How to set up AI encoding auxiliary standards in Cursor?

Cursor is a code editor that integrates powerful AI capabilities that significantly improve development efficiency through intelligent suggestions, code generation and contextual understanding. To make Cursor's encoding assistance functions fully meet your needs, setting AI encoding standards is a key step. By customizing rules and preferences, you can make AI output code that is more in line with your coding style, project specifications, and team standards. This article will introduce in detail how to set AI coding assistance standards in Cursor to help you create a personalized development experience.

How to set AI encoding auxiliary standards

1. Open Global Settings

step:

• Start Cursor and click the gear icon in the upper left corner to enter "Settings".

• Select General in the left navigation bar.

• Find the “Rules for AI” section, where you define global AI behavior.

use:

Global rules apply to all projects and are suitable for setting common coding preferences.

Example:

 - Always use TypeScript type annotations in function definitions.
- Prefer functional programming over class-based approaches.
- Use camelCase for variable names and PascalCase for component names.

Effect:

Each time a code is generated, the AI ​​will automatically follow these rules.

2. Create a project-specific .cursorrules file

step:

• Create a file named .cursorrules in the project root directory.

• Use a plain text editor such as Cursor itself to write rules.

• After saving, Cursor automatically recognizes and applies these rules to the current project.

use:

Customize AI behavior for specific projects, such as specifying the use of frameworks or libraries.

Example:

 # Project: Next.js Web App
- Use TypeScript with Next.js App Router.
- Prefer Tailwind CSS for styling.
- Structure files: components/, pages/, utils/, api/.
- Wrap client components in Suspense with fallback.

Effect:

AI prioritizes project context when generating code, such as generating code that conforms to Next.js structure.

3. Enhance context understanding

method:

• Save the project document (such as README or API specification) as a .md file.

• Reference these files using @filename in AI prompts, such as @README.md .

use:

Let AI understand the project background and provide more accurate suggestions.

Example: Tip: "Generate a database query function based on @schema.md ."

The AI ​​will generate code based on the referenced schema file.

4. Choose the right AI model

step:

• Select the model (such as GPT-4o or Claude 3.5 Sonnet) in Settings > Models.

• Adjust the model according to task complexity: use cursor-small to lightweight tasks, and use advanced models to complex tasks.

use:

Different models have different performance and accuracy, and choosing a suitable model can optimize the encoding auxiliary effect.

5. Testing and Optimization

step:

• Use Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K ) to generate code to check if it meets expectations.

• Adjust rules based on results to avoid overly strict or vague instructions.

hint:

Rules should be specific and executable, such as "avoiding global variables" is more effective than "writing good code".

Through the above methods, you can flexibly customize Cursor behavior based on project needs and team standards to achieve a more personalized development experience.