Choose where your instructions belong
Cursor supports Project Rules, User Rules, Team Rules, and AGENTS.md. Project Rules are scoped to a codebase, while User Rules set global preferences for Agent (Chat). Cursor’s rules guide
Use project guidance for codebase conventions and reusable workflows. Put personal preferences in User Rules. Cursor documents Team Rules for Team and Enterprise plans. Cursor’s rules guide
Add project instructions with Rules
Project Rules live as version-controlled .mdc files in .cursor/rules. Cursor says they can encode codebase knowledge, automate project workflows, and standardize style or architecture decisions. Cursor’s rules guide
Create one by typing /create-rule in Agent and describing the rule, or open Customize in the sidebar, select Rules, then Add Rule. Cursor’s rules guide
A plain .md file in .cursor/rules is ignored. Cursor requires frontmatter fields for description, globs, and alwaysApply. Cursor’s rules guide
Control when a rule applies
Cursor offers Always Apply, Apply Intelligently, Apply to Specific Files, and Apply Manually modes. A rule with alwaysApply: true is always included; a rule with alwaysApply: false, a description, and no globs is included when Agent determines it is relevant. Cursor’s rules guide
Keep rules focused, actionable, and scoped. Cursor recommends keeping them under 500 lines and splitting large rules into composable rules. Cursor’s rules guide
Use AGENTS.md for straightforward guidance
Cursor describes AGENTS.md as a plain Markdown alternative to .cursor/rules for agent instructions. Place it in the project root. Cursor’s rules guide
An AGENTS.md in a subdirectory applies to files in that directory and its children. More specific nested instructions take precedence over parent instructions. Cursor’s rules guide
Connect Cursor to your saved knowledge
KnowMan provides a local stdio MCP server in the @knowman/mcp package and a hosted server at https://api.knowman.io/mcp. The local launch command is npx -y @knowman/mcp; it requires Node 22 or newer. The hosted server uses OAuth sign-in or an API key sent as an Authorization: Bearer header.
KnowMan’s MCP tools include kb_search for finding saved items, kb_get_item for reading one item, kb_ask for answers with citations, and kb_save for saving a URL with an optional note. See the KnowMan MCP guide and how to connect an AI to your notes.
Where KnowMan fits
Cursor Rules and AGENTS.md provide instructions. KnowMan is a personal library for saved articles and links, with search, readable item content, cited answers, and saving through its MCP tools.
The KnowMan MCP server runs locally over stdio or as a hosted server at https://api.knowman.io/mcp, which clients can connect to using OAuth sign-in or an API key. KnowMan is built for one person’s library today; team plans are not available.
Connect Cursor to KnowMan
Cursor can connect to KnowMan’s hosted MCP server at https://api.knowman.io/mcp. Add the server URL in Cursor, then sign in on the KnowMan consent page and approve access, or configure an API key as a bearer token.
For API key setup, add this to Cursor’s mcp.json, replacing <key> with a key from KnowMan settings: {"mcpServers":{"knowman":{"url":"https://api.knowman.io/mcp","headers":{"Authorization":"Bearer <key>"}}}}. The open-source local client is also available at GitHub.
Questions people ask
Where should I put Cursor project rules?
Cursor Project Rules live in .cursor/rules as version-controlled .mdc files. They can be scoped by path, invoked manually, or included based on relevance. Cursor’s rules guide
Does Cursor use plain Markdown instructions?
Cursor supports AGENTS.md as a plain Markdown alternative to .cursor/rules. A plain .md file placed in .cursor/rules is ignored because the rules system requires frontmatter. Cursor’s rules guide
Can KnowMan give Cursor access to saved articles?
KnowMan’s local stdio MCP server and hosted server at https://api.knowman.io/mcp include tools for searching saved items, reading one item, asking questions with citations, and saving a URL. KnowMan MCP guide
Can I use KnowMan MCP with a remote-only client?
KnowMan offers a hosted MCP server at https://api.knowman.io/mcp for clients that accept remote MCP servers. Sign in through the KnowMan consent page with OAuth, or connect with an API key. KnowMan MCP guide