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Cursor · Setup guide

How to set up Cursor

This walkthrough installs the Cursor editor; the standalone CLI can instead run beside your existing editor. Enable Privacy Mode before private work, open a safe folder, and begin with an explanation before requesting edits.

Cursor

own ide · checked October 2, 2026

~8 minBeginner
Start installOpen CursorCompare itBuyer guide

The “Open Cursor” link goes to the vendor site. It is not an affiliate-tracked link on this page — no commission is claimed for that click. Affiliate disclosure.

Before you begin

  • macOS 12 or later, Windows 10 or later, or a supported Linux distribution.
  • A Cursor account (email sign-up is fine).
  • A repository that can be opened without exposing production credentials.

Authentication

Cursor account sign-in

Account: Cursor account

Team and individual plans differ on usage pools, SSO, and whether Privacy Mode can be enforced for everyone.

Install or open it

1. Get the harness ready

These steps are written for beginners. On Mac, Terminal is the black/white text window where you type commands. On Windows, use PowerShell or Terminal. Use the OS tabs to hide steps that are not for your computer, then copy one command at a time.

  1. 01

    Download Cursor on a Mac

    Mac

    Open Safari or Chrome and go to cursor.com. Click Download (prefer the Apple Silicon build on M-series Macs). Open the .dmg, drag Cursor into Applications, then open Applications and double-click Cursor. If macOS only warns that the app was downloaded from the internet, click Open.

    Cursor installation help
  2. 02

    If macOS blocks the download

    Mac

    If macOS reports damage or blocks launch, download a fresh build matching your Mac from Cursor’s official site. For managed devices, check your organisation’s installation policy or contact support before changing security settings.

    Cursor installation help
  3. 03

    Download Cursor on Windows

    Windows

    Download the official Windows build matching your machine from cursor.com. Use the installer allowed by your organisation; if Windows blocks it, verify the download and ask your administrator or Cursor support before changing security settings.

    Cursor installation help
  4. 04

    Install on Debian/Ubuntu (apt)

    Linux

    Official repository path from Cursor’s quickstart. Prefer this over a random .deb so updates keep working.

    bash
    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

    You should see: The installer finishes without an error. Open a new terminal before the verify step so PATH updates apply.

    If this fails
    • The install command errors, or the next verify step says “command not found”. Re-run the official install command with network access, then open a brand-new terminal window before verifying.
    Cursor quickstart
  5. 05

    Install on RHEL/Fedora (dnf)

    Linux

    Official yum/dnf repository. AppImage from cursor.com/downloads is the portable fallback.

    bash
    sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/cursor.repo << 'EOF'
[cursor]
name=Cursor
baseurl=https://downloads.cursor.com/yumrepo
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://downloads.cursor.com/keys/anysphere.asc
EOF
sudo dnf install cursor

    You should see: The installer finishes without an error. Open a new terminal before the verify step so PATH updates apply.

    If this fails
    • The install command errors, or the next verify step says “command not found”. Re-run the official install command with network access, then open a brand-new terminal window before verifying.
    Cursor quickstart
  6. 06

    Sign in, then enable Privacy Mode

    Finish browser sign-in and enable Privacy Mode before private work. It prevents training, with abuse-investigation and explicitly approved non-ZDR model exceptions. Current Instant Grep indexes locally without uploaded search-index code or stored code embeddings; opened file context can still reach model providers. BYOK requests still pass through Cursor’s backend.

    Cursor data use
  7. 07

    Confirm Cursor launches

    Quit and reopen Cursor from Applications (Mac) or the Start menu (Windows) if the first launch failed or stalled. You should reach the editor shell and be able to open File → Open Folder before continuing.

    You should see: Cursor opens, sign-in completes, and you can open a folder. If macOS blocks launch, check the official download and your organisation’s installation policy.

    If this fails
    • Mac says Cursor.app is damaged and can’t be opened. Download a fresh official build matching your Mac. If launch remains blocked, consult Cursor support or your device administrator before changing security settings.
    Cursor installation help

Repository or project

2. Start in the right place

Keep the first repository small, clean, and easy to roll back while you learn the harness’s permissions and context model.

  1. 01

    Open a practice folder first

    Use File → Open Folder… and pick a non-production project. Add .cursorignore for sensitive files and ask which files the agent uses. Ignore rules do not block terminal or MCP reads; remove secrets from the practice folder rather than relying on ignore rules alone.

    Cursor ignore files
  2. 02

    VS Code import (optional)

    One-click import transfers extensions, themes, settings and keybindings at Cursor Settings → General → Account → VS Code Import. Manual profile export/import lets you choose a profile. If shortcuts or completions conflict after import, review overlapping extensions and disable only those you do not need.

    VS Code migration

First run

Ask mode: explain before Agent edits

Use this task to test the workflow before handing over a larger repository or production responsibility.

  1. 01Open Agent with Cmd/Ctrl+I and use the mode picker for an explanation or a plan. Shift+Tab switches to Plan; do not assume it cycles every named mode. With the optional standalone CLI installed, agent --mode=ask explicitly selects read-only exploration.
  2. 02Ask Cursor to identify the request path for one small feature and list the tests that cover it — no file edits.
  3. 03Only after the explanation looks right, switch to Plan or Agent for a documentation-only or single-file change and review every diff.

Why this is safe: A read-first task lets you check the retrieved context before requesting changes. Cursor CLI Ask is documented as read-only; a prompt asking Agent not to edit is not itself an operating-system security boundary.

Stop and review if

  • You are still in Agent mode for an “explain only” task.
  • The index or chat context includes secrets, .env files, or unrelated private folders.
  • A suggested change is applied without a reviewable diff.

The operating boundary

Privacy, data, and cost

The setup is incomplete until you know what the harness can see, what account pays for it, and who approves a risky action.

Privacy

With Privacy Mode enabled, code is not used for training. Abuse investigations and explicitly approved non-ZDR models can retain data. Current search uses a local Instant Grep index without stored code embeddings; inference still receives selected file context, and Cloud Agents temporarily store repositories. BYOK still routes through Cursor’s backend: https://cursor.com/data-use and https://cursor.com/docs/enterprise/privacy-and-data-governance.

Training on code: tier dependent

US-only residency is an Enterprise programme for supported features/models with a 10% eligible-model price uplift. BYOK, custom gateways and external integrations are excluded. EU + Iceland inference-only coverage is available on request; this is not blanket EU data storage.

Sensitive repos: Enable Privacy Mode before opening sensitive trees, add .cursorignore for secrets, prefer a sanitized clone for pilots, and do not grant broad terminal auto-run around credential files.

Pricing

Hobby is free; Pro $20/month, Pro+ $60 and Ultra $200 have separate Cursor Models and Other Models pools that reset monthly. India-only Start is ₹649/month including tax and has no Other Models pool or on-demand usage. Teams Standard is $40/user/month and Premium $120 with 5x Standard Agent limits. Teams/Enterprise add $0.25/MTok to third-party direct, Auto and BYOK usage; first-party models are exempt.

Model: hybrid

Watch out: Optional on-demand usage adds to the seat cost; Start does not support it. Composer 2.5 Fast input/output token prices are 6x standard Composer 2.5, while cached-input prices are 2.5x; these are price ratios, not token-use or speed ratios. Grok 4.7/4.6/4.5 and Composer 2.5 are in the first-party pool, with Start excluding Composer Fast. OpenAI proposes a November 12, 2026 wind-down in Cursor; that notice does not prove access is already removed. Check current model rates and migration options before a team pilot: https://cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing.

Estimate a seat stack

When setup goes wrong

  • Mac says Cursor.app is damaged and can’t be opened.

    Download a fresh official build matching your Mac. If launch remains blocked, consult Cursor support or your device administrator before changing security settings.

  • Windows SmartScreen or Access denied on update.

    Verify the official download matches your machine and ask your administrator to review installation, update and network policy. Do not disable device protections just to get past the message.

  • The repository context feels incomplete.

    Check ignore rules, opened workspace folders and the files the agent actually searched or read. Current Instant Grep searches locally; the old uploaded-embedding advice does not describe this search path.

  • Agent edits files when you only wanted an explanation.

    Review the mode picker and use Plan to inspect a proposal before building. For a documented read-only CLI path use agent --mode=ask; remove sensitive files from the working folder and review any broader tool permissions.

Next steps

After the first successful run

Keep the pilot small, then compare surfaces and budget before a team rollout.

Compare harnessesBuyer guideCursor + Claude Code togetherCursor alternativesAI stack cost calculatorGPU inference (rent)Local GPU sizingBuyer guidesLocal open-source AI guide

Setup details change quickly. The page was checked October 2, 2026; use the official source below before installing in a managed or production environment.

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