Command Reference Cheatsheet

This cheatsheet provides a complete reference for all commands available in Cursor IDE and Claude Code, organized for quick lookup during development.

Quick Command Overview

Essential Commands

Cursor

• @ - Reference symbols, files, folders
• # - Quick file reference
• / - Slash commands menu
• Ctrl+Shift+P - Command palette
• cursor - CLI command

Claude Code

• / - Built-in slash commands
• @ - Reference files in prompts
• # - Quick CLAUDE.md update
• claude - Start interactive mode
• claude -p - One-off query

Cursor IDE Commands

@ Symbol References

The @ symbol provides powerful context references in Cursor:

Symbol	Description	Example Usage
@files	Reference specific files	@main.js explain this file
@folders	Include entire directories	@src/components analyze structure
@code	Reference code blocks	@calculateTotal how does this work?
@symbols	Reference functions/classes	@UserAuth explain implementation
@definitions	Go to symbol definitions	@getPriceDefinition show me
@docs	Reference documentation	@ReactDocs useState hook
@git	Git history and changes	@git recent commits
@link	Reference URLs	@link https://api.docs.com
@linter-errors	Current linting issues	@linter-errors fix all
@past-chats	Previous conversations	@past-chats authentication discussion
@recent-changes	Recent file modifications	@recent-changes last hour
@web	Web search results	@web React 19 features
@cursor-rules	Project rules	@cursor-rules show current

Slash Commands (/)

Command	Description	Usage
/Reset Context	Reset to default state	Clear all context
/Generate Cursor Rules	Create project rules	Auto-generate from codebase
/Disable Iterate on Lints	Skip linter fixes	Prevent auto-fixing
/Add Open Files to Context	Include all tabs	Reference all open editors
/Add Active Files to Context	Include visible tabs	Only currently visible files

Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)

Essential Cursor commands accessible via command palette:

Command	Description
Cursor Settings	Open Cursor-specific settings
Cursor: New Rule	Create new project rule
Cursor: Toggle Privacy Mode	Enable/disable privacy
Cursor: Export Chat	Save conversation
Cursor: Import Settings	Import from VS Code
Cursor: Toggle Max Mode	Enable advanced features
Cursor: Generate Commit Message	AI commit message
Cursor: Resolve Conflicts	AI merge conflict resolution

CLI Commands

# Basic Usage
cursor [options] [paths...]         # Open files/folders
cursor .                            # Open current directory
cursor file.js                      # Open specific file
cursor folder/                      # Open folder
cat file.txt | cursor -             # Read from stdin

# File Operations
cursor -d --diff <file1> <file2>    # Compare two files
cursor -m --merge <p1> <p2> <base> <result>  # Three-way merge
cursor -g --goto file.js:10:5       # Go to line:column
cursor -a --add folder              # Add folder to last window
cursor --remove folder              # Remove folder from window

# Window Management
cursor -n --new-window              # Force new window
cursor -r --reuse-window            # Force reuse window
cursor -w --wait                    # Wait for files to close

# Configuration
cursor --locale <locale>            # Set locale (e.g., en-US)
cursor --user-data-dir <dir>        # Custom data directory
cursor --profile <name>             # Use/create profile
cursor --add-mcp <json>             # Add MCP server

# Extensions
cursor --extensions-dir <dir>       # Set extensions directory
cursor --list-extensions            # List installed extensions
cursor --show-versions              # Show extension versions
cursor --install-extension <id>     # Install extension
cursor --uninstall-extension <id>   # Uninstall extension
cursor --update-extensions          # Update all extensions

# Troubleshooting
cursor -v --version                 # Show version
cursor -h --help                    # Show help
cursor --verbose                    # Verbose output
cursor --log <level>                # Set log level
cursor -s --status                  # Show diagnostics
cursor --disable-extensions         # Disable all extensions

# Subcommands
cursor tunnel                       # Secure tunnel for remote access
cursor serve-web                    # Run web UI server

Claude Code Commands

Built-in Slash Commands

Command	Purpose	Example
/add-dir	Add working directories	/add-dir ../backend
/bug	Report bugs to Anthropic	/bug Claude won't stop
/clear	Clear conversation history	/clear
/compact	Compact with instructions	/compact focus on auth logic
/config	View/modify configuration	/config
/cost	Show token usage stats	/cost
/doctor	Check installation health	/doctor
/help	Get usage help	/help
/init	Initialize CLAUDE.md	/init
/login	Switch accounts	/login
/logout	Sign out	/logout
/mcp	Manage MCP servers	/mcp
/memory	Edit CLAUDE.md files	/memory
/model	Select AI model	/model
/permissions	Update permissions	/permissions
/pr_comments	View PR comments	/pr_comments
/review	Request code review	/review
/status	View system status	/status
/terminal-setup	Configure terminal	/terminal-setup
/vim	Enter vim mode	/vim

CLI Commands & Flags

Basic Commands

# Interactive mode
claude                          # Start interactive REPL
claude "explain this project"   # Start with initial prompt

# One-off queries
claude -p "explain this function"              # Query and exit
cat logs.txt | claude -p "analyze errors"      # Process piped content

# Session management
claude -c                       # Continue most recent
claude -c -p "check for bugs"   # Continue in non-interactive mode
claude -r                       # Choose session to resume interactively
claude -r "abc123"              # Resume specific session by ID

# Utility
claude update                   # Update to latest version
claude mcp                      # Configure MCP servers

Command Line Flags

Flag	Description	Example
-p, —print	One-off query mode (non-interactive)	claude -p "fix this bug"
-c, —continue	Continue last conversation	claude -c
-r, —resume	Resume specific session	claude -r or claude -r "session-id"
—model	Specify model	claude --model sonnet or claude --model claude-sonnet-4-20250514
—dangerously-skip-permissions	Skip all permission prompts	claude --dangerously-skip-permissions
—output-format	Output format (text/json/stream-json)	claude -p "query" --output-format json
—input-format	Input format (text/stream-json)	claude -p --input-format stream-json
—verbose	Verbose output	claude --verbose
—add-dir	Add additional directories	claude --add-dir ../shared
—debug	Enable debug mode	claude --debug
—mcp-debug	Debug MCP connections (deprecated, use —debug)	claude --mcp-debug
—max-turns	Limit agentic turns in non-interactive mode	claude -p "task" --max-turns 3
—permission-mode	Set permission mode	claude --permission-mode plan
—session-id	Use specific session ID	claude --session-id "uuid"
-v, —version	Show version	claude --version
-h, —help	Show help	claude --help

Custom Slash Commands

Create your own commands in .claude/commands/:

.claude/commands/optimize.md

Analyze this code for performance issues and suggest optimizations.
Consider time complexity, memory usage, and best practices.

Usage: /optimize in Claude Code

Custom Command Features

Feature	Description	Example
$ARGUMENTS	Pass parameters	Fix issue #$ARGUMENTS
Namespacing	Organize by directory	/frontend/component
YAML Frontmatter	Add metadata	allowed-tools: [Edit, View]
File References	Include files	Review @src/utils.js
Bash Commands	Execute inline	Current time: !date

Example with all features:

---
allowed-tools: [Edit, View, Bash]
description: Fix GitHub issue
argument-hint: issue-number
---

Fix GitHub issue #$ARGUMENTS:

1. Fetch issue details: !gh issue view $ARGUMENTS
2. Analyze the problem
3. Implement solution
4. Add tests
5. Create PR with fix

MCP Slash Commands

MCP servers expose additional commands:

# Format: /mcp__<server>__<command>
/mcp__github__create-pr
/mcp__puppeteer__screenshot
/mcp__postgres__query

# List available MCP commands
/mcp

Advanced Command Patterns

Cursor Advanced Patterns

Context Chaining

Combine multiple @ symbols for comprehensive context:

@UserAuth @DatabaseSchema @recent-changes
explain how authentication works with the database

Multi-file Operations

Reference multiple files efficiently:

@src/api/*.js @tests/*.test.js
ensure all API endpoints have corresponding tests

Git Integration

Advanced git operations:

@git diff HEAD~5
explain what changed in the last 5 commits

@git blame @calculatePrice
who last modified this function and why?

Claude Code Advanced Patterns

Piping and Automation

# Pipe logs for analysis
tail -f app.log | claude -p "monitor for errors"

# Automate code review
git diff | claude -p "review these changes"

# Process multiple files
find . -name "*.py" -exec claude -p "add type hints to {}" \;

Session Management

# Save session for later
claude > session-log.txt

# Resume with context
claude -r "abc123" "continue the refactoring"

# Chain sessions
claude -c -p "now add tests for those changes"

Headless Automation

# CI/CD integration
claude -p "fix linting errors" --dangerously-skip-permissions

# Scheduled tasks
0 * * * * claude -p "generate daily report" > report.md

# Git hooks
claude -p "review commit" --output-format json

Command Quick Reference

Most Used Cursor Commands

1. @codebase - Search entire project
2. @web python async - Web search
3. #main.py - Quick file reference
4. /Generate Cursor Rules - Auto rules
5. cursor . - Open project

Most Used Claude Commands

1. claude - Start session
2. /clear - Fresh context
3. /help - Get help
4. claude -p “task” - Quick task
5. /cost - Check usage

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

• Terminal setup: /terminal-setup for iTerm2
• Line breaks: Option+Enter by default
• IDE launch: Cmd+Esc from editor

Windows/Linux

• Terminal setup: Configure manually for Shift+Enter
• IDE launch: Ctrl+Esc from editor
• Path handling: Use forward slashes

Terminal Compatibility

VS Code Terminal

• Built-in support for all features
• /terminal-setup configures automatically
• Supports ANSI colors and formatting

iTerm2

• Full feature support
• /terminal-setup for line breaks
• Excellent performance

JetBrains

• May need ESC key configuration
• Check terminal keybindings
• Disable “Switch focus to Editor”

Troubleshooting Commands

Cursor Issues

Problem	Solution
@ symbols not working	Check codebase indexing status
Commands not found	Update Cursor to latest version
Slow context loading	Use specific @ references
Rules not applying	Check .cursor/rules directory

Claude Code Issues

Problem	Solution
Command not recognized	Run /help to see available
Permission errors	Check /permissions settings
MCP not working	Use --mcp-debug flag
Session lost	Use claude -r to resume

Best Practices

Cursor Best Practices

1. Use specific @ references - More precise = faster
2. Combine @ symbols - Build comprehensive context
3. Save chat exports - Keep important conversations
4. Create project rules - Maintain consistency
5. Master keyboard shortcuts - Speed up workflow

Claude Code Best Practices

1. Clear often with /clear - Keep context focused
2. Create custom commands - Automate repetitive tasks
3. Use appropriate flags - Match tool to task
4. Monitor costs with /cost - Stay within budget
5. Leverage piping - Integrate with Unix tools