Starter kits · last verified 2026-10-23

Cursor starter kit

An editor with an agent built in: it reads your codebase, edits files, and shows you the diff. This kit gets you from install to a first agent chat and a first plugin.

Prerequisites

• macOS 12 (Monterey) or later, Windows 10 or later, or a Linux system with Debian/Ubuntu, RHEL/Fedora, or AppImage support — the systems listed in Cursor's quickstart.
• A folder to practise in — a copy of a small project, or a new empty folder — not your most important work.
• A Cursor account, to sign in with after installing. The quickstart's first step is “Download Cursor. Open the app and sign in.”

Setup, step by step

1. Install. Download Cursor from the quickstart page and run the native installer for your system (.dmg on macOS, .exe on Windows). On Debian/Ubuntu, the quickstart's recommended route is:

   curl -fsSL https://downloads.cursor.com/keys/anysphere.asc | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/cursor.gpg > /dev/null
   echo "deb [arch=amd64,arm64 signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/cursor.gpg] https://downloads.cursor.com/aptrepo stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/cursor.list > /dev/null
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install cursor

   On RHEL/Fedora, the quickstart gives a repository setup followed by sudo dnf install cursor. For the portable AppImage, download the file from the downloads page, then run:

   chmod +x Cursor-*.AppImage
   ./Cursor-*.AppImage

   The quickstart says the apt and yum packages are preferred over AppImage because they provide desktop icons, automatic updates, and CLI tools.
2. Sign in and open a folder. Open the app, sign in, then pick a folder and start with a small task.
3. Open the Agent. Open Agent with Cmd I on macOS or Ctrl I on Windows/Linux.

First task walkthrough

1. Ask it to explain the codebase first: “Explain this codebase. Point me to the main entry points, key modules, and anything I should read before making changes.” The quickstart calls this one of the fastest ways to get oriented in an unfamiliar codebase.
2. Ask for small, safe improvements: “Suggest three small, safe improvements in this codebase. Explain the tradeoffs and wait for me to choose one.” Pick one, and only then ask it to make the change.
3. Review the diff. Watch the agent work in the diff view. When it finishes, review every change, and ask Cursor to run the checks your project already uses — tests, type checker, linting, or a local build.
4. For a bigger change, use Plan Mode. Press Shift+Tab in the agent input to toggle Plan Mode. It researches the codebase, asks clarifying questions, and creates a detailed plan that waits for your approval before building.

First skill or plugin

Cursor's docs describe one install flow for plugins: open Customize in the sidebar, find the plugin you want, select Install, and choose a project or user scope. Plugins bundle skills, rules, commands, MCP servers, and hooks; skills you install appear under the Agent Decides section in Customize and can be invoked manually with /skill-name in chat.

As a concrete first plugin, if you build Slack apps, Slack's own docs give a chat command for Cursor Agent chat:

/add-plugin slack

Alternatively, search for “slack” in the Cursor plugin marketplace. Slack's docs say this installs the skills and MCP server together and prompts OAuth to your Slack workspace on first use. If you do not build Slack apps, skip this step — install your first plugin only when you have a repeated job for it, and pick it from Customize.

Common first-run failures

• The agent changed more than you expected. Use Plan Mode (Shift+Tab) for anything spanning multiple files, and review the diff before accepting. The quickstart's own advice is to start with a small task.
• You cannot tell what changed. Do not accept a change you have not read in the diff view. Ask the agent to explain the change in plain language, then run the project's checks.
• Usage runs out mid-month. Cursor's pricing page says each tier includes a weekly-refreshing usage pool, and that you can keep going with top-offs or wait for the allowance to refresh. That is a good moment to check whether the next tier is actually worth it, rather than topping up on reflex.
• Third-party models cost extra. On Premium and above, Cursor's pricing page says third-party models are available at API list price, billed separately — they are not included in the monthly price. On Plus, only Grok models are available.

Limits

• Prices (2026-10-23, from Cursor's pricing page, before tax): Free $0 with limited agent requests; Plus $8/month ($80/year, Grok models only, no cloud agents or third-party models); Premium $30/month ($300/year, 4x Plus usage, cloud agents and automations, third-party models at API list price); Super $100/month ($1,000/year, 15x Plus); Ultra $200/month ($2,000/year, 50x Plus). Cursor's pricing FAQ recommends Premium for new AI users, Super for daily agent users, and Ultra for power users.
• Legacy Cursor plans (Pro $20, Pro+ $60, older Teams prices) are not available to new customers, per Cursor's own help page — if a guide still quotes them, it is out of date for new sign-ups.
• The agent's diff is the thing you are responsible for. Reviewing it is the work, not a formality.

Verification

Checked 2026-10-23

Sources fetched this run:

• cursor.com/docs/get-started/quickstart — install and sign in, system requirements, Debian/Ubuntu and RHEL/Fedora routes, AppImage commands, Agent shortcut (Cmd I / Ctrl I), explain-the-codebase prompt, small-change prompt, diff review, Plan Mode (Shift+Tab).
• cursor.com/docs/plugins — Customize install flow (find plugin, Install, choose project or user scope), skills under Agent Decides, manual /skill-name invocation.
• cursor.com/pricing and cursor.com/help/account-and-billing/pricing — current plan prices, annual billing, weekly usage pools, Plus Grok-only limit, third-party models at API list price, legacy plans closed to new customers.
• docs.slack.dev — Slack MCP and Skills Plugin — /add-plugin slack in Cursor Agent chat, marketplace search alternative, OAuth on first use.

Command-string note: the quickstart's Linux commands are reproduced here with line breaks restored — the fetched page text ran the commands together, but every token is as shown on that page.

Omitted, with reason: legacy Cursor Pro/Pro+ pricing for new sign-ups (closed to new customers, per Cursor's help page); the Cursor CLI install commands (a separate tool from the editor kit, not needed for a first agent chat).

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