Did you know, most of us installed Cursor AI, typed // build a login form, saw the code magically appear, and thought,
“Cool, it’s like Copilot, but fancier.”
Then we went back to manually renaming variables, fixing imports, and scrolling through Stack Overflow like it’s 2016.
That was me, too — until I accidentally clicked on the wrong thing and unlocked a feature that made me go:
“Wait… it can do THAT?!”
Cursor AI isn’t just an “AI code editor.” It’s a developer sidekick on steroids — but only if you know where to look.
Chat with Your Entire Codebase
Feature: Ask questions like “Where is authToken generated?” or “Why does the navbar flicker?”
Why You’re Missing Out: You’re still treating AI like a search bar.
Pro Tip: Hit Cmd+K → “Ask Cursor,” then type anything. It sees the full repo, not just the file.
Edit with AI (Right-Click Magic)
Feature: Select code → Right-click → “Edit with AI”
Why You’re Missing Out: You thought it was just a rename/refactor tool.
Pro Tip: Try things like:
- “Make this Tailwind-friendly”
- “Optimize for performance”
- “Explain like I’m five.”
It’s like having a tech lead who never sleeps (and won’t judge your ugly code).
Explain File/Selection
Feature: Right-click → “Explain this file” or highlight code and choose “Explain this selection.”
Why You’re Missing Out: You assume AI only outputs code, not understanding.
Pro Tip: Use this before editing legacy files — it’s better than asking that one developer who quit last year.
Custom Agents (Yes, You Can Build Your Dev Bots)
Feature: Add your agent with special behaviors
Why You’re Missing Out: You didn’t explore the bottom-left corner tab marked “Agents.”
Pro Tip: Create one that always uses fp-ts, always translates comments into Spanish, or refactors your messy React props.
Autofix When Things Break
Feature: When Cursor detects an error, it can propose an AI-generated fix
Why You’re Missing Out: You’re skipping those little icons or dismissing the inline popups.
Pro Tip: Instead of Googling cryptic errors, click the lightbulb and just say, “Fix it.”
AI-Powered File Navigation
Feature: Cmd+K → Ask things like, “Where is the search feature implemented?”
Why You’re Missing Out: You’re still relying on file trees and full-text searches.
Pro Tip: Use human language — Cursor understands questions better than your senior dev does on a Monday morning.
Convert natural language → code patterns.
Feature: Open an empty file and type:
Create an Express route with input validation using Zod.
Why You’re Missing Out: You’re underutilizing comments as prompts.
Pro Tip: The more specific you are in your comment, the better the result.
Inline Docs Generation (Better Than GPT Alone)
Feature: Select a function → “Add JSDoc comments”
Why You’re Missing Out: You’re only using Cursor to write code, not document it.
Pro Tip: Try this on exported utilities or API handlers. Suddenly, you’re writing self-documenting code without even trying.
“Ghost Work”: Background Suggestions You Didn’t Ask For
Feature: Cursor silently offers improvements while you’re working.
Why You’re Missing Out: You don’t look at the subtle shadows it drops — but they’re often gold.
Pro Tip: Look for faint outlines and hover suggestions. The cursor is trying to help you — let it.
Prebuilt Prompts You Didn’t Know Were There
Feature: When chatting, click the lightning bolt icon.
Why You’re Missing Out: You’ve been typing everything from scratch.
Pro Tip: Pre-prompts like “Explain this bug,” “Refactor this file,” and “Optimize performance” are hidden gems — faster than typing and often better scoped.
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