Cursor Workflow - Quick Reference

One-page reference for daily workflow usage.

The 5 Steps

1. Specify → Create specs/XXX-feature-name/spec.md
2. Clarify → Resolve ambiguities in spec
3. Plan → Generate plan.md using CURSOR.md context
4. Tasks → Break into tasks.md with dependencies
5. Implement → Execute tasks following patterns

Quick Commands

Start New Feature

mkdir specs/XXX-feature-name
cp specs/templates/spec-template.md specs/XXX-feature-name/spec.md
# Edit spec.md, then use Cursor prompts below

Cursor Prompts

Step 1 - Specify:

Create a feature spec for: [feature description]

Step 2 - Clarify:

Review specs/XXX-feature-name/spec.md and identify ambiguities

Step 3 - Plan:

Generate implementation plan for specs/XXX-feature-name/spec.md 
using context from CURSOR.md. Follow our architecture patterns.

Step 4 - Tasks:

Break specs/XXX-feature-name/plan.md into dependency-ordered tasks.
Create tasks.md with clear dependencies.

Step 5 - Implement:

Implement tasks from specs/XXX-feature-name/tasks.md.
Follow patterns in CURSOR.md and reference spec.md for requirements.

Key Files

File	Purpose	When to Update
CURSOR.md	Project context	Major architecture changes only
.cursorrules	Cursor behavior	Workflow improvements
specs/XXX/spec.md	Feature requirements	During specification
specs/XXX/plan.md	Implementation plan	During planning
specs/XXX/tasks.md	Task breakdown	During implementation

When to Use

✅ Use for: New features, complex changes, multi-dev work
❌ Skip for: Small bugs, trivial changes, single-line fixes

Structure

specs/
└── XXX-feature-name/
    ├── spec.md      # Requirements & acceptance criteria
    ├── plan.md      # Implementation phases & decisions
    └── tasks.md     # Dependency-ordered task list

Parallel Development

• Each feature gets its own numbered folder
• Only shared file is CURSOR.md (rarely changes)
• Teams can work on different features simultaneously

Remember

• CURSOR.md = Strategic (project-level)
• specs/ = Tactical (feature-level)
• Templates are starting points - customize as needed
• Workflow is optional - use judgment

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Full Guide: See docs/cursor-workflow-guide.md for detailed documentation.