Cursor Agent for People Who Don't Really Code

Cursor is a code editor, and code editors look intimidating. But Cursor Agent mode works like a chat window that happens to have arms — it reads your whole project, edits files, and shows you a diff before saving. You approve or reject every change.

1. 1Cmd-I or Ctrl-I opens the Agent chat
2. 2The sidebar shows your files — ignore everything you don't recognize
3. 3The diff view shows red and green stripes so you can see what changed

Download a Lovable or Bolt project you have already shipped. Open the folder in Cursor. Open Agent. Describe a change in plain English and watch the agent touch files.

Agent prompt:

In the swim tracker app, add a filter above the list that lets me view only last 7 days, last 30 days, or all time. Use the shadcn Tabs component. Keep the styling consistent with the rest of the page.

When done, list which files you changed and why.

• Commit to git before every agent run — one button in Cursor's Source Control panel
• Use the Restore checkpoints button to undo an agent run
• Accept changes file by file instead of all at once
• If in doubt, ask what will you change? before ask do it

The big idea: Cursor Agent is less like an IDE and more like a coworker who shares your screen. Describe the change, review the diff, keep what works, revert what does not.