.cursorrules generator
Fill five fields, get a .cursorrules file that tells Cursor your stack, your commands
and the constraints it cannot read from the code. No 10,000-rule dump, no role-play — just the lines
that change what Cursor generates. Free, in your browser, no account.
Where .cursorrules fits in 2026
Cursor now reads project rules from .cursor/rules/*.mdc files, but it still loads a
root .cursorrules for backward compatibility, and plenty of teams keep one because it is a
single file they can eyeball in a PR. This generator writes that file. If you have moved to the newer
format, the body below drops straight into a .mdc rule with alwaysApply: true —
same text, different wrapper.
Either way the trap is the same. A rules file is prepended to what Cursor sees, so length has a cost on
every completion. A file that opens with "You are a 10x engineer" and then lists twenty generic best
practices spends that budget telling Cursor things it already does. The useful lines — use Prisma not
raw SQL, money is in cents, the API is versioned under /v1 — get buried. This tool writes
only those.
What a good .cursorrules actually contains
Three things, in order of value. The stack, so Cursor stops reaching for a library you did not choose. The commands with a catch, so it runs the right one. And the constraints — the "never do X" lines that come from a bug you already hit, which nothing in the repository states out loud.
- Stack, not versions. "Next.js App Router, Prisma, Tailwind" earns its place. "next@15.1.3" does not —
package.jsonalready has it and stays current. - Constraints over encouragement. "Do not import from
src/legacy/*" changes behaviour. "Write maintainable code" does not; Cursor already tries. - Commands with a surprise. A non-default port, a required seed step, a build flag. Skip the ones Cursor would type right anyway.
Have a bloated file already? Our audit tool reads .cursorrules
too and marks the lines to cut. The generator here just starts you lean.
Frequently asked questions
Does Cursor still read .cursorrules in 2026?
Yes, as a backward-compatible fallback. The current format is .cursor/rules/*.mdc files, but a root .cursorrules is still loaded, and the body this tool generates drops into a .mdc rule unchanged if you have migrated.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The generator is a JavaScript file your browser downloads once, and it builds the file on your machine. No request, no account, no logging. Open the network tab and watch.
Why so short? Other generators output hundreds of lines.
Because the file is prepended to Cursor's context on every completion. Length has a running cost, and generic lines like "write clean code" spend it telling Cursor things it already does. Short is the feature, not a limitation.
Should I list my dependency versions?
No, and the tool does not. package.json holds the versions and stays current; a number copied into .cursorrules goes stale on the next upgrade and then misleads. Name the framework, not the patch version.
What belongs in the "project rules" field?
The constraints that come from a bug you already hit and that nothing in the repo states: a banned import, a data invariant like "money is stored in cents", a staging gotcha. If removing a line would not change what Cursor does, leave it out.
Does it work for a backend or CLI, not just a website?
Yes. Pick the project type in the form and the framing adjusts. The structure — stack, commands, constraints — is the same whether it is a Next.js app, a FastAPI service or a Rust CLI.
What does the paid generator add?
This tool needs you to already know your stack and rules. The paid generator asks 117 questions and writes the specification itself — schema, auth, payments, security, file layout — with the .cursorrules generated alongside. Two generations are free with an account; unlimited is $19/month or $99 once.
Rules point Cursor. A spec tells it what to build.
This file assumes you already know the project. The paid generator asks 117 questions and writes the
specification — schema, auth, payments, security, file layout — that Cursor implements against, with the
matching .cursorrules generated alongside. 2 free prompts with an account, no card.