Cursor Howto

Steal My Cursor Setup

Installable AI workflows used by real engineers. One copy command. 60 seconds. Your Cursor becomes a senior dev teammate.

Stacks • Try It Now • Leaderboard • War Stories • Learning Path

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Table of Contents

• [Try It Now](#-try-it-now)
• [What You Get](#-what-you-get)
• [Install a Complete Stack](#-install-a-complete-stack)
• [Speed Run Leaderboard](#-speed-run-leaderboard)
• [What Can You Build?](#-what-can-you-build-with-this)
• [Get Started in 15 Minutes](#-get-started-in-15-minutes)
• [Not Sure Where to Start?](#-not-sure-where-to-start)
• [FAQ](#-faq)
• [Contributing](#contributing)

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⚡ Try It Now

One file. Copy, paste, done. Pick your quick win:

| Quick Win | What It Does | Copy This | |-----------|-------------|-----------| | Auto code review | /review analyzes your PR for bugs, style, security | [01-slash-commands/review.md](01-slash-commands/review.md) | | Never write docs again | /docs generates API docs from your code | [01-slash-commands/generate-api-docs.md](01-slash-commands/generate-api-docs.md) | | AI teammate in your repo | Project memory so Cursor knows your stack | [02-memory/project-CURSOR.md](02-memory/project-CURSOR.md) | | Auto-invoked skills | Cursor runs checks without you asking | [03-skills/code-review/](03-skills/code-review/) |

30-second setup:

# 1. Copy a command into your project
cp 01-slash-commands/optimize.md .cursor/commands/

# 2. In Cursor, type:
# /optimize

# 3. Watch it analyze your code automatically

Want the full arsenal? See [Get Started in 15 Minutes](#get-started-in-15-minutes).

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🎯 What You Get

This isn't documentation. It's templates you paste into your project and use today.

| | Official Docs | This Guide | |--|---------------|------------| | Format | Reference docs | Copy-paste templates with Mermaid diagrams | | Examples | "Hello world" | Production-ready /review and /deploy commands | | Depth | What it is | How to wire 5 features into an automated pipeline | | Time to value | Hours of reading | 30 seconds to first win | | Learning | Self-directed | Progressive path + self-assessment quiz |

Templates included:

• 8 slash commands — /optimize, /pr, /review, /docs, /commit, /push-all
• 3 skills — auto-invoked code review, brand voice checker, doc generator
• 5 subagents — security reviewer, test engineer, documentation writer
• 4 MCP configs — GitHub, database, filesystem, multi-server
• 6 hooks — auto-format, security scan, pre-commit validation
• 3 plugins — complete PR review, devops, documentation bundles

[Browse the Full Catalog →](CATALOG.md)

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🧱 Install a Complete Stack

A stack is a complete, tested, versioned Cursor workflow. Not one file — a system.

Copy a stack into your project. It's immediately useful.

| Stack | What It Does | Install | Time | Saved/Week | |-------|-------------|---------|------|------------| | PR Review | AI reviews code for bugs, security, performance before human review | cp -r stacks/pr-review/v1.0.0/* . | 60s | 3 hrs | | Team Onboard | Project memory + standards. New hires productive on day 1 | cp -r stacks/team-onboard/v1.0.0/* . | 45s | 2 hrs | | Auto Docs | Generate API docs, README updates, changelogs from code | cp -r stacks/auto-docs/v1.0.0/* . | 30s | 2 hrs |

Each stack includes: commands + agents + memory + hooks + MCP config + documentation. See [stacks/registry.json](stacks/registry.json) for full specs.

[View War Stories →](war-stories/) — Real results from real teams.

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🏆 Speed Run Leaderboard

How fast can you set up a working Cursor workflow? Time yourself. Submit your PR.

| Rank | Stack | Time | Setup Method | Submitted By | |------|-------|------|--------------|--------------| | 🥇 | PR Review | 47s | Manual copy | evoveotech | | 🥈 | Auto Docs | 52s | Manual copy | evoveotech | | 🥉 | Team Onboard | 61s | Manual copy | evoveotech |

Rules:

1. Clone repo → copy stack → verify /review (or stack's test command) works
2. Screenshot terminal showing elapsed time
3. Submit PR adding your row to this table
4. No shortcuts — must actually test the command

[Submit Your Time →](CONTRIBUTING.md#speed-run-submissions)

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🏗️ What Can You Build With This?

| Use Case | Features You'll Combine | Time to Set Up | |----------|------------------------|----------------| | Automated Code Review | Slash Commands + Subagents + Memory + MCP | 5 min | | Team Onboarding | Memory + Slash Commands + Plugins | 10 min | | CI/CD Automation | CLI Reference + Hooks + Background Tasks | 15 min | | Documentation Generation | Skills + Subagents + Plugins | 5 min | | Security Audits | Subagents + Skills + Hooks (read-only mode) | 5 min | | DevOps Pipelines | Plugins + MCP + Hooks + Background Tasks | 20 min | | Complex Refactoring | Checkpoints + Planning Mode + Hooks | 10 min |

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🚀 Get Started in 15 Minutes

# 1. Clone the guide
git clone https://github.com/evoveotech/cursor-howto.git
cd cursor-howto

# 2. Copy your first slash command
mkdir -p /path/to/your-project/.cursor/commands
cp 01-slash-commands/optimize.md /path/to/your-project/.cursor/commands/

# 3. Try it — in Cursor, type:
# /optimize

# 4. Ready for more? Set up project memory:
cp 02-memory/project-CURSOR.md /path/to/your-project/CURSOR.md

# 5. Install a skill:
cp -r 03-skills/code-review ~/.cursor/skills/

Full 1-hour setup:

# Slash commands (15 min)
cp 01-slash-commands/*.md .cursor/commands/

# Project memory (15 min)
cp 02-memory/project-CURSOR.md ./CURSOR.md

# Install a skill (15 min)
cp -r 03-skills/code-review ~/.cursor/skills/

# Weekend goal: add hooks, subagents, MCP, and plugins

[View the Full Installation Reference](#get-started-in-15-minutes)

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🧭 Not Sure Where to Start?

| Level | You can... | Start here | Time | |-------|-----------|------------|------| | Beginner | Start Cursor and chat | [Slash Commands](01-slash-commands/) | ~2.5 hours | | Intermediate | Use CURSOR.md and custom commands | [Skills](03-skills/) | ~3.5 hours | | Advanced | Configure MCP servers and hooks | [Advanced Features](09-advanced-features/) | ~5 hours |

Take the [self-assessment quiz](LEARNING-ROADMAP.md#-find-your-level) or run /self-assessment in Cursor.

[Complete Learning Roadmap →](LEARNING-ROADMAP.md)

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🌟 Community Showcase

Real setups from real developers. [Submit yours →](CONTRIBUTING.md)

Want to be featured? Share your setup in Discussions.

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📋 FAQ

Is this free? Yes. MIT licensed. Use it anywhere — personal, work, team. Just include the license notice.

How is this different from the official docs? The official docs are a feature reference. This is a template library — copy files into your project and they work immediately. They complement each other.

How long to go through everything? 11-13 hours for the full path. But you'll get value in 30 seconds — just copy one command template.

Can I use this with my model? Yes. All templates work with GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and other models configured in Cursor.

Can I contribute? Absolutely. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md). We welcome new examples, bug fixes, and real-world configurations.

How do I see how many people visited this repo? The visitor badge at the top of this README shows total unique visitors. As the repo owner, you can also see detailed analytics (clones, referrers, popular content) in GitHub → Insights → Traffic. These metrics help us understand which stacks and tutorials are most useful.

Can I read this offline? Yes. Run uv run scripts/build_epub.py to generate an EPUB ebook with all content.

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🛠️ Built and Maintained by

Evoveo Tech (EVOVEO INNOVATIONS LIMITED) — for developers who want Cursor to work harder.

Structure inspired by luongnv89/claude-howto.

Scope: This guide targets the Cursor IDE (editor), in-app Cursor agent/chat workflows, and the Cursor CLI where documented. Module layouts (e.g. .cursor/commands/, CURSOR.md) are tutorial conventions; map them to Rules, AGENTS.md, and Cursor Settings as described in [docs/CURSORSCOPE.md](docs/CURSORSCOPE.md) and the official docs.

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Last Updated: March 2026 Cursor Version: 2.1+ Compatible Models: GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and other models (configure in Cursor)

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Quick Navigation — All Features

| Feature | Description | Folder | |---------|-------------|--------| | Feature Catalog | Complete reference with installation commands | [CATALOG.md](CATALOG.md) | | Slash Commands | User-invoked shortcuts | [01-slash-commands/](01-slash-commands/) | | Memory | Persistent context | [02-memory/](02-memory/) | | Skills | Reusable capabilities | [03-skills/](03-skills/) | | Subagents | Specialized AI assistants | [04-subagents/](04-subagents/) | | MCP Protocol | External tool access | [05-mcp/](05-mcp/) | | Hooks | Event-driven automation | [06-hooks/](06-hooks/) | | Plugins | Bundled features | [07-plugins/](07-plugins/) | | Checkpoints | Session snapshots & rewind | [08-checkpoints/](08-checkpoints/) | | Advanced Features | Planning, thinking, background tasks | [09-advanced-features/](09-advanced-features/) | | CLI Reference | Commands, flags, and options | [10-cli/](10-cli/) | | Evoveo Tech | Organization & updates | github.com/evoveotech |

Feature Comparison

| Feature | Invocation | Persistence | Best For | |---------|-----------|------------|----------| | Slash Commands | Manual (/cmd) | Session only | Quick shortcuts | | Memory | Auto-loaded | Cross-session | Long-term learning | | Skills | Auto-invoked | Filesystem | Automated workflows | | Subagents | Auto-delegated | Isolated context | Task distribution | | MCP Protocol | Auto-queried | Real-time | Live data access | | Hooks | Event-triggered | Configured | Automation & validation | | Plugins | One command | All features | Complete solutions | | Checkpoints | Manual/Auto | Session-based | Safe experimentation | | Planning Mode | Manual/Auto | Plan phase | Complex implementations | | Background Tasks | Manual | Task duration | Long-running operations | | CLI Reference | Terminal commands | Session/Script | Automation & scripting |

Installation Quick Reference

# Slash Commands
cp 01-slash-commands/*.md .cursor/commands/

# Memory
cp 02-memory/project-CURSOR.md ./CURSOR.md

# Skills
cp -r 03-skills/code-review ~/.cursor/skills/

# Subagents
cp 04-subagents/*.md .cursor/agents/

# MCP
export GITHUB_TOKEN="token"
cursor mcp add github -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

# Hooks
mkdir -p ~/.cursor/hooks
cp 06-hooks/*.sh ~/.cursor/hooks/
chmod +x ~/.cursor/hooks/*.sh

# Plugins
/plugin install pr-review

# Checkpoints (auto-enabled, configure in settings)
# See 08-checkpoints/README.md

# Advanced Features (configure in settings)
# See 09-advanced-features/config-examples.json

# CLI Reference (no installation needed)
# See 10-cli/README.md for usage examples

1. Slash Commands

Location: [01-slash-commands/](01-slash-commands/)

What: User-invoked shortcuts stored as Markdown files

Examples:

• optimize.md - Code optimization analysis
• pr.md - Pull request preparation
• generate-api-docs.md - API documentation generator

Installation:

cp 01-slash-commands/*.md /path/to/project/.cursor/commands/

Usage:

/optimize
/pr
/generate-api-docs

Learn More: Cursor documentation — Rules & commands

1. Memory

Location: [02-memory/](02-memory/)

What: Persistent context across sessions

Examples:

• project-CURSOR.md - Team-wide project standards
• directory-api-CURSOR.md - Directory-specific rules
• personal-CURSOR.md - Personal preferences

Installation:

# Project memory
cp 02-memory/project-CURSOR.md /path/to/project/CURSOR.md

# Directory memory
cp 02-memory/directory-api-CURSOR.md /path/to/project/src/api/CURSOR.md

# Personal memory
cp 02-memory/personal-CURSOR.md ~/.cursor/CURSOR.md

Usage: Automatically loaded by Cursor

1. Skills

Location: [03-skills/](03-skills/)

What: Reusable, auto-invoked capabilities with instructions and scripts

Examples:

• code-review/ - Comprehensive code review with scripts
• brand-voice/ - Brand voice consistency checker
• doc-generator/ - API documentation generator

Installation:

# Personal skills
cp -r 03-skills/code-review ~/.cursor/skills/

# Project skills
cp -r 03-skills/code-review /path/to/project/.cursor/skills/

Usage: Automatically invoked when relevant

1. Subagents

Location: [04-subagents/](04-subagents/)

What: Specialized AI assistants with isolated contexts and custom prompts

Examples:

• code-reviewer.md - Comprehensive code quality analysis
• test-engineer.md - Test strategy and coverage
• documentation-writer.md - Technical documentation
• secure-reviewer.md - Security-focused review (read-only)
• implementation-agent.md - Full feature implementation

Installation:

cp 04-subagents/*.md /path/to/project/.cursor/agents/

Usage: Automatically delegated by main agent

1. MCP Protocol

Location: [05-mcp/](05-mcp/)

What: Model Context Protocol for accessing external tools and APIs

Examples:

• github-mcp.json - GitHub integration
• database-mcp.json - Database queries
• filesystem-mcp.json - File operations
• multi-mcp.json - Multiple MCP servers

Installation:

# Set environment variables
export GITHUB_TOKEN="your_token"
export DATABASE_URL="postgresql://..."

# Add MCP server via CLI
cursor mcp add github -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

# Or add to project .mcp.json manually (see 05-mcp/ for examples)

Usage: MCP tools are automatically available to Cursor once configured

1. Hooks

Location: [06-hooks/](06-hooks/)

What: Event-driven shell commands that execute automatically in response to Cursor events

Examples:

• format-code.sh - Auto-format code before writing
• pre-commit.sh - Run tests before commits
• security-scan.sh - Scan for security issues
• log-bash.sh - Log all bash commands
• validate-prompt.sh - Validate user prompts
• notify-team.sh - Send notifications on events

Installation:

mkdir -p ~/.cursor/hooks
cp 06-hooks/*.sh ~/.cursor/hooks/
chmod +x ~/.cursor/hooks/*.sh

Configure hooks in ~/.cursor/settings.json:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [{
      "matcher": "Write",
      "hooks": ["~/.cursor/hooks/format-code.sh"]
    }],
    "PostToolUse": [{
      "matcher": "Write",
      "hooks": ["~/.cursor/hooks/security-scan.sh"]
    }]
  }
}

Usage: Hooks execute automatically on events

Hook Types (4 types, 25 events):

• Tool Hooks: PreToolUse, PostToolUse, PostToolUseFailure, PermissionRequest
• Session Hooks: SessionStart, SessionEnd, Stop, StopFailure, SubagentStart, SubagentStop
• Task Hooks: UserPromptSubmit, TaskCompleted, TaskCreated, TeammateIdle
• Lifecycle Hooks: ConfigChange, CwdChanged, FileChanged, PreCompact, PostCompact, WorktreeCreate, WorktreeRemove, Notification, InstructionsLoaded, Elicitation, ElicitationResult

1. Plugins

Location: [07-plugins/](07-plugins/)

What: Bundled collections of commands, agents, MCP, and hooks

Examples:

• pr-review/ - Complete PR review workflow
• devops-automation/ - Deployment

…

Source & license

This open-source MCP server is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: evoveotech
• Source: evoveotech/cursor-howto
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://github.com/evoveotech/cursor-howto

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.