Cursor — Rules
- File format
- MDC (Markdown + frontmatter)
- Discovery paths
.cursor/rules,.cursorrules- Global install path
~/.cursor- Syllago install method
- Symlink, Direct copy
- Symlink support
- Yes
- Native frontmatter fields
description,alwaysApply,globs
Features
How each feature converts to syllago's canonical format. See format conversion for what these statuses mean.
Fields
Native frontmatter or config fields this provider exposes. The first column is the provider's own field name; the canonical key column links to syllago's cross-provider equivalent.
| Provider field | Conversion | Canonical key | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
alwaysApply | TranslatedConversion type: TranslatedActively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion.Learn more → | — | alwaysApply: true injects the rule into every prompt regardless of file context; the primary Always activation mode mechanism. |
description | TranslatedConversion type: TranslatedActively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion.Learn more → | — | A description-only frontmatter (no globs, no alwaysApply) lets the Agent decide when to pull the rule in based on the description text. |
globs | TranslatedConversion type: TranslatedActively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion.Learn more → | — | globs frontmatter array attaches a rule automatically whenever the agent edits or reads a matching file path (e.g., src/**/*.tsx, docs/**/*.md). |
Other features
Behaviors, conventions, and capabilities that aren't tied to a single named field — things like path-based activation, discovery rules, and lifecycle behavior.
| Feature | Conversion | Summary |
|---|---|---|
activation_mode | TranslatedConversion type: TranslatedActively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion.Learn more → | Four activation modes documented: Always (alwaysApply: true injects rule into every prompt), Apply to Specific Files (globs frontmatter matches edited files via glob syntax), Apply Intelligently (description frontmatter lets the Agent determine relevance), and Apply Manually (no frontmatter triggers, referenced explicitly with @ruleName). |
cross_provider_recognition | TranslatedConversion type: TranslatedActively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion.Learn more → | Cursor documents AGENTS.md as an officially supported alternative to .cursor/rules/*.mdc — a plain markdown file without frontmatter metadata that is recognized and loaded alongside project rules. |
file_imports | TranslatedConversion type: TranslatedActively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion.Learn more → | MDC rule bodies may reference other files via @path syntax that inlines the referenced file into the rule context. |
hierarchical_loading | TranslatedConversion type: TranslatedActively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion.Learn more → | Rules can live in nested .cursor/rules/ directories within a project; rules in a subtree apply when working with files under that subtree, enabling monorepo-style scoping. AGENTS.md also supports nested files in subdirectories for granular context-specific guidance. |
| Legacy .cursorrules file | TranslatedConversion type: TranslatedActively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion.Learn more → | A single .cursorrules file at the project root is still honored for backwards compatibility; the .cursor/rules/ directory is the current recommended layout. |
| MDC (Markdown + frontmatter) file format | TranslatedConversion type: TranslatedActively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion.Learn more → | Rules are .mdc or .md files — Markdown bodies with YAML-style frontmatter exposing description, alwaysApply, and globs fields. Both extensions are documented. |
| @path file inlining inside rule bodies | PreservedConversion type: PreservedSyntax survives conversion but the target provider may not interpret it.Learn more → | @path tokens inside an .mdc body inline the referenced file's contents so rules can compose reusable snippets. |
| AGENTS.md plain markdown alternative | PreservedConversion type: PreservedSyntax survives conversion but the target provider may not interpret it.Learn more → | Cursor officially recognizes AGENTS.md as a simpler markdown alternative to .cursor/rules/*.mdc — no frontmatter metadata required; nested AGENTS.md files in subdirectories provide granular context-specific guidance. |
| Manual @ruleName reference | PreservedConversion type: PreservedSyntax survives conversion but the target provider may not interpret it.Learn more → | Rules without activation frontmatter can still be invoked explicitly by typing @<rule-name> in chat. |
| Nested rule directories per subtree | PreservedConversion type: PreservedSyntax survives conversion but the target provider may not interpret it.Learn more → | Additional .cursor/rules/ directories in subfolders scope rules to that subtree — supports monorepo layouts where each package has its own rules. |
| Remote rules from GitHub repositories | PreservedConversion type: PreservedSyntax survives conversion but the target provider may not interpret it.Learn more → | Rules can be imported from external GitHub repositories directly into a project, enabling shared rule sets across teams without copying files. |
| /create-rule slash command | Not portableConversion type: Not portableUnique to this provider — can’t be carried across providers.Learn more → | Typing /create-rule in chat scaffolds a new rule file; Cursor also surfaces rule creation through the settings UI. |
| Team rules via dashboard | Not portableConversion type: Not portableUnique to this provider — can’t be carried across providers.Learn more → | Enterprise plan users can enforce organization-wide rules through the Cursor dashboard with enforcement options; rules are distributed to all team members without requiring per-repo file changes. |
Sources
| Source |
|---|
| https://cursor.com/docs/rules |