Configure User Rules

What Are User Rules?

User Rules in Cursor Settings define how AI should behave across all your projects. These are your personal AI coding standards.

How to set:

1. Open Cursor Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
2. Search for "Rules for AI"
3. Add your rules in the text area

Recommended User Rules

1. If a request is ambiguous, ask clarifying questions before generating code.

2. When asked to 'fix' something, first explain what's wrong and why your solution addresses it.

3. Always type function parameters and return values explicitly. Don't rely on inference for function signatures.

4. Extract magic numbers and strings into named constants with descriptive names.

5. Use early returns to reduce nesting. Avoid deeply nested if-else chains.

6. Before suggesting a solution, verify it matches the existing tech stack and patterns in the project.

7. Prefer unknown over any. Use type guards to narrow types.

8. When modifying files, preserve existing code structure and patterns. Match the established conventions.

Why These Specific Rules

Rule 1: Ask Questions

• Prevents AI from guessing wrong requirements
• Saves time fixing misunderstood implementations
• Encourages collaboration over assumption

Rule 2: Explain Fixes

• You learn the root cause
• Can verify the fix is correct
• Builds understanding, not just working code

Rule 3: Explicit Types

• Prevents type errors at runtime
• Makes code self-documenting
• Easier to refactor later

Rule 4: Named Constants

• MAX_RETRIES = 3 instead of random 3 in code
• Self-documenting code
• Single source of truth

Rule 5: Early Returns

// Bad (deeply nested)
if (user) {
  if (user.isActive) {
    if (user.hasPermission) {
      // do something
    }
  }
}

// Good (early returns)
if (!user) return;
if (!user.isActive) return;
if (!user.hasPermission) return;
// do something

Rule 6: Match Tech Stack

• Don't suggest React hooks in Vue project
• Don't use async/await in callback-heavy codebase
• Respects established patterns

Rule 7: Unknown Over Any

// Bad
function handle(data: any) { ... }

// Good
function handle(data: unknown) {
  if (typeof data === 'string') {
    // TypeScript knows data is string here
  }
}

Rule 8: Preserve Patterns

• If project uses services, don't suggest repositories
• If project has error handling pattern, follow it
• Consistency > "best practice"

User Rules vs Project Rules

User Rules (Cursor Settings):

• Apply to ALL your projects
• Your personal coding standards
• Travel with you across clients
• Example: "Always use TypeScript strict mode"

Project Rules (.cursor/rules/):

• Apply only to this project
• Team/client-specific standards
• Shared with team via Git
• Example: "Use our custom ErrorHandler class"

Best practice:

• User Rules: General quality standards
• Project Rules: Client/team-specific patterns