Cursor's interface extends VS Code with AI-native surfaces that fundamentally change how you write code:
| Surface | Shortcut | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Agent side pane | Ctrl+I / Ctrl+L | Chat with the agent, multi-file edits, Agent/Plan/Ask modes |
| Inline Edit | Ctrl+K | Edit code in-place with natural language (works in the terminal too) |
| Agents Window | Command Palette → "Open Agents Window" | Run many agents in parallel across workspaces, local and cloud |
The model picker in the agent input lets you choose from today's frontier models: Claude Fable 5, Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Sonnet 5, Composer 2.5 (Cursor's own agentic coding model), Gemini 3.1 Pro / 3.5 Flash, the GPT-5.6 family (Luna, Sol, Terra), and Grok 4.5. Auto intelligently routes each request to the optimal model. Cycle models quickly with Ctrl+/.
Auto, Composer 2.5, and Grok 4.5 are billed from a generous first-party usage pool that's separate from your API-model allowance — the most cost-effective way to use Cursor daily.Because Cursor is a VS Code fork, its CLI inherits the full flag set. Audit your extensions, jump to an exact line, and diff two files — without touching the mouse.