Rules & instructions Official

Cursor Rules

Persistent prompt-level instructions for Cursor Agent: project .mdc rules, user rules, team rules and AGENTS.md.

Author: Cursor (Anysphere)
Works with: Cursor
Documented: Oct 2, 2026

What Cursor Rules is

Rules provide reusable context included at the start of the model context. Project rules live in .cursor/rules as version-controlled .mdc files with frontmatter. Cursor also supports User Rules, Team Rules and AGENTS.md as a simpler alternative.

What it does

Where Cursor Rules runs and what it adds, from its documentation

Project rules in .cursor/rules as .mdc files with description, globs and alwaysApply frontmatter
Four apply modes: Always, Intelligently (by description), Specific Files (globs), Manual (@-mention)
User Rules (global), Team Rules (dashboard, Team/Enterprise plans) and AGENTS.md
/create-rule in Agent chat generates a rule file

When to use it

Good fit

Encode codebase conventions that Agent should follow every session
Scope guidance to certain paths with globs
Share rules with a team via Team Rules

Not for

Plain .md files in .cursor/rules: they are ignored; use .mdc or AGENTS.md
Copying whole style guides: use a linter instead

How to install Cursor Rules

You need: Cursor

Type /create-rule in Agent and describe the rule, or open Customize > Rules > Add Rule
Rule is saved to .cursor/rules/.mdc
Set frontmatter: description, globs, alwaysApply
Commit the folder so the team shares it

Configuration example (from the official docs)

---
globs: src/components/**/*.tsx
alwaysApply: false
---
- Use named exports, not default exports

Limitations

Docs recommend keeping rules under 500 lines
Team Rules need Team or Enterprise plan

Tools it extends

Coding Free plan

Cursor

Desktop

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Frequently asked questions

What file extension do Cursor project rules need?

They must be .mdc; a plain .md in .cursor/rules is ignored. source

How does Cursor decide when to apply a rule?

alwaysApply true always includes it; globs auto-attach on matching files; a description alone lets Agent decide; none means @-mention only. source

Does Cursor support AGENTS.md?

Yes, as a simple alternative to .cursor/rules. source

How do I create a Cursor rule quickly?

Type /create-rule in Agent chat. source

Related guides

Cursor rules: .mdc files, apply modes and AGENTS.md in 2026

Sources and gaps

https://cursor.com/docs/rules docs, checked Oct 2, 2026
https://docs.cursor.com/en/context/rules docs, checked Oct 2, 2026

Not stated by the maintainers: Cursor is closed source; repo_url is a placeholder for the public getcursor org, not a verified rules repo; docs.cursor.com/en/context/rules served an SPA shell; content read from cursor.com/docs/rules; Public source repository (closed source or not verified).