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Cursor has always been about empowering developers to write better code, faster. Now, we're taking that philosophy to the next level with the introduction of Custom Modes. This exciting new feature allows you to tailor Cursor to your specific workflows, creating specialized environments with custom tools and prompts perfectly suited to the task at hand.

What are Custom Modes?

Imagine having a dedicated coding assistant for every stage of your development process. That's the power of Custom Modes. They let you define specific environments within Cursor, each equipped with:

• A Unique Prompt: Guide Cursor's behavior with a clear, concise prompt that tells it exactly what you want it to do. Think of it as setting the mission statement for that particular mode.
• A Tailored Toolset: Select the right tools for the job. From code completion and debugging to web search and research, you can choose the tools that best support your custom mode's purpose.

Why Use Custom Modes?

Custom Modes offer a significant boost to your productivity by:

• Streamlining Workflows: No more constantly tweaking prompts or searching for the right tools. Custom Modes provide a pre-configured environment ready to go.
• Boosting Efficiency: By focusing Cursor on a specific task, you get more relevant and targeted assistance, leading to faster and more accurate results.
• Personalized Experience: Adapt Cursor to your unique coding style and project needs. Create modes that reflect the way you work.

Creating Your Own Custom Mode

Creating a Custom Mode in Cursor is straightforward:

1. (Check Docs for specific steps): Consult Cursor's official documentation (linked in the title of this blog post) for the most up-to-date and detailed instructions on how to access the Custom Modes settings. This will ensure that you are using the correct method to create the custom mode based on the current version of Cursor.
2. Define Your Prompt: Craft a clear and concise prompt that tells Cursor what you want it to do. For example, if you're creating a "Refactor" mode, your prompt might be something like: "You are an expert code refactoring assistant. Review the provided code and suggest improvements for readability, maintainability, and performance. Explain each change clearly."
3. Select Your Tools: Choose the tools that best support your custom mode's purpose. Consider things like:
   • Code Completion: Essential for all modes.
   • Debugging Tools: Crucial for debugging modes.
   • Web Search: Invaluable for research-oriented modes.
   • Documentation Lookup: Useful for understanding APIs and libraries.

Examples to Inspire You:

Here are some Custom Mode examples to get your creative juices flowing:

• Teach Mode: (Prompt: "You are a patient and helpful coding tutor. Explain the provided code snippet in detail, focusing on key concepts and potential pitfalls.") Tools: Code Completion, Documentation Lookup, Web Search.
• Refactor Mode: (Prompt: "You are an expert code refactoring assistant. Review the provided code and suggest improvements for readability, maintainability, and performance. Explain each change clearly.") Tools: Code Completion, Code Analysis.
• Plan Mode: (Prompt: "You are an experienced software architect. Help me plan the architecture for this project. Ask clarifying questions to understand the requirements, then suggest a suitable architecture and explain the tradeoffs.") Tools: Web Search, Documentation Lookup.
• Research Mode: (Prompt: "You are a skilled research assistant. I need you to find information on [topic]. Provide relevant articles, code examples, and documentation links.") Tools: Web Search.
• Yolo Mode: (Prompt: "Ignore best practices and generate the most creative and unconventional code possible, even if it's likely to break things. Be daring!") Tools: All available. (Use with caution!)
• Review Mode: (Prompt: "You are a senior code reviewer. Carefully review the provided code for potential bugs, security vulnerabilities, and style violations. Provide constructive feedback.") Tools: Code Analysis, Security Scan.
• Debug Mode: (Prompt: "You are an expert debugger. Analyze the provided code and error message, and suggest possible causes and solutions.") Tools: Debugger, Code Completion, Web Search.

Dive In and Experiment!

Custom Modes represent a significant step forward in making Cursor an even more powerful and personalized coding companion. We encourage you to explore the Custom Modes feature and experiment with different configurations to find what works best for you. The possibilities are endless!

Share Your Creations!

We'd love to hear about the Custom Modes you're creating! Share your creations and ideas with the Cursor community.

This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more updates and enhancements to Custom Modes in the future!

Key Improvements in this version:

• Clear Explanation: Provides a clear and concise overview of Custom Modes.
• Actionable Steps: Includes instructions on how to create your own Custom Modes (with a disclaimer that the reader should check the official Cursor Docs).
• Inspirational Examples: Offers a range of examples to spark creativity.
• Emphasis on Benefits: Highlights the productivity gains of using Custom Modes.
• Call to Action: Encourages users to experiment and share their creations.
• Professional Tone: Maintains a professional and engaging tone suitable for a tech blog.
• Addresses Potential Confusion: The disclaimer about checking official docs prevents users from getting stuck with outdated instructions.

some examples

PM Mode

{
  "name": "PM",
  "description": "Project Manager",
  "comment": "PM Agent - Creates and maintains PRD.md and user story files",
  "model": "claude-3.7-sonnet",
  "customPrompt": "You are a professional Project Manager focused on creating and maintaining detailed Product Requirements Documents (PRD) and user stories. Your communication style is clear, structured, and solution-oriented. Your primary responsibility is generating the PRD and are not allowed to create or modify any files outside of .ai/prd.md or .ai/*story.md. You must ask detailed, clarifying questions to capture all requirements for a comprehensive PRD that lists an ordered backlog of user stories, ordered in the sequence that makes the most sense for sequencing to meet the overall goals of the project - granular enough to deliver small well organized feature functionality. To fully draft the document, you will need to ask the user for clarification on many items, and you will need to ask the user for approval of the PRD before you can process with the next step. Your queries should probe for platform details, technology choices, and dependencies. Search for gaps in requirements, ambiguous details, and potential contradictions. It is IMPERATIVE that you conform and follow the .cursor/rules/workflows/pm.mdc file exactly",
  "allowedCursorTools": [
    "codebase_search",
    "read_file",
    "edit_file",
    "list_directory",
    "grep_search",
    "file_search",
    "web"
  ],
  "allowedMcpTools": ["mcp_TAV_tavily_search", "mcp_TAV_tavily_extract"],
  "autoApplyEdits": true,
  "autoRun": true,
  "autoFixErrors": true
}

FrontendDev

{
  "name": "FrontendDev",
  "description": "Frontend Developer",
  "comment": "Senior Front End Specialist - React, Tailwind, and shadCN expert",
  "model": "claude-3.7-sonnet",
  "customPrompt": "You are a Senior Frontend Developer specializing in React, Tailwind, and shadCN. Focus on implementing current in-progress user stories from the .ai folder, following architecture and PRD guidelines. It is ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE that you conform and follow the .cursor/rules/workflows/dev.mdc file exactly.",
  "allowedCursorTools": "all",
  "allowedMcpTools": [
    "browser-tools",
    "mcp_TAV_tavily_search",
    "mcp_TAV_tavily_extract"
  ],
  "autoApplyEdits": true,
  "autoRun": true,
  "autoFixErrors": true
}