Cursor Project Rules

Project Rules vs. User Rules

Cursor distinguishes between two scopes of rules: Project Rules (stored in your repository at .cursor/rules/) and User Rules (stored in your Cursor settings). Project rules travel with your codebase — every team member gets the same AI behavior. User rules are personal preferences that only affect your local Cursor instance.

The .cursor/rules Directory Structure

Project rules live in .cursor/rules/ as .mdc files. Each file is a self-contained rule with frontmatter metadata:

• globs — File patterns the rule applies to (e.g., **/*.tsx)
• alwaysApply — Whether the rule is always active or opt-in
• description — Human-readable summary of what the rule does

Example rule file structure:

---
globs: "**/*.tsx"
alwaysApply: true
description: "React component conventions"
---
Always use functional components with TypeScript interfaces.
Prefer named exports over default exports.
Use the 'use client' directive only when necessary.

Common Project Rule Patterns

Framework-Specific Rules

Target Next.js components with glob **/*.tsx and specify conventions: server components by default, proper metadata exports, and App Router patterns.

Testing Rules

Target test files with glob **/*.test.* and enforce testing patterns: describe/it blocks, AAA pattern, and specific assertion library preferences.

Documentation Rules

Target documentation files with glob **/*.md and enforce standards: required sections, heading hierarchy, and code example formatting.

Migration from .cursorrules to Project Rules

If you're currently using the legacy .cursorrules file, migrating to the directory-based approach gives you per-file targeting and better organization. Split your single file into multiple .mdc files, each focused on a specific concern.

Our Cursor Rules Generator can help you create properly formatted project rules. Read What Are Cursor Rules for conceptual background, or browse templates for ready-to-use rule sets.