Updating Cursor Settings

This skill guides you through modifying Cursor/VSCode user settings. Use this when the user wants to change editor settings, preferences, configuration, themes, keybindings, or any settings.json values.

Settings File Location

OS	Path
macOS	~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/settings.json
Linux	~/.config/Cursor/User/settings.json
Windows	%APPDATA%\Cursor\User\settings.json

Before Modifying Settings

1. Read the existing settings file to understand current configuration
2. Preserve existing settings - only add/modify what the user requested
3. Validate JSON syntax before writing to avoid breaking the editor

Modifying Settings

Step 1: Read Current Settings

// Read the settings file first
const settingsPath = "~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/settings.json";
// Use the Read tool to get current contents

Step 2: Identify the Setting to Change

Common setting categories:

• Editor: editor.fontSize, editor.tabSize, editor.wordWrap, editor.formatOnSave
• Workbench: workbench.colorTheme, workbench.iconTheme, workbench.sideBar.location
• Files: files.autoSave, files.exclude, files.associations
• Terminal: terminal.integrated.fontSize, terminal.integrated.shell.*
• Cursor-specific: Settings prefixed with cursor. or aipopup.

Step 3: Update the Setting

When modifying settings.json:

1. Parse the existing JSON (handle comments - VSCode settings support JSON with comments)
2. Add or update the requested setting
3. Preserve all other existing settings
4. Write back with proper formatting (2-space indentation)

Common User Requests

User Request	Setting
"bigger/smaller font"	editor.fontSize
"change tab size"	editor.tabSize
"format on save"	editor.formatOnSave
"word wrap"	editor.wordWrap
"change theme"	workbench.colorTheme
"hide minimap"	editor.minimap.enabled
"auto save"	files.autoSave
"line numbers"	editor.lineNumbers
"bracket matching"	editor.bracketPairColorization.enabled
"cursor style"	editor.cursorStyle
"smooth scrolling"	editor.smoothScrolling

Important Notes

1. JSON with Comments: VSCode/Cursor settings.json supports comments (// and /* */). When reading, be aware comments may exist. When writing, preserve comments if possible.
2. Restart May Be Required: Some settings take effect immediately, others require reloading the window or restarting Cursor.
3. Backup: For significant changes, consider mentioning the user can undo via Ctrl/Cmd+Z in the settings file.
4. Workspace vs User Settings: User settings apply globally; workspace settings (.vscode/settings.json) apply only to the current project.

Workflow

1. Read ~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/settings.json
2. Parse the JSON content
3. Add/modify the requested setting(s)
4. Write the updated JSON back to the file
5. Inform the user the setting has been changed and whether a reload is needed