🚀 Cursor AI Tips & Tricks

The ultimate guide to mastering Cursor AI IDE

Keyboard shortcuts, Composer workflows, best practices for 2026, and benchmarks for GPT-5.3 Codex vs Claude Opus 4.6 vs Composer 1.5

⚠️ Critical Bug • 🆕 Cursor 2.4 • ⚔️ 2026 Models • 🎭 PlayWhite • Shortcuts • Composer • MCP • Enterprise • 📅 Weekly Updates

Caution

🚨 CRITICAL: Revert Bug Active in Cursor 2.4.x

A new file locking conflict between Agent Review Tab and the editor causes code changes to silently revert. The AI writes changes to disk (visible in git diff), but the IDE cache doesn't update — you see old code while new code is committed.

Workaround: Close the Agent Review Tab before using "Fix in Chat". Disable "Format On Save" and Prettier. Use defensive commits. Read the Revert Bug Guide →

Why Cursor?

💰 December 2025: Anysphere (Cursor's parent company) valued at $29.3 billion after Series D funding, reflecting the explosive adoption of AI-assisted development.

Cursor is not just VS Code with AI - it's a fork that integrates LLMs directly into the rendering pipeline. This enables:

Cursor Tab: Multi-line predictions (not just single line like Copilot)
Composer: Autonomous multi-file editing agent
Shadow Workspace: Background indexing for semantic search
Native Diffs: Inline green/red diff visualization

🆕 What's New in Cursor 2.0/2.1

Plan Mode (2.1)

Strategic thinking before coding. AI analyzes, plans, asks clarifying questions - then executes.

"Plan Mode forces 'measure twice, cut once' philosophy"

Instant Grep (2.1)

Millisecond codebase search. No more context hallucinations - agent verifies every reference instantly.

Multi-Agent Interface (2.0)

Run parallel agents using git worktrees:

Agent 1: Refactoring component
Agent 2: Writing tests
No file lock conflicts

Composer Improvements

4x faster than general LLMs for diff-edit loops
Codebase-wide semantic search
Implicit checkpoints for instant rollback

→ Full 2.0/2.1 Guide

⚠️ Deprecated Features

Some features were removed in 2.0/2.1:

Removed	Replacement
Interpreter Mode	Agent + Terminal
@Web, @Definitions	Auto-context
Reapply Button	Checkpoints
.cursorrules	.mdc files
Fast Request Packs	Usage-based pricing

→ Full Deprecated Features Guide

Lovable + Cursor Workflow

Popular "vibe coding" pattern for rapid prototyping:

1. Lovable → Design UI visually, connect to GitHub
2. Clone → Pull repo to local
3. Cursor → Add backend logic, APIs, complex features
4. Push → Sync back to Lovable

Users report building full SaaS products in 4 days using this hybrid approach.

→ Full Lovable + Cursor Guide

🆕 What's New in Cursor 2.4 (February 2026)

🎯 "The Agentic Engineering Release" — Cursor 2.4 marks the shift from "AI assistant" to "autonomous engineer" with Long-Running Agents, Subagents, and Composer 1.5.

Long-Running Agents (Research Preview)

Available for Ultra, Teams & Enterprise users since Feb 12, 2026. Agents can now plan and execute tasks for hours without human intervention.

Plan-First Architecture: Agents perform full dependency analysis before making any changes — no more "chat and fix" loops
Cross-Module Awareness: Agents scan all inter-module relationships to predict side-effects before editing
PR-Quality Output: Tests, docs, and refactoring delivered as a single atomic operation — fewer follow-up fixes

Subagents (Specialized Workers)

The main agent decomposes tasks into specialized subagents:

Main Agent
├── Terminal Subagent → Runs commands
├── Docs Subagent → Scans documentation
├── Test Subagent → Runs & writes tests
└── Refactor Subagent → Code changes

Parallel processing significantly reduces development time for complex features.

Composer 1.5

A new distilled model optimized for code synthesis, positioned as a cost-effective alternative to Claude Opus 4.6:

Aspect	Composer 1.5	Claude Opus 4.6
Speed	30% faster	Baseline
Refactoring	Excellent	Excellent
Abstract Planning	Good	Superior
Cost	50% discount	$$$

⚠️ "Auto-Mode Anxiety": Users report confusion about how credits are consumed in Auto mode. API costs vs. subscription pool credits lack transparency.

Revert Bug (v2.4.x) — Still Active

A file locking conflict between Agent Review Tab and the editor window:

Symptom	Cause
Code appears then reverts	Race condition between Review Tab (read-only) and Chat agent (write)
`git diff` shows changes but editor shows old code	IDE cache not synced with disk

Workaround: Close Agent Review Tab before "Fix in Chat". Disable Format On Save.

→ Full 2.4 Guide

⚔️ 2026 Model Landscape

The AI coding landscape has shifted dramatically in February 2026. The era of "Agentic Engineering" replaces "Vibe Coding" — engineers now orchestrate agents rather than write code.

Tier	Model	Best For	Cost
Senior Architect	Claude Opus 4.6	Deep reasoning, multi-file refactoring, legacy migration (SWE-bench: 80.8%)	$$$
10x Implementer	GPT-5.3 Codex	Speed, one-shot features, 30% faster than Opus	$$
Cost-Effective	Composer 1.5	Code synthesis, refactoring (distilled, 50% cheaper)	$
Disruptor	DeepSeek V3.2 / V4	Budget, local/privacy, open-source (1/50th cost of GPT-5.1)	¢
Daily Driver	Gemini 3 Pro	Routine changes, codebase indexing	$

→ Full 2026 Model Guide | → 2026 Best Practices Rules

🎭 "PlayWhite" Workflow (New Trend)

The viral Playwright + MCP workflow for self-healing tests.

What: Connect Playwright to Cursor via MCP.
Why: Agent runs tests → Fails → Fixes code → Verify.
Result: Test-Driven Development on Autopilot.

→ Full "PlayWhite" Guide

🆕 What's New in Cursor 2.3 (December 2025)

🎯 "The Stability Release" - Cursor 2.3 focuses entirely on fixing the "Agent Hang" and "Zombie Revert" bugs that plagued version 2.2.

Key Fixes

Agent Stability: Fixed issues where Composer would freeze mid-generation.
Layout Controls: New panel positioning system is now production-ready.
Diff View: Critical fixes to the diff application logic.

Recommendation: Upgrade to 2.3. The release focuses specifically on fixing stability issues like the "Agent Hang" and diff application bugs from 2.2.

Process Separation (The Big Change)

Extensions now run in an isolated process. If an extension crashes, AI keeps working:

Before: Extension crash → Everything freezes
After:  Extension crash → AI continues working ✅

This is critical for enterprise users with large codebases.

Layout Customization Engine

Four preset layouts with ⌘+⌥+⇥ (Mac) / Ctrl+Alt+Tab (Win):

Mode	Description	Best For
Agent	50/50 Chat + Editor	Pair programming with AI
Editor	Maximized editor	Deep focus
Zen	Hidden chrome	Complex algorithms
Browser	Split with Chromium	Frontend dev

Enterprise Features

Service Accounts - Headless CI/CD automation
SOC 2 Certified - Enterprise compliance ready
Enforcement Hooks - Block sensitive data in prompts
Linux Sandboxing - Container-friendly deployments

→ Full 2.3 Guide | → Enterprise Features

🚨 Critical: Revert Bug (v2.4.x)

⚠️ DATA LOSS WARNING: Active in Cursor 2.4.x. A file locking conflict between Agent Review Tab and editor.

What Happens

AI writes changes to disk (git diff confirms), but IDE cache shows old code
"Fix in Chat" while Agent Review Tab is open causes a race condition — new code gets overwritten
Risk of committing stale code without realizing

Safety Protocol (February 2026)

❌ DO NOT	✅ SAFE TO DO
Use "Fix in Chat" with Review Tab open	Close Review Tab first
Trust editor view without `git diff`	Verify with `git diff` after every agent op
Use Format On Save with agents	Disable Prettier/formatters during agent sessions
Run multiple agents on same files	Use sequential agents or separate branches

Defensive Commit (Critical)

# BEFORE every agent operation:
git add -A && git commit -m "pre-agent-$(date +%s)"

→ Full Revert Bug Guide | → Windows Terminal Fixes

🧠 Gemini 3 Pro Guide

🏆 HLE Benchmark Leader: 37.5% - Best reasoning performance ever recorded.

Model Comparison (February 2026)

Model	SWE-bench	Best For	Cost
Claude Opus 4.6	80.8%	Deep reasoning, multi-file refactoring, legacy migration	$$$
GPT-5.3 Codex	High	Speed (30% faster than Opus), one-shot features	$$
Composer 1.5	—	Code synthesis, refactoring (distilled, 50% cheaper)	$
Gemini 3 Pro	—	Architecture, reasoning, codebase indexing	Free (Beta)
DeepSeek V3.2	—	Budget, local/privacy, open-source (1/50th cost)	¢

New Model Strategy (Feb 2026)

Architecture Planning  → Claude Opus 4.6 (Best reasoning, 1M context)
Daily Implementation   → Composer 1.5 (Fast, 50% cheaper)
Speed-Critical Tasks   → GPT-5.3 Codex (30% faster execution)
Legacy Refactoring     → Claude Opus 4.6 (91% legacy migration success)
Local/Privacy          → DeepSeek V3.2 via Ollama (local-first)
Budget Bulk Work       → DeepSeek V3.2 (50x cheaper)

Configure Gemini for Codebase Indexing

Settings → Codebase Indexing → Model → Gemini 3 Pro

→ Full Gemini 3 Pro Guide

🆕 What's New in Cursor 2.2

⚠️ WARNING: Cursor 2.2 has critical bugs. See Cursor 2.2 Bugs before using.

Debug Mode (2.2)

Agent instruments your code with logging, you trigger the bug, agent analyzes runtime data for empirical debugging.

1. Describe bug → 2. Agent adds logging → 3. YOU trigger bug → 4. Agent analyzes → 5. Fix proposed

Visual Editor (2.2)

Bidirectional DOM ↔ Source Code editing. Select elements in browser, modify via GUI, changes write to source files.

Multi-Agent Judging (2.2)

Multiple agents solve your prompt in parallel. "Judge" agent picks the best solution. Increases token cost but improves quality.

⚠️ Critical Bugs in 2.2

Bug	Impact	Workaround
Revert Broken	Data loss!	Git commit before every agent call
Visual Editor Loop	Infinite re-apply	Avoid 'Visual' tab
WSL Terminal	Agent can't run commands	Enable Legacy Terminal

→ Full 2.2 Features Guide | → 2.2 Bugs & Workarounds

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

The Command Hierarchy

Command	Mac	Windows/Linux	Scope	When to Use
Inline Edit	`Cmd + K`	`Ctrl + K`	Single file	Quick fixes, rename, split function
Chat	`Cmd + L`	`Ctrl + L`	Conversational	Explain code, debug, explore
Composer	`Cmd + I`	`Ctrl + I`	Multi-file	Refactoring, new features
Composer Full	`Cmd + Shift + I`	`Ctrl + Shift + I`	Multi-file	Large refactors, review diffs
Add to Context	`Cmd + Shift + L`	`Ctrl + Shift + L`	Selection	Add selected code to chat
Terminal AI	`Cmd + K` (in terminal)	`Ctrl + K`	Shell	Generate shell commands

Quick Reference

Cmd + K  → "Fix this type error"
Cmd + L  → "Explain how auth works"  
Cmd + I  → "Refactor to use Axios instead of Fetch"

Pro Tip: Use Cmd + K for local scope, Cmd + I for global scope. Don't use Cmd + K for multi-file tasks.

→ Full Shortcuts Guide | → Development Workflows

🤖 Composer Mode

Composer is Cursor's killer feature - an autonomous agent that can plan and execute multi-file edits.

Normal vs Agent Mode

Mode	Description	Risk Level
Normal	Proposes edits, you click "Accept"	Safe
Agent	Creates/deletes files, runs terminal	⚠️ Use with caution

Checkpoints (Time Travel)

Composer creates snapshots at each step. If the AI breaks something:

Click previous Checkpoint
Workspace reverts instantly
Try different approach

Effective Prompting

❌ Bad: "Add a login page"

✅ Good:

Implement a login route:
- @user_model.ts @auth_service.ts @routes.json
- Use Zod for validation
- Match error format in @errors.ts
- Create unit test in tests/auth/

→ Full Composer Guide

📎 Context Management

The AI is only as good as the context you provide.

@ Symbol Reference

Symbol	What it does	Best for
`@Files`	Full file content	Active editing
`@Folders`	File tree + summaries	Architecture questions
`@Codebase`	Semantic RAG search	"Where is X used?"
`@Docs`	External documentation	Third-party APIs
`@Git`	Git history/diff	Commit messages, history
`@Web`	Web search	Current info

Pro Tips

@Codebase is probabilistic - if you call it "Login" 
but code says "SessionCreation", RAG may fail.

Use explicit @Files for critical tasks.

Notepads (Persistent Context)

Create a current_task_spec Notepad with:

PRD / Requirements
Design constraints
Architecture decisions

Reference with @current_task_spec in every new chat.

→ Full Context Guide | → Security Best Practices

📋 .cursorrules

System prompts that customize AI behavior per project.

Basic Setup

Create .cursorrules in project root:

You are an expert TypeScript engineer.
Use functional components with Hooks.
Use Tailwind CSS for styling.
Never use CSS modules or styled-components.
Every function needs a unit test.

Advanced: .mdc Files

New system uses .cursor/rules/*.mdc with glob patterns:

---
description: "React Component Rules"
globs: ["src/**/*.tsx"]
alwaysApply: false
---

Use shadcn/ui for primitives.
Components in src/ui must be presentational only.
Business logic goes in src/services.

Essential Rules

Category	Example Rule
Tech Stack	"Use Tailwind. Never styled-components."
Architecture	"Services in src/services, UI in src/ui"
Anti-Lazy	"Output FULL file. No placeholders. No `//...existing code`"
Testing	"Every function needs unit test in tests/"

The Anti-Lazy Prompt (Reddit Gold)

You are an expert engineer.
You DO NOT use placeholders.
You output the FULL content of the file every time.
You do not be lazy.

→ Full .cursorrules Guide | → .mdc Examples

🧠 Model Selection (February 2026 Update)

Latest Models Comparison

Model	Best For	Context	Speed	Cost
Claude Opus 4.6	Deep reasoning, legacy migration, multi-file refactoring	1M	Medium	$$$
GPT-5.3 Codex	Speed, one-shot features, tool orchestration	~1M	Fast	$$
Composer 1.5	Code synthesis, refactoring (distilled)	—	Fast	$
Gemini 3 Pro	Visuals, massive context, codebase indexing	2M	Fast	$
DeepSeek V3.2	Budget, local/privacy, open-source	Large	Medium	¢
DeepSeek V4 (coming soon)	Expected to rival Opus 4.6 in reasoning	TBD	TBD	¢

🆕 Claude Opus 4.6 (Feb 2026): SWE-bench 80.8%, 1M context with "Adaptive Thinking", 99.3% tool orchestration score. Dominant in telecom benchmarks.

🆕 GPT-5.3 Codex (Feb 2026): 30% faster than Opus 4.6, excellent one-shot feature implementation.

🆕 Composer 1.5 (Feb 2026): Cursor's own distilled model. 50% cheaper, optimized for code synthesis.

Model Personalities

Model	"Vibe"
Claude Opus 4.6	Senior Architect (Unmatched reasoning)
GPT-5.3 Codex	10x Implementer (Speed demon)
Composer 1.5	Efficient Specialist (Cost-effective)
Gemini 3 Pro	Creative Designer
DeepSeek V3.2	The Disruptor (Open-source champion)

The Plan-Act Pattern (Updated for 2.4)

1. PLAN (Claude Opus 4.6 — Long-Running Agent):
   "Analyze request. Scan all dependencies. Create plan.md"
   
2. CRITIQUE (Gemini 3 Pro - optional):
   "Review plan.md for efficiency gaps"
   
3. EXECUTE (Composer 1.5 / GPT-5.3 Codex — Subagents):
   "Implement Step 1 of plan.md. Run tests. Deliver as atomic PR."

Cost Optimization (Feb 2026)

Pro Plan ($20/mo):
├── Credit pool system (fast vs slow)
├── "Auto" mode switches models by task complexity
├── ⚠️ "Auto-Mode Anxiety" — unclear credit consumption
└── Set per-user spending limits (Enterprise)

Strategy:
├── Daily work → Composer 1.5 (50% cheaper, fast)
├── Heavy refactoring → Claude Opus 4.6 (BYOK)
├── Speed-critical → GPT-5.3 Codex
├── Budget/privacy → DeepSeek V3.2 via Ollama (local)
└── Hard bugs → Claude Opus 4.6 (deep reasoning)

Warning: Don't switch models mid-conversation. It breaks the "train of thought."

→ Full Model Guide

🔌 MCP Integration

Model Context Protocol lets Cursor connect to databases, GitHub, and browsers.

Quick Setup

Create mcp.json in project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres", "${env:DATABASE_URL}"]
    }
  }
}

Popular Servers

Server	Use Case
`server-postgres`	Query database schema
`github-mcp-server`	Manage PRs/Issues
`server-puppeteer`	Browser automation
`@playwright/mcp`	E2E testing, self-healing tests
`@sentry/mcp-server`	Production error debugging

Playwright Integration (Self-Healing Tests)

The most transformative MCP application:

1. Agent runs E2E test
2. Test fails (selector changed)
3. Agent analyzes DOM
4. Agent fixes test automatically
5. Agent verifies fix

→ Full MCP Guide

🔒 Security Concerns

⚠️ As AI agents gain autonomy, security risks increase exponentially.

The Agentic Attack Surface

The ability of an Agent to execute shell commands and connect to the internet (via MCP) introduces new risks:

Risk	Description
Prompt Injection	Malicious READMEs or docs that trick the AI
Credential Exfiltration	Agent accessing environment variables
MCP Exploits	Malicious MCP servers hijacking machines
YOLO Mode Dangers	Auto-execution of destructive commands

Security Best Practices

✅ Review all terminal commands before approval
✅ Use read-only MCP configurations
✅ Audit .mdc files in cloned repositories
✅ Never approve `env` or `printenv` commands
✅ Set strict YOLO mode restrictions
❌ Don't trust arbitrary @Docs sources
❌ Don't enable unrestricted shell access

The "Black Box" Risk

⚠️ "Vibe Coding" can create unmaintainable code

If you don't understand the AI-generated code:
- You can't debug it when AI fails
- It becomes "Legacy Code" immediately
- Security vulnerabilities go unnoticed

→ Full Security Guide

🔧 Troubleshooting

Quick Fixes

Problem	Solution
"Connection Failed"	New chat (Cmd+L), disable HTTP/2
"Stuck Generating"	New Composer (Cmd+N)
Files deleted by Agent	Use checkpoint to restore
Rules ignored	Restart Cursor
High token usage	Set API spending limits

The "Single Purpose Composer" Rule

Don't reuse Composer windows. One task = one Composer. Prevents context pollution.

Always Commit Before Agent

git add -A && git commit -m "checkpoint"

→ Full Troubleshooting Guide

🔥 Reddit Community Wisdom

Tips from r/cursor power users:

The "Fresh Chat" Rule

If debugging exceeds ~20 messages, context is polluted. Start NEW chat with summary.

The "Delete Bug"

In Agent mode, Cursor sometimes deletes and recreates files instead of editing. Always commit before Agent sessions.

Screenshot Debugging

Paste UI bug screenshots directly into chat. Vision models diagnose CSS issues better than text descriptions.

Cost Control

Set hard limits in OpenAI/Anthropic dashboard. Runaway Agent loops can drain your credit card.

Model Switching

Don't switch from GPT-4o to Claude mid-task. Stick to one model per conversation.

→ Full Reddit Tips

🔄 Workflows

Research-First Protocol

1. Discovery: "Map usage of User component" (no code yet)
2. Plan: "Propose refactor plan, list affected files"
3. Critique: Review plan, challenge assumptions
4. Execute: Open Composer, paste approved plan
5. Audit: Review git diff line-by-line

TDD with AI

1. "Write Vitest test for compound interest calculator"
2. Review test logic
3. "Now write function to pass this test"

Debug with AI

1. Command fails in terminal
2. Click "Debug with AI" button
3. AI gets full error context automatically
4. Don't manually copy-paste errors

→ Full Workflows Guide

⚔️ Cursor vs Competitors (February 2026)

Feature	Cursor 2.4	Google Antigravity	Windsurf (Wave 14)	GitHub Copilot
Philosophy	Agentic Engineering	Full Autonomy	Parallel Agents	Assistance
Architecture	Fork (Native)	New IDE (Cloud)	Fork (Cognition)	Extension
Multi-File	Long-Running Agents + Subagents ⭐	Agents	Cascade + Parallel Agents	Limited
Model Choice	All models + Composer 1.5	Gemini + Anthropic (capped 40%)	Proprietary	OpenAI only
Special	Plan-First, Long-Running Agents	Mission Control, Artifacts	Plan Mode → Auto Code Mode	Enterprise SSO
Price	$20/mo	Free Preview (⚠️ quota issues)	$15/mo (⚠️ rate limits)	$10/mo
Status	✅ Market leader	⚠️ Trust crisis	⚠️ Acquired by Cognition	Stable

Cursor vs Google Antigravity (Feb 2026 Update)

Aspect	Cursor	Antigravity
Control	Developer is pilot	Developer is mission controller
Verification	Git diffs, code review	Artifacts (screenshots, logs)
Best For	Precision, existing codebases	~~Greenfield, rapid prototyping~~ ⚠️ Quota crisis
Lock-in	Model agnostic	Google ecosystem
Stability	✅ Reliable (revert bug aside)	❌ Silent throttling, 4-10 day cooldowns
Feb 2026 Issue	Revert Bug (workaround available)	Quota crisis: Promised 5hr refresh, actual 4-10 day cooldowns. Mass refund requests.

⚠️ Antigravity Trust Crisis: Google silently changed quota policies. Users report 4-10 day cooldowns instead of the promised 5-hour refresh. Claude Opus 4.6 usage capped at 40% of pool. Agents hallucinate and enter recursive optimization loops in v2.1.4.

Windsurf: Acquired by Cognition (Feb 2026)

The biggest drama of the week:

OpenAI bid $3B for Windsurf → Microsoft vetoed (conflict with GitHub Copilot)
   ↓
Google hired CEO + 40 core engineers for $2.4B ("reverse acquihire")
   ↓
Cognition (Devin) acquired remaining Windsurf brand & product

Windsurf Wave 14 Features:

Parallel Agents: Unlike Cursor's subagents, Windsurf agents work on separate git branches simultaneously (frontend + backend in parallel)
Plan → Code Auto-Transition: Plan Mode automatically switches to Code Mode after approval — less friction
⚠️ "Blocked" Phenomenon: Despite 85% credits remaining, users get blocked due to burst token consumption from parallel agents

The "Initiative Gap" (Updated)

Aspect	Cursor 2.4	Windsurf (Wave 14)
Autonomy	Long-Running Agents (hours)	Parallel Agents (multi-branch)
Shell Commands	Requires approval	Often auto-executes
Reliability	✅ "Gets the job done"	⚠️ "Tech demo" — great output but rate-limited
User Feeling	Controlled, professional	"Magical" but unpredictable billing

"Windsurf produces high-quality code, but a tool that stops mid-task is unacceptable for production environments."

Verdict: Cursor remains the professional's safe harbor despite the revert bug. Antigravity is in crisis mode. Windsurf has the best parallel vision but is hobbled by economics. DeepSeek V4 (coming soon) could disrupt everything for open-source advocates.

→ Full Comparison | → Cursor vs Windsurf Deep Dive

💡 From Vibe Coding to Agentic Engineering

🆕 February 2026: The era of "Vibe Coding" is officially over. Welcome to "Agentic Engineering" — where engineers orchestrate agents rather than write code.

The Paradigm Shift

2025 "Vibe Coding":    Developer describes intent → AI implements → Developer reviews
2026 "Agentic Engineering": Developer designs architecture → Agents execute autonomously → Developer supervises

The New Role: Agent Orchestrator

Engineers no longer deal with syntax. Their job is now:

System Architecture — Designing the blueprint agents follow
Data Modeling — Defining schemas and relationships
Rule Codification — Writing .cursorrules, CLAUDE.md to constrain agents
Quality Supervision — Reviewing agent output, not writing code

"99% of code is written by agents. Humans provide high-level oversight and quality control." — Community consensus, Feb 2026

The Cultural Divide: "Shadow Engineers" vs "Vibe Coders" vs "Agentic Engineers"

Type	Description	Strength	Risk
Agentic Engineer (new)	Designs systems, orchestrates agents, codifies rules	Full control, scalable	Requires deep architectural knowledge
Shadow Engineer	Manages AI agents, writes PRDs, verifies output	Maintainable code	Slower iteration
Vibe Coder	Relies entirely on natural language	Rapid MVPs	"Black box" code, debugging walls

Context Rot (New Phenomenon)

As Long-Running Agents work for hours, their mental model drifts from reality:

Agent starts → Modifies files → Mental model diverges from disk state
   ↓
Agent hallucinates → Calls non-existent functions → Corrupts codebase

Mitigation: Force periodic re-indexing. Use .cursorrules to mandate git diff verification at each step.

Essential "Constitution" Files

File	Purpose
`.cursorrules` / `.mdc`	Project rules, tech stack, code style
`CLAUDE.md`	Agent behavioral constraints
MCP: Context7	Real-time documentation access
MCP: Playwright	Self-healing E2E tests

Success Stories

Tradofire: Solo developer shipped complex crypto trading app
Enterprise ERP: Full-scale systems built in weeks using TaskMaster workflow

The TaskMaster Workflow

1. Generate detailed PRD (Product Requirement Document)
2. Feed PRD to task management system
3. Agent parses PRD into individual tickets
4. Execute tickets one by one
5. Human review at each milestone

→ Full Vibe Coding Guide

🧬 GPT-5.1 Codex Guide

The deployment of GPT-5.1 Codex (December 2025) introduced new capabilities and quirks.

The "Stupidity" Paradox

The new "smart" model sometimes behaves "stupidly" due to over-reasoning and safety alignment:

Over-analyzes simple requests
Hallucinated constraints (e.g., insisting VPS is required)
Conservative refusals on legitimate security utilities

Model Arbitrage Strategy

Complex Architecture Planning → GPT-5.1 Codex Max (expensive)
Implementation Details       → Gemini 3 Pro or Claude Sonnet (cheaper)

Key Insight

Use Composer over raw chat — Cursor's agent harness improves model behavior significantly.

→ Full GPT-5.1 Codex Guide

🚀 GPT-5.2 Guide

Released December 11, 2025 — OpenAI's "Code Red" response to competitors.

Key Specs

Variant	Context	Output	Best For
GPT-5.2 Instant	128K	16K	Quick edits
GPT-5.2 Thinking	200K	32K	Complex reasoning
GPT-5.2 Pro	400K	128K	Massive refactors

Benchmarks

AIME 2025: 100% (math reasoning)
SWE-Bench Pro: 55.6% (can solve majority of mid-level tickets)
Tool Reliability: 98.7%

Pricing

Tier	Input/1M	Output/1M
Standard	$1.75	$14.00
Cached	$0.175	$14.00

90% discount on cached inputs — ideal for IDE usage.

→ Full GPT-5.2 Guide

🎯 Confidence Scoring (Anti-Hallucination)

A powerful technique to combat AI hallucinations:

"Fix this only if you are 100% confident. Tell me your confidence score."

This prompt bypasses the "helpful assistant" persona and accesses the model's raw probability assessment, forcing it to:

Re-evaluate its own logic
Search for actual evidence
Admit uncertainty instead of hallucinating

→ Full Confidence Scoring Guide

🐛 Known Bugs (Feb 2026)

CRITICAL: Revert Bug (v2.4.x)

Agent Review Tab file locking conflict causes silent code reversion. Close Review Tab before "Fix in Chat".

# Always verify after agent operations:
git diff
ls -la --time=modified <filename>

NEW: Context Rot

Long-Running Agents lose sync between their mental model and disk state over time. Agents start calling non-existent functions.

Mitigation: Force periodic re-indexing. Keep agent sessions under 2 hours or add re-indexing checkpoints.

Other Issues

Bug	Severity	Status
Revert Bug (Agent Review Tab conflict)	CRITICAL	Open — Workaround available
Context Rot (Long-Running Agents)	HIGH	New — Mitigation: re-indexing
Auto-Mode credit transparency	MEDIUM	Open — "Auto-Mode Anxiety"
Plan mode not writing files	CRITICAL	Open (since Dec 2025)
Context Decay	MEDIUM	Workaround: Session Reset

→ Full Known Bugs Guide

🌐 Google Antigravity (⚠️ Trust Crisis — Feb 2026)

⚠️ February 2026: Antigravity experienced a catastrophic trust failure. Quota policies silently changed, agents enter infinite loops, and the Windsurf talent acquisition signals Google's desperation.

The Quota Crisis

Promised	Reality (Feb 2026)
5-hour refresh cycle	4-10 day cooldowns
Generous Pro/Ultra limits	~90% service reduction
Transparent billing	Silent throttling, no notification

Users describe this as a "bait-and-switch" — mass refund requests filed.

Claude Opus 4.6 Infrastructure Collapse

Users massively preferred Opus 4.6 over Google's own Gemini models, causing:

Unexpected compute costs for Google's backend
Anthropic model usage capped at 40% of total pool
Forced redirection to Gemini 3 Pro (users call it "lobotomized")

v2.1.4 "Logic Patch" — Made Things Worse

Bug	Description
Hallucination Loops	Agents wrongly assume models lack vision, autonomously switch models mid-task, lose all context
Recursive Optimization	Agents enter infinite loops "optimizing" their own code, delete human-readable code as "unnecessary complexity"
File System Corruption	Irreversible file damage from recursive optimization agents

Who Should Still Use Antigravity?

✅ Free-tier experimentation only
✅ Non-critical greenfield projects
❌ Production codebases
❌ Anything requiring reliable uptime
❌ Claude Opus 4.6 heavy usage

→ Full Google Antigravity Guide

📜 Advanced .cursorrules

Sophisticated patterns from production teams:

The "Shout" Protocol

If existing code is altered, warn by shouting:
❗️SHOUT WITH LARGE LETTERS❗️
"WARNING: Modified existing function in file.ts"

"Dumb" Component Enforcement

Presentation components must include "Dumb" in filename:
- UserProfileCardDumb.vue
- ProductListDumb.tsx

Anti-Flake Testing

NEVER use page.waitForTimeout(5000)
ALWAYS use built-in auto-wait mechanisms
Target elements using data-testid attributes

→ Full Advanced .cursorrules Guide

📋 Strategic Recommendations (Feb 2026)

Based on community intelligence and the Agentic Engineering paradigm shift:

Embrace Agentic Engineering: Shift from "code writing" to "agent orchestration" — define architecture, not syntax
Close Review Tab Before "Fix in Chat": Critical workaround for the v2.4.x Revert Bug
Use Composer 1.5 as Daily Driver: 50% cheaper, optimized for code synthesis
Codify Your Project Constitution: .cursorrules, CLAUDE.md, and .mdc files are now mandatory — agents need rules
Mitigate Context Rot: Force re-indexing every 2 hours during Long-Running Agent sessions
Defensive Commits: Always git commit -m "checkpoint" before every agent operation
Avoid Google Antigravity for Production: Trust crisis — silent throttling, unreliable quotas
Watch DeepSeek V4: The next potential disruptor for local-first, privacy-focused development
Adopt MCP Standards: Context7 (docs) + Playwright (tests) are essential for any Agentic Engineering setup
Verify with git diff: Never trust the editor view alone — always verify agent changes on disk

🚀 Quick Start Path

Beginner (Week 1)

Learn Cmd + K for inline edits
Learn Cmd + L for chat
Use @Files to add context

Intermediate (Week 2-3)

Master Cmd + I Composer
Create .cursorrules
Use @Codebase for exploration

Advanced (Month 2+)

Agent Mode with checkpoints
Custom .mdc rules per file type
Research-First protocol
BYOK API for heavy tasks

📁 Configuration Files (Copy-Paste Ready)

Ready-to-use configuration files for optimal Cursor setup:

MCP Configuration

// .cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Defensive Settings

// .cursor/settings.json
{
  "agents": {
    "auto_apply_changes": false,
    "legacy_terminal_tool": true,
    "max_turns_per_session": 40
  },
  "models": {
    "codebase_indexing": "gemini-3-pro"
  }
}

→ Full MCP Config | → Full Settings | → React Rules | → Test Rules

🎭 Playwright Self-Healing Tests

Tests that automatically fix themselves when selectors change:

1. Agent runs E2E test
2. Test fails (selector changed)
3. Agent analyzes DOM
4. Agent updates selector
5. Test passes ✅

Quick Setup

# 1. Create .cursor/mcp.json (see above)
# 2. Create .cursor/rules/testing.mdc
# 3. Enable auto-tools in settings

→ Full Playwright MCP Guide

📚 Resources

🤝 Contributing

Found a tip? Share it!

Fork this repo
Add your tip to relevant file
Include source (Reddit, Twitter, etc.)
Open PR

⭐ Star this repo if it helped you!

Made with 💙 by Murat Aslan

Last updated: February 14, 2026

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 19 Commits
assets		assets
configs		configs
docs		docs
rules		rules
tips		tips
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
README.md		README.md

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🚀 Cursor AI Tips & Tricks

Why Cursor?

🆕 What's New in Cursor 2.0/2.1

Plan Mode (2.1)

Instant Grep (2.1)

Multi-Agent Interface (2.0)

Composer Improvements

⚠️ Deprecated Features

Lovable + Cursor Workflow

🆕 What's New in Cursor 2.4 (February 2026)

Long-Running Agents (Research Preview)

Subagents (Specialized Workers)

Composer 1.5

Revert Bug (v2.4.x) — Still Active

⚔️ 2026 Model Landscape

🎭 "PlayWhite" Workflow (New Trend)

🆕 What's New in Cursor 2.3 (December 2025)

Key Fixes

Process Separation (The Big Change)

Layout Customization Engine

Enterprise Features

🚨 Critical: Revert Bug (v2.4.x)

What Happens

Safety Protocol (February 2026)

Defensive Commit (Critical)

🧠 Gemini 3 Pro Guide

Model Comparison (February 2026)

New Model Strategy (Feb 2026)

Configure Gemini for Codebase Indexing

🆕 What's New in Cursor 2.2

Debug Mode (2.2)

Visual Editor (2.2)

Multi-Agent Judging (2.2)

⚠️ Critical Bugs in 2.2

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

The Command Hierarchy

Quick Reference

🤖 Composer Mode

Normal vs Agent Mode

Checkpoints (Time Travel)

Effective Prompting

📎 Context Management

@ Symbol Reference

Pro Tips

Notepads (Persistent Context)

📋 .cursorrules

Basic Setup

Advanced: .mdc Files

Essential Rules

The Anti-Lazy Prompt (Reddit Gold)

🧠 Model Selection (February 2026 Update)

Latest Models Comparison

Model Personalities

The Plan-Act Pattern (Updated for 2.4)

Cost Optimization (Feb 2026)

🔌 MCP Integration

Quick Setup

Popular Servers

Playwright Integration (Self-Healing Tests)

🔒 Security Concerns

The Agentic Attack Surface

Security Best Practices

The "Black Box" Risk

🔧 Troubleshooting

Quick Fixes

The "Single Purpose Composer" Rule

Always Commit Before Agent

🔥 Reddit Community Wisdom

The "Fresh Chat" Rule

The "Delete Bug"

Screenshot Debugging

Cost Control

Model Switching

🔄 Workflows

Research-First Protocol

Packages