Creating Cursor Commands

Creating Cursor Slash Commands

You are an expert at creating effective Cursor slash commands (.cursor/commands/*.md) that provide clear, actionable instructions for AI assistants.

When to Use This Skill

Use when:

• User wants to create a new Cursor slash command
• User asks to improve existing slash commands
• User needs help understanding Cursor command format
• User wants to convert prompts to slash commands
• User asks about Cursor command validation

Don't use for:

• Cursor rules (.cursor/rules/) - use creating-cursor-rules-skill instead
• Claude Code slash commands - those use different format with frontmatter
• Complex multi-step workflows - those should be Cursor rules

Quick Reference

Format Requirements

Critical Rules

1. NO frontmatter allowed - Cursor commands are plain Markdown only
2. Descriptive filenames - The filename becomes the command name
3. Clear instructions - Tell AI exactly what to do
4. Include examples - Show desired output format

File Naming

Good filenames:

• review-code.md → /review-code
• generate-tests.md → /generate-tests
• explain-code.md → /explain-code
• optimize-performance.md → /optimize-performance

Bad filenames:

• rc.md - Too cryptic
• review_code.md - Use hyphens, not underscores
• ReviewCode.md - Use lowercase
• review-code-thoroughly-with-security-checks.md - Too verbose

Schema Validation

Schema Location

https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/main/packages/converters/schemas/cursor-command.schema.json

Schema Structure

{
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "$id": "https://prpm.dev/schemas/cursor-command.schema.json",
  "title": "Cursor Command Format",
  "description": "JSON Schema for Cursor commands (slash commands) - plain Markdown files in .cursor/commands/",
  "type": "object",
  "required": ["content"],
  "properties": {
    "content": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Plain Markdown content describing what the command should do. No frontmatter supported."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

Key Validations

1. Must be plain Markdown - No YAML frontmatter
2. Content-only structure - Single content field
3. No metadata - Unlike Cursor rules, commands have no configuration

Common Mistakes

Best Practices

1. Be Specific and Actionable

❌ Bad - Vague:

# Review Code

Review the code for issues.

✅ Good - Specific:

# Review Code

Review the selected code for:
- Code quality and best practices
- Potential bugs or edge cases
- Performance improvements
- Security vulnerabilities

Provide specific, actionable feedback with code examples where appropriate.

2. Include Expected Output Format

❌ Bad - No guidance:

# Generate Tests

Generate tests for this code.

✅ Good - Clear format:

# Generate Tests

Generate comprehensive unit tests for the selected code.

Include:
- Happy path test cases
- Edge cases and error handling
- Mock external dependencies
- Follow existing test patterns in the project

Use the testing framework already configured in the project.

3. Provide Step-by-Step Instructions

✅ Good - Structured approach:

# Explain Code

Provide a clear explanation of what the selected code does.

Include:
- High-level purpose and goals
- Step-by-step breakdown of logic
- Any non-obvious behavior or edge cases
- Dependencies and side effects
- How it fits into the larger codebase

4. Reference Project Context

✅ Good - Context-aware:

# Add Component

Create a new React component following our project conventions.

Structure:
- Functional component with TypeScript
- Props interface defined separately
- Export as named export (not default)
- Co-locate styles if needed
- Follow existing component patterns in components/ directory

Use the same testing approach as existing components.

5. Focus on One Task

Each command should do ONE thing well.

❌ Bad - Too broad:

# Full Stack Feature

Create a full-stack feature with:
- Database migration
- API endpoint
- Frontend component
- Tests for everything
- Documentation

✅ Good - Focused:

# Create API Endpoint

Create a new API endpoint following our conventions.

Include:
- Input validation with Zod
- Error handling with try/catch
- TypeScript types for request/response
- Follow patterns in existing endpoints

Examples

Code Review Command

.cursor/commands/review-code.md:

# Review Code

Review the selected code for:

1. **Code Quality**
   - Clean, readable code
   - Proper naming conventions
   - DRY principle adherence

2. **Security**
   - Input validation
   - SQL injection risks
   - XSS vulnerabilities
   - Authentication/authorization checks

3. **Performance**
   - Inefficient algorithms
   - Unnecessary computations
   - Memory leaks
   - Database query optimization

4. **Best Practices**
   - Error handling
   - Type safety
   - Test coverage
   - Documentation

Provide specific file and line references for all issues found.
Format findings as a numbered list with severity (Critical/High/Medium/Low).

Test Generation Command

.cursor/commands/generate-tests.md:

# Generate Tests

Generate comprehensive unit tests for the selected code.

Test Coverage:
- Happy path scenarios
- Edge cases
- Error conditions
- Boundary values
- Invalid inputs

Requirements:
- Use existing test framework (Jest/Vitest/etc.)
- Follow project testing patterns
- Mock external dependencies
- Include test descriptions
- Aim for 100% code coverage

Format tests in the same style as existing test files in the project.

Documentation Generator

.cursor/commands/document-function.md:

# Document Function

Generate comprehensive documentation for the selected function.

Include:

**Function signature:**
- Parameter types and descriptions
- Return type and description
- Generic types if applicable

**Description:**
- What the function does (one-line summary)
- Why it exists (use case)
- How it works (implementation details if non-obvious)

**Examples:**
- Basic usage example
- Edge case example if relevant

**Notes:**
- Any side effects
- Performance considerations
- Related functions

Use JSDoc/TSDoc format for TypeScript/JavaScript.

Optimization Command

.cursor/commands/optimize-performance.md:

# Optimize Performance

Analyze the selected code for performance improvements.

Look for:

**Algorithmic Issues:**
- O(n²) or worse time complexity
- Unnecessary nested loops
- Inefficient data structures

**React-Specific:**
- Unnecessary re-renders
- Missing useMemo/useCallback
- Large component trees
- Props drilling

**General:**
- Redundant computations
- Memory leaks
- Synchronous blocking operations
- Large bundle size contributors

Suggest specific optimizations with code examples.
Estimate performance impact of each suggestion.

Refactoring Command

.cursor/commands/refactor-clean.md:

# Refactor for Clean Code

Refactor the selected code to improve maintainability.

Apply these principles:

**Extract Functions:**
- Break down large functions (> 50 lines)
- Create single-responsibility functions
- Use descriptive names

**Simplify Logic:**
- Reduce nesting (early returns)
- Eliminate duplication
- Clarify complex conditionals

**Improve Names:**
- Use meaningful variable names
- Follow project naming conventions
- Avoid abbreviations

**Type Safety:**
- Add proper TypeScript types
- Eliminate 'any' types
- Use interfaces/types

Preserve all existing functionality and tests.

Bug Fix Command

.cursor/commands/fix-bug.md:

# Fix Bug

Analyze and fix the bug in the selected code.

Investigation steps:
1. Identify the root cause
2. Explain why the bug occurs
3. Propose a fix
4. Consider edge cases
5. Suggest tests to prevent regression

Fix requirements:
- Minimal changes to fix the issue
- Don't break existing functionality
- Add/update tests
- Add comments explaining the fix if non-obvious

Explain the fix clearly with before/after code examples.

Storage Locations

Commands can be stored in multiple locations (in order of precedence):

1. Project commands: .cursor/commands/ directory in your project (shared with team)
2. Global commands: ~/.cursor/commands/ directory (personal, all projects)
3. Team commands: Created via Cursor Dashboard (enterprise teams)

Best practice: Store team-wide commands in .cursor/commands/ and commit to version control.

Testing Your Commands

After creating a command:

1. Save to .cursor/commands/command-name.md
2. Invoke with /command-name in Cursor chat
3. Verify AI follows instructions correctly
4. Test edge cases:
   • No code selected
   • Empty files
   • Complex code
   • Different languages
5. Iterate based on results

Commands vs. Cursor Rules

Use Commands When:

• ✅ Simple, focused task
• ✅ Explicit user invocation desired
• ✅ Personal productivity shortcuts
• ✅ One-time operations

Use Cursor Rules When:

• ✅ Context-aware automatic activation
• ✅ File-type specific guidance
• ✅ Team standardization
• ✅ Always-on conventions

Example:

• Command: /generate-tests - Explicitly generate tests when asked
• Rule: Auto-attach testing conventions to *.test.ts files

Validation Checklist

Before finalizing a command:

• Filename is descriptive and kebab-case
• NO frontmatter (plain Markdown only)
• Instructions are clear and specific
• Expected output format is described
• Examples are included
• Steps are actionable
• Command is focused on one task
• Edge cases are considered
• File is in .cursor/commands/ directory
• Command has been tested

Converting from Other Formats

From Claude Code Slash Commands

Claude Code commands use frontmatter - remove it for Cursor:

Claude Code:

---
description: Review code
allowed-tools: Read, Grep
---

Review the code...

Cursor:

# Review Code

Review the code...

From Cursor Rules

Rules use frontmatter and are context-aware - simplify to plain Markdown:

Cursor Rule:

---
description: Testing conventions
globs: ["**/*.test.ts"]
---

# Testing Standards

Always write tests...

Cursor Command:

# Generate Tests

Generate comprehensive tests...

Common Use Cases

Code Quality

• /review-code - Code review
• /refactor-clean - Clean code refactoring
• /fix-lint - Fix linting issues
• /improve-types - Improve TypeScript types

Testing

• /generate-tests - Generate unit tests
• /test-edge-cases - Add edge case tests
• /test-coverage - Check test coverage

Documentation

• /document-function - Document function
• /add-comments - Add code comments
• /explain-code - Explain complex code

Performance

• /optimize-performance - Performance optimization
• /analyze-complexity - Analyze time complexity
• /reduce-bundle - Reduce bundle size

Security

• /security-audit - Security vulnerability check
• /sanitize-input - Add input validation
• /check-auth - Review authentication

References

• Schema: https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/main/packages/converters/schemas/cursor-command.schema.json
• Docs: /Users/khaliqgant/Projects/prpm/app/packages/converters/docs/cursor.md
• Official Docs: https://cursor.com/docs/agent/chat/commands

Remember

Golden Rules:

1. NO frontmatter - plain Markdown only
2. Descriptive filenames - they become command names
3. Clear instructions - AI needs specific guidance
4. Include examples - show desired output
5. One task per command - keep it focused

Goal: Create commands that make frequent tasks effortless with a simple /command-name invocation.