Cursor with Claude 3.7 / GPT-4oby Anysphere
Cursor Prompt Generator
Write Cursor prompts that make the right code change — on the first try.
Cursor uses Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GPT-4o for code generation and editing. Prompts that provide file context, describe the existing behaviour, and specify the exact change required — including constraints on what NOT to change — produce precise, targeted edits rather than broad rewrites.
Cursor uses Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GPT-4o for AI editingContext window: up to 200K tokens with Claude in CursorUsed by 500K+ developers as of 2025 (Anysphere)
Source: Official Cursor prompting guide →
Cursor is the AI code editor that's replaced traditional IDEs for thousands of developers — but vague instructions produce imprecise edits, wrong context, and hallucinated code. The best Cursor prompts specify exactly what file to change, what the current code does, what change you want, and why. PromptIt structures your rough intent into a precise Cursor instruction that gets the right edit with minimal back-and-forth.
What makes a great Cursor prompt?
1Always state what the current code does before asking for a change: 'This function currently fetches all users — change it to accept a role parameter and filter by role'
2Specify what NOT to change: 'Update only the query logic, do not change the function signature or the error handling' prevents Cursor from rewriting more than you intended
3Reference the exact file and function: 'In src/lib/api/users.ts, in the getUsers() function, add...' — Cursor applies changes more precisely with explicit targets
4For new features, describe the complete contract: input types, output types, side effects, and error cases — Cursor generates complete, production-ready code when the spec is full
Before & after: how PromptIt improves your Cursor prompts
Specified the exact file and component, described current behaviour, defined the required UI addition, described the filter logic, included the empty state, constrained what must not change, and prohibited new dependencies.
✓ PromptIt-optimised
In src/components/PromptList.tsx:
Current behaviour: renders a static list of all prompts from the `prompts` prop.
Change required: Add client-side search filtering.
- Add a controlled text input above the list, placeholder 'Search prompts…'
- Filter the prompts array by checking if prompt.title or prompt.body includes the search term (case-insensitive)
- Show filtered results in real-time as the user types
- If no results match, show a centered message: 'No prompts match your search'
- Preserve all existing list item rendering logic — do not change how individual prompt cards are displayed
Use existing useState from React. No new dependencies.
Ready-to-use Cursor prompt starters
Bug Fix
In [file path], in the [function/component] function:
Current behaviour: [what it does now]
Bug: [exact symptom — what goes wrong and when]
Error (if any): [paste exact error message]
Fix the bug. Do not change any other behaviour. Explain the root cause in a comment above the fix.
New Feature
Add [feature name] to [file path].
Input: [what triggers it — user action, prop, event]
Behaviour: [step by step what happens]
Output / Result: [what the user sees or what the function returns]
Error case: [what happens if something fails]
Constraints: [what must not change, no new dependencies, etc.]
Refactor
Refactor [function/component] in [file path].
Goal: [what you want to achieve — e.g. reduce duplication, extract logic, improve readability]
Keep unchanged: [list what must stay the same — types, function signature, test coverage]
Do not: [list what to avoid — no new abstractions, no library changes, etc.]
Show the refactored code with a brief comment explaining each change.
API Integration
In [file path], add a call to [API endpoint].
Endpoint: [method] [URL]
Auth: [auth method and where token comes from]
Request body: [fields and types]
Success response shape: [JSON structure]
On success: [what to do with the data]
On error: [how to handle]
Use [fetch / axios / existing client]. Match the existing error handling pattern in this file.
Cursor prompting tips
→Always describe current behaviour before asking for a change — 'this function currently does X, change it to do Y' is 10x more precise than 'make it do Y'
→Explicitly list what must NOT change — Cursor often rewrites surrounding code; constraining scope prevents unintended edits
→Reference exact file paths and function names — 'in src/lib/api.ts, in the fetchUser() function' prevents Cursor from guessing where to make changes
→For complex features, describe the full contract: inputs, outputs, error cases, and side effects — Cursor generates production-ready code when the spec leaves no gaps
Stop writing weak Cursor prompts
PromptIt analyses your rough idea and builds a complete, structured prompt with role, context, constraints, and format — ready to paste into Cursor in seconds.
✦ Try PromptIt free — no card needed