# Cursor Best Practices > Best practices for working with Cursor. Use when learning how to effectively use Cursor features or optimizing your workflow. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/cursor-best-practices` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/cursor-best-practices` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/cursor-best-practices/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/cursor-best-practices --- # Cursor Best Practices Best practices for working with Cursor to maximize productivity and code quality. ## Core Principles - **Start with plans** - Use Plan Mode (Shift+Tab) for complex tasks - **Manage context effectively** - Let agent find context, start new conversations when needed - **Extend the agent** - Use Rules for static context, Skills for dynamic capabilities - **Review carefully** - AI-generated code needs review like human code ## Key Workflows - **Test-driven development** - Write tests first, iterate until passing - **Codebase understanding** - Use agent to explore and learn codebases - **Git workflows** - Automate common git operations with commands - **Parallel agents** - Run multiple agents simultaneously for comparison ## References For detailed guidance, see: - `references/planning.md` - Plan mode and starting with plans - `references/context.md` - Managing context and conversations - `references/extending.md` - Rules vs Skills, extending agent - `references/workflows.md` - TDD, codebase understanding, git workflows - `references/reviewing.md` - Code review strategies - `references/parallel-agents.md` - Running agents in parallel --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/siviter-xyz) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.