Cursor’s agent mode: when to hand over the whole task
Cursor’s agent reads your project, edits several files and runs commands. Which tasks it actually handles well.
Autocomplete suggests a line. The agent takes the whole task: it finds the right files, edits several places and runs tests or a build to check its own work.
Where the agent does well
- Routine refactors: rename a prop across every component, move a module from JS to TypeScript.
- Features by example: “build the settings page the same way as the profile page”.
- Fixing from an error message: the agent reproduces the error and verifies the fix.
Where to keep your hands on the wheel
- Architecture: the agent picks a working option, not necessarily the one you want to live with.
- Changes with side effects: database migrations, deleting files, dependency upgrades.
- Large tasks with no clear definition of done.
Practical tips
- Describe the outcome, not the steps: what should work and how to check it.
- Give the agent a verification command —
npm run buildor a specific test. - Review the diff before committing, as you would a colleague’s PR.