If you're using Cursor as your AI code assistant, you're already ahead of the game. Gone are the days of coding solo in the dark. With Cursor AI, your editor becomes your smartest teammate - one that can read your codebase, suggest improvements, and help you ship features faster and cleaner.

Whether you're a developer working solo, an indie hacker, a startup founder, or a team sprinting on a platform like SashiDo, these tips will help you go from using Cursor to mastering it. Let’s dive into the techniques that will optimize your workflow and enhance your coding rhythm.

1. Use Plan Mode as Your AI Architect

One of the most underused features in Cursor is Plan Mode. It’s designed to take the heavy lifting off your shoulders by generating clear and actionable implementation strategies.

Hit Cmd + N for a new chat, then Shift + Tab to switch into Plan Mode. The agent will:

Read and analyze your codebase
Understand your app's structure
Propose a clean, actionable implementation plan

This is your secret weapon for shipping new pages, integrations, or UI flows without overprompting.

💡 Pro Tip: The best results come when you let the agent take the lead initially. You can always tweak the plan later, but avoid micromanaging the AI from the start.

2. Master the Context Menu

Type @ in the chat to summon a context menu with files, folders, branches, past chats, and docs.

This lets you direct the agent’s attention precisely and avoids context overload.

Whether you're reviewing a specific branch, referencing past conversations, or pulling in errors from a linter, the context menu keeps your development focused and efficient.

3. Create Custom Slash Commands

Define your own workflows with /commands and lets cursor to automate repetitive work.

Create a folder of markdown-based commands like /pr for auto-generating PRs. This is a great way to maintain team standards while freeing up your time to focus on logic and implementation

Automate away the boring stuff so you can focus on the hard stuff!

4. Paste Images for UI Help

Trying to clone a design or get visual inspiration? Paste a UI screenshot directly into the chat and ask Cursor to replicate the layout.

For example, you might say:

*"Make my Top Artists page look like this." *

Cursor will then generate a matching layout, adjusting components and configs as needed. This feature is particularly useful for frontend developers working with SashiDo to quickly prototype screens.

Go from Design inspiration to functional UI, instantly!

💡 Pro Tip: Sometimes, if the LLM doesn’t quite get what you’re trying to explain, it’s much more effective to attach a visual example instead.

5. Duplicate Chats Strategically

Instead of cluttering your main thread with multiple directions, use the duplicate chat feature to experiment. It works like forking your development process - giving you space to test, iterate, and compare results without losing your main conversation.

This strategy is especially useful when exploring alternative solutions to complex UI or backend logic.

6. Watch the Context Window

Your context window is like memory bandwidth - keep it lean for best results when it gets full, quality drops.

To keep the conversation sharp, use /summarize to condense earlier parts of the chat or simply start fresh threads for new features.

Fresh contexts yield clearer, more actionable responses.

7. Monitor Usage Limits

If you're on a metered plan, toggle Usage Summary to track percentage, reset time, and model usage.

Perfect for cost-conscious startups and indie devs scaling efficiently.

Helpful for teams and budget-conscious devs.

8. Learn the Shortcuts

Speed is life. Here are a few favs:

Cmd + I -> Open agent

Cmd + / -> Switch model (GPT-5, Claude, etc.)

Cmd + N -> New chat

💡 Pro Tip: Customize in settings to better fit your flow.

9. Start Fresh Often

Long chats = overloaded context = bad answers.

The best Cursor users treat each chat like a mini sprint: start fresh for each feature or bugfix. This keeps your context clean, responses sharp, and productivity high.

Make it a habit: new feature, new chat. Bugfix? Start another one.

10. Time Travel with Checkpoints

Made a bad change? Roll back effortlessly with Cursor's Checkpoints.

It's like Git for your conversations - perfect for UI tweaks or logic reversions, A/B tests, or quick fixes.

This safety net gives you confidence to explore without fear of losing progress.

11. Bonus Hidden Gems

Here are a few lesser-known features worth exploring:

Completion Sounds: Audible feedback when the agent finishes responding. Get a "ding" when the agent finishes!
Mermaid Diagrams: Visualize complex app logic with just a prompt.
New Layout Beta: Test a new layout with agents on the left, code in the center, and diffs on the right

Fin

Cursor isn't just another AI assistant. It's your coding co-pilot that understands your code, proposes implementation plans, and helps you ship clean, production-ready features faster.

The most effective Cursor users aren’t the ones who type the most prompts. They’re the ones who guide the agent smartly - using structure, context, and the right tools at the right moment.

So whether you're hacking together a new MVP, improving UX, spinning an MCP server or scaling a SaaS on SashiDo, these Cursor strategies will help you focus on what really matters - building great products!

🚀 Ready to take your AI-assisted development even further? Deploy your app with SashiDo in minutes. Start your Free Trial Now. And here is a quick Getting Started Guide for a smooth take off.

If you liked this post, you might want to also check out:

Vibe Coding with AI Agents: Best Practices for Using Cursor with Node.js and SashiDo - Part 1

Vibe Coding with AI Agents: A Non-Developer’s Journey to Shipping an MVP on SashiDo - Part 2

OpenAI’s New Apps SDK (Preview): What It Means and How to Experiment

How to Master Vibe Coding: Best Practices and Useful AI Tool