Cursor rules

Cursor rules that actually change what the agent does

Cursor reads project rules from .cursor/rules, where each rule is an .mdc file with a short frontmatter block. Older repos may still have a single root .cursorrules file; new rules belong in the folder.

Reviewed Oct 17, 2026. Checked against Cursor's rules documentation.

Rules setupRules in every agentTeam RulesAllow all commandsPrivacy ModeCursor at a glance

How a rule is applied

  • Always apply (alwaysApply: true): included in every session.
  • Apply intelligently: the agent decides from the description.
  • Apply to specific files: attached when a file matches globs. Separate multiple patterns with commas.
  • Apply manually: only when you @-mention the rule in chat.
  • Also read: User Rules (global, set in Customize > Rules), Team Rules on Team and Enterprise plans, and AGENTS.md files, which can be nested in subfolders.

.cursor/rules/backend.mdc

---
description: RPC service conventions for the backend
globs: src/server/**/*.ts
alwaysApply: false
---

- Keep handlers thin; business logic lives in src/server/services.
- Validate input with the shared schemas in src/server/schemas.

Cursor Team Rules

Team-wide rules managed from the Cursor dashboard. Available on Team and Enterprise plans.

  • Team administrators create and manage Team Rules directly from the Cursor dashboard.
  • Admins choose whether each rule is enforced. An enforced rule is required for every team member and cannot be disabled in Customize. A rule that is not enforced can be toggled off by each member under Team Rules in Customize.
  • A rule with a glob pattern (for example **/*.py) only applies when matching files are in context. A rule without a glob applies to every conversation.
  • Leave the enable box unchecked to save a rule as a draft that does not apply yet.
  • Enabled Team Rules are included in Agent (Chat) context across all repositories and projects for the team.
  • Order: Team Rules, then Project Rules, then User Rules. All applicable rules are merged, and earlier sources win when guidance conflicts.

Full rules setup guide: project rules, User Rules, Team Rules and AGENTS.md

Get Cursor rules and settings changes by email

When Cursor changes how rules, run modes or settings work, we update these pages from the docs and send a short note. One email a week at most.

Rules of thumb

  • Keep each rule under 500 lines; split by topic instead.
  • Reference files instead of pasting their contents.
  • Write what the agent cannot infer from the code: commands that must pass, sharp edges, what not to touch.
  • Plain .md files in .cursor/rules are ignored; use .mdc with frontmatter.
  • Share one set of instructions across tools with AGENTS.md, which Cursor also reads.

Rule templates

Short, opinionated starting points. Copy one into .cursor/rules and edit it to match your repo.

TypeScript · React · Next.js

Next.js App Router

Server Components by default, data fetching on the server, and the App Router conventions agents most often get wrong.

TypeScript

TypeScript (strict)

Strict typing rules that stop agents from reaching for any, non-null assertions and unchecked casts.

React

React components

Component, hook and state rules that keep generated React readable and accessible.

Python 3

Python

Typing, packaging and testing rules for modern Python projects managed with uv or pip.

Python · FastAPI · Pydantic

FastAPI

Routing, validation and dependency-injection rules for FastAPI services.

Node.js · TypeScript · Fastify

Fastify

Plugin, schema and error-handling rules for Fastify APIs.

Node.js · Express

Node.js and Express

Routing, validation and error-handling rules for Express APIs.

Go

Go

Error handling, package layout and testing rules for idiomatic Go.

Rust

Rust

Error handling and safety rules for Rust crates.

Python · pandas · Jupyter

Data science notebooks and pipelines

Reproducibility rules for analysis code, notebooks and data pipelines.

Any language

Testing discipline

Make the agent prove changes with tests instead of declaring success.

Any language

Security guardrails

Baseline rules that stop agents from leaking secrets or weakening auth.

More Cursor setup guides

Sourced answers for the Cursor settings people search for most.

How to allow Cursor to run all commands: Run Everything, allowlist and sandbox

How do I let Cursor's agent run commands without asking?

Cursor Privacy Mode: telemetry, training and data retention

Does Cursor store or train on my code?

Add MCP servers to Cursor with mcp.json

How do I add an MCP server to Cursor?

Keep files out of Cursor with .cursorignore

How do I stop Cursor from reading certain files?

Cursor CLI: install, headless mode, permissions and CI

How do I set up and run the Cursor CLI, including in scripts and CI?

Cursor hooks: hooks.json, beforeShellExecution, afterFileEdit and exit codes

How do I configure hooks in Cursor to run scripts on agent events?

Cursor sandbox: sandbox.json, network allowlist and run modes

How does Cursor's agent terminal sandbox work and how do I configure it?

Cursor settings: settings.json, Cursor Settings and the ~/.cursor config files

How do I find and edit Cursor's settings files?

Cursor browser agent: @browser, browser automation and approval modes

How do I let Cursor's Agent use the built-in browser?

Cursor subagents: .cursor/agents, frontmatter, built-in Explore and Browser

How do I create and use subagents in Cursor?

Cursor telemetry and OpenTelemetry export (Privacy Mode, OTLP, Analytics API)

How do I control Cursor telemetry and export usage data to OpenTelemetry?

Cursor rules setup: project, user and Team Rules, .mdc frontmatter, globs and AGENTS.md

How do I add project rules in Cursor?