How to Use Cursor Composer (Updated Feb 2026)

Cursor Composer is the standout feature of the Cursor IDE. It turns a natural-language description of what you want into a set of multi-file code changes you can review, refine, and apply---all without leaving your editor.

Opening Composer

Writing Effective Prompts

The quality of Composer's output depends heavily on your prompt. Be specific about what you want and where.

Good prompt example:

Add a /profile page:
- New route at app/profile/page.tsx
- Fetch user data from /api/user
- Show name, email, and avatar
- Add a nav link in components/Nav.tsx
- Use existing Tailwind styles from the project

What makes this work:

• Specifies exact file paths
• Lists concrete requirements
• References existing project conventions

Weak prompt: "Add a profile page" (too vague---Composer has to guess paths, layout, and data sources).

Reviewing and Applying Changes

Composer returns a diff set showing every file it wants to add or modify. For each file, you can:

• Accept the proposed change
• Reject it entirely
• Ask for revisions (e.g., "Use our Button component instead of a plain button")

Nothing is applied to your codebase until you explicitly approve.

Iterating on Results

Composer maintains context from your conversation, so follow-up prompts build on prior work:

• "Add loading and error states to the profile page."
• "Match the card spacing from components/Card.tsx."
• "Switch from fetch to our useAuth hook for user data."

Each follow-up refines the previous output rather than starting from scratch.

Running Tests After Applying

After accepting changes, run your project's test suite and linter. If something fails, you can rerun Composer with a targeted fix:

Fix the failing tests in __tests__/profile.test.ts

Tips for Better Results

• Reference your repo structure: Mention file paths and existing patterns explicitly.
• Keep prompts scoped: One feature or refactor per Composer session produces cleaner output.
• Provide examples: "Match the layout of ProductCard" gives Composer a concrete target.
• Review diffs carefully: Especially before merging to main branches---treat Composer output like any other code review.
• Use Agent mode for tasks that need terminal commands, test execution, or multi-step orchestration beyond file edits.

Pricing

Composer is part of Cursor's paid plans:

Details at cursor.com/pricing.

Explore more AI IDE workflows in our directory.