few I use most:
How I customise Cursor
Agents work much better when they can access the tools and information around a project, rather than only seeing the code in front of them. I also have fewer issues directing a task when Cursor already knows how I like things to be done.
Some of that comes from normal editor extensions. The more agent-specific parts come from MCPs, skills and rules, which give it access to other tools, package up things I do repeatedly and tell it how I want it to work inside a project.
Cursor lets me work on projects that would be much harder for me to manage line by line on my own. I still want to understand what I am building, though, so I try to use agents to extend what I can do rather than completely replace the work.