Cursor Modes - Create Your Own Custom Settings

There have been a lot of changes to the Cursor modes, so in this post I will be going over everything you need to understand the Cursor 0.50 modes.

This includes Cursor Tab for autocomplete, Chat modes like Agent, Manual and Ask, as well as tools like Inline Edit, Terminal Command Generation, and context features like @ references.

Cursor Tab (AI Autocomplete)

The Cursor Tab mode is the editor’s built-in AI autocomplete. It automatically generates code suggestions and diffs inline as you type.

Unlike Chat, Tab doesn’t require explicit prompts.

It’s good at small-to-medium refactors (renaming, reformatting), code completions, and routine patterns based on your codebase context.

Tab suggestions appear automatically.

You accept a suggestion by pressing Tab (on Mac/Win) or reject it with Esc . To accept word-by-word, press Ctrl/Cmd+→.

You can disable or re-bind Tab via the status bar or keyboard settings. By default, Cursor Tab is always on (status bar “Cursor Tab”).

Natural-Language Chat Interface

Cursor's Chat is in the side panel (⌘+I on Mac or Ctrl+I on Windows/Linux).

It has multiple Chat modes:

Agent mode

This is Cursor's autonomous coding agent. It freely reads and edits files and run commands. It has full tool access.

It's meant for complex or multi-step code changes that you want AI to manage from start to finish. You can restrict it with guardrails.

Open chat with ⌘+L
To commit a suggested code block, click the play icon next to it
It may also prompt you before running a command, you can approve or edit it.

Manual mode

Renamed from "Edit"mode, this mode applies precise instructions but doesn't search or run commands autonomously. You tell it what to change and where (using @ file mentions or context).

Open chat with ⌘+L
Then in a chat message, specify exactly what to do and give it enough context (the current file text and any @files).

Ask mode

It answers questions about your codebase but won't apply any changes automatically.

All relevant search tools (codebase search, web, etc.) are enabled in Ask mode.

You can also force a codebase search by asking "search for X in the codebase."

Open Chat with ⌘+L

Background Agent (Preview)

This lets you run multiple Agent tasks in parallel. Each Agent runs in its own remote environment, allowing Cursor's UI to remain responsive.

You can see the status of each job, send follow-up messages or take over at any time.

This is handy for slow tasks (large codebase edits, batch operations) that would otherwise block the UI.

Enable Background Agent in Settings → Beta
When in chat (Agent mode), you’ll see an option or button to “Run in background”. This will detach it from the current tab.

YOLO/ Auto-run mode

It's not a separate "mode", more a setting. This lets the agent auto-run commands and apply edits without prompting.

Agent no longer asks you to confirm actions, it will execute commands immediately and edit suggestions will be applied automatically.

It's also riskier, so it's best to configure guardrails to limit what gets run.

Settings → Features → Chat, find the Auto-run toggle

Chat Tools & Features

In Chat mode you have tools beyond the basic modes:

Instant Apply

Each AI-suggested code block has a play button. Clicking it immediately applies that block to your code.

Context References (@)

You can type @ in the chat input to reference files, symbols, or docs. For example, @MyClass adds that class’s code to context, or @foldername includes all files in a folder (with “Full folder contents” enabled).

Ask the Web (@Web)

Cursor can query the internet. Start a question with @web (or simply mention it) and Cursor will perform a web search and use the latest info.

This is useful when you need the latest data (library usage, API docs).

Use Documentation (@Docs)

Cursor comes with many pre-indexed library docs. Use @LibraryName or @Docs to fetch examples or definitions from official documentation.

For example, @numpy brings in NumPy docs context. You can even add custom docs in Settings to query them.

Quick Question

If you highlight code in the editor and click the Quick question button (or right-click menu), Cursor will answer a simple question about that selection.

This is a handy shortcut to get a quick explanation or fix for a small piece of code without fully opening the chat.

Keyboard shortcuts

In chat:

Enter submits
⌘+Shift+Backspace cancels generation
⌘+Shift+L adds selected code to context
⌘+L opens the mode menu
⌘+. switches between AI modes

Inline Edit (Prompt Bar, Cmd/Ctrl+K)

This lets you generate or edit code directly in the editor using natural language without leaving your current file. Pressing ⌘+K (or Ctrl+K) opens a prompt input at the cursor.

Inline Generation

If you call Inline Edit with no text selected, you can “generate new code here.” You type a prompt (e.g. “Create a function to parse CSV”) and AI inserts code at the cursor.

Inline Edits

If you select some code and then press ⌘+K, the selected code is sent as context. You then type a prompt such as “Refactor this to use list comprehension” and AI will rewrite the selection.

Full File Edits

Inline Edit also supports file-wide changes. With no selection, press ⌘+⇧+Enter (Cmd+Shift+Enter) to treat the entire file as context. You can then say “Replace all var with let in this file” or more complex edits. This gives you control over scope without calling Agent.

Send to Agent

From the prompt bar, you can also press ⌘+L (or click a “Send to Agent” action) to move your current selection or prompt into the Chat with Agent mode . This is useful if you realize a task is too big for inline (e.g. multi-file).

Terminal Command Generation (Terminal Ctrl+K)

This opens a prompt bar at the bottom of the terminal for natural-language commands. Describe what you want (“install pandas and numpy”), and the AI will generate the appropriate shell command. You can then accept (Esc) or execute (Ctrl/Cmd+Enter) it.

Other features

Codebase indexing and @Symbols

Cursor automatically indexes your project. The @ menu lets you browse all files, symbols, and documentation you’ve added. This provides context references in all modes.

Chat management

You can open multiple chat tabs (⌘+T) and duplicate chat threads to explore alternatives. Chats can be exported to Markdown from the menu. These features help manage different lines of thought.