update-cursor-settings

Updating Cursor Settings

This skill guides you through modifying Cursor/VSCode user settings. Use this when the user wants to change editor settings, preferences, configuration, themes, keybindings, or any settings.json values.

Check existing first

Before modifying settings, check:

1. Read current settings:

cat ~/.config/Cursor/User/settings.json 2>/dev/null | head -50  # Linux
cat ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/User/settings.json 2>/dev/null | head -50  # macOS

1. Check for workspace settings:

cat .vscode/settings.json 2>/dev/null

1. Understand current state:

• What's the current value of the setting?
• Are there conflicting workspace settings?

Why: Preserve existing settings. Only modify what's requested.

Settings File Location

OS	Path
macOS	~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/settings.json
Linux	~/.config/Cursor/User/settings.json
Windows	%APPDATA%\Cursor\User\settings.json

Before Modifying Settings

1. Read the existing settings file to understand current configuration
2. Preserve existing settings - only add/modify what the user requested
3. Validate JSON syntax before writing to avoid breaking the editor

Modifying Settings

Step 1: Read Current Settings

// Read the settings file first
const settingsPath = "~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/settings.json";
// Use the Read tool to get current contents

Step 2: Identify the Setting to Change

Common setting categories:

• Editor: editor.fontSize, editor.tabSize, editor.wordWrap, editor.formatOnSave
• Workbench: workbench.colorTheme, workbench.iconTheme, workbench.sideBar.location
• Files: files.autoSave, files.exclude, files.associations
• Terminal: terminal.integrated.fontSize, terminal.integrated.shell.*
• Cursor-specific: Settings prefixed with cursor. or aipopup.

Step 3: Update the Setting

When modifying settings.json:

1. Parse the existing JSON (handle comments - VSCode settings support JSON with comments)
2. Add or update the requested setting
3. Preserve all other existing settings
4. Write back with proper formatting (2-space indentation)