Cursor Production Readiness Checklist

Initial Setup

Authentication & Licensing

[ ] Signed into Cursor account
[ ] Subscription tier confirmed (Free/Pro/Business)
[ ] API keys configured (if using own)
[ ] Team seats assigned (if Business)
[ ] SSO configured (if Enterprise)

Core Configuration

[ ] Default AI model selected
[ ] Completion model configured
[ ] Chat model configured
[ ] Composer model configured
[ ] Privacy mode set appropriately

Project Configuration

.cursorrules Setup

[ ] .cursorrules file created
[ ] Coding standards defined
[ ] Framework-specific rules added
[ ] Team conventions documented
[ ] Examples included for complex patterns

Sample .cursorrules

# .cursorrules
project: my-app
language: typescript
framework: nextjs

rules:
  - Use TypeScript strict mode
  - Prefer functional components
  - Use Tailwind for styling
  - Write tests for all business logic
  - Use async/await over callbacks
  - Handle all error cases explicitly

naming:
  components: PascalCase
  functions: camelCase
  constants: SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE
  files: kebab-case

imports:
  order:
    - react
    - next
    - third-party
    - @/components
    - @/lib
    - relative

testing:
  framework: vitest
  coverage: 80%

Indexing Configuration

[ ] .cursorignore configured
[ ] Large directories excluded
[ ] Build outputs excluded
[ ] Indexing completed successfully
[ ] @codebase queries working

Performance Optimization

Editor Performance

[ ] Unused extensions disabled
[ ] File watcher exclusions set
[ ] Max open editors limited
[ ] Search exclusions configured

Settings:
{
  "files.watcherExclude": {
    "**/node_modules/**": true,
    "**/.git/**": true,
    "**/dist/**": true
  },
  "search.exclude": {
    "**/node_modules": true,
    "**/dist": true
  },
  "editor.maxTokenizationLineLength": 10000
}

AI Performance

[ ] Appropriate models selected for tasks
[ ] Completion delay tuned
[ ] Context management optimized
[ ] Rate limits understood

Security Configuration

Privacy Settings

[ ] Privacy mode configured (on/off per need)
[ ] Sensitive files excluded from AI
[ ] API keys secured
[ ] Team data policies reviewed

Privacy Mode:
- ON: Code not sent to AI (limited features)
- OFF: Full AI features (code processed externally)

Sensitive File Handling

# .cursorignore - security sensitive
.env*
*.pem
*.key
secrets/
credentials/
config/production.json

Team Configuration (Business/Enterprise)

Team Standards

[ ] Shared .cursorrules in repo
[ ] Team keybindings documented
[ ] Common extensions list
[ ] AI usage guidelines
[ ] Code review process updated

Admin Setup

[ ] Team members invited
[ ] Roles assigned
[ ] Usage limits set
[ ] Billing configured
[ ] Analytics enabled

Workflow Integration

Git Integration

[ ] Git commands accessible
[ ] Pre-commit hooks compatible
[ ] AI commit messages configured
[ ] Branch protection understood

CI/CD Awareness

[ ] CI config files indexed
[ ] .cursorrules includes CI patterns
[ ] Build scripts documented
[ ] Deployment patterns known to AI

Backup & Recovery

Settings Backup

[ ] Settings Sync enabled (optional)
[ ] .cursorrules in version control
[ ] Keybindings exported
[ ] Extension list documented

Recovery Plan

[ ] Know how to reset Cursor
[ ] Backup extension list
[ ] Document custom settings
[ ] Test clean install procedure

Verification Tests

AI Features Test

[ ] Tab completion working
[ ] Chat responding
[ ] Composer creates files
[ ] @codebase returns results
[ ] @file mentions work

Performance Test

[ ] Startup time acceptable (< 10s)
[ ] No UI lag during editing
[ ] Completions appear quickly (< 500ms)
[ ] Memory usage reasonable (< 2GB)

Documentation

For New Team Members

[ ] Setup guide written
[ ] .cursorrules explained
[ ] Key shortcuts documented
[ ] AI usage best practices
[ ] Troubleshooting guide

For Ongoing Use

[ ] Update .cursorrules with new patterns
[ ] Document discovered tips
[ ] Track model preferences
[ ] Note effective prompts

Maintenance Schedule

Weekly

[ ] Clear unused chat history
[ ] Review completion accuracy
[ ] Check for Cursor updates

Monthly

[ ] Review .cursorrules effectiveness
[ ] Optimize indexing exclusions
[ ] Audit extension list
[ ] Check subscription usage

Quarterly

[ ] Full settings review
[ ] Team feedback collection
[ ] Evaluate new models/features
[ ] Update documentation