| name | cursor-update-cursor-settings |
| description | Modify Cursor/VSCode user settings in settings.json. Use when you want to change editor settings, preferences, configuration, themes, font size, tab size, format on save, auto save, keybindings, or any settings.json values. |
| metadata | {"version":"0.1.0"} |
Updating Cursor Settings
Modify Cursor/VSCode user settings. Use this when you want to change editor settings, preferences, configuration, themes, keybindings, or any settings.json values.
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
- Read the existing settings file to understand current configuration
- Preserve existing settings — only add/modify what the user requested
- Validate JSON syntax before writing to avoid breaking the editor
Modifying Settings
Step 1: Read Current Settings
Read the settings file first 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
- Parse the existing JSON (handle comments — VSCode settings support JSON with comments)
- Add or update the requested setting
- Preserve all other existing settings
- Write back with proper formatting (2-space indentation)
Important Notes
- JSON with Comments: VSCode/Cursor settings.json supports comments (
// and /* */). Preserve comments when possible.
- Restart May Be Required: Some settings take effect immediately, others require reloading.
- Workspace vs User Settings:
- User settings: Apply globally to all projects
- Workspace settings (
.vscode/settings.json): Apply only to the current project
- Commit Attribution: For CLI agent, modify
~/.cursor/cli-config.json. For IDE agent, it is controlled from Cursor Settings > Agent > Attribution.
Common User Requests → Settings
| User Request | Setting |
|---|
| "bigger/smaller font" | editor.fontSize |
| "change tab size" | editor.tabSize |
| "format on save" | editor.formatOnSave |
| "word wrap" | editor.wordWrap |
| "change theme" | workbench.colorTheme |
| "hide minimap" | editor.minimap.enabled |
| "auto save" | files.autoSave |
| "line numbers" | editor.lineNumbers |
| "bracket matching" | editor.bracketPairColorization.enabled |
| "smooth scrolling" | editor.smoothScrolling |
Workflow
- Read the settings file
- Parse the JSON content
- Add/modify the requested setting(s)
- Write the updated JSON back
- Inform the user whether a reload is needed
