Cursor CLI

What it does

Cursor CLI is a terminal tool that takes natural-language goals and project files as input and returns proposed code changes, reviews, and command results. In interactive mode you describe a task, review the proposed edits, and approve commands before they run. In print mode the agent runs non-interactively and writes its output as text, so it can be used in scripts and CI pipelines.

People use it to hand off multi-step coding work from the terminal, switch between Agent, Plan, and Ask modes, and list or resume earlier sessions. A distinctive feature is Cloud Agent handoff: prefixing a message with & sends the task to a cloud agent that keeps running while you are away, and you can follow it on the web or mobile. Sandbox controls and a masked sudo password prompt, which keeps your password away from the model, are built in.

It suits developers who work mainly in a terminal and want scripted or automated agent runs, such as GitHub Actions workflows. Installation uses a provided script on macOS, Linux, WSL, or Windows PowerShell, and you sign in with a Cursor account. Usage counts against your Cursor plan allowance, so review the pricing page before relying on it for heavy automation.

What it can do

• Interactive agent sessions in the terminal for describing tasks and approving proposed changes
• Print mode (-p) for non-interactive scripts and CI pipelines with text output
• Plan, Ask, and Agent modes selectable via slash commands, shortcuts, or flags
• Session management to list, resume, and continue previous conversations
• Handoff of a conversation to a Cloud Agent with a leading & message prefix
• Sandbox controls and masked sudo password prompting for elevated commands

Works with

• GitHub Actions (documented for automated CI/CD workflows)
• MCP integration (documentation covers MCP integration)

Example workflows

Interactive refactor with review

Illustrative example. Input: a goal such as refactoring an auth module. Steps: start agent, describe the goal, review the proposed changes, and approve commands. Output: edited files and a session that can be resumed later.

Scripted review in CI

Illustrative example. Input: a prompt such as reviewing changes for security issues, run with -p and --output-format text. Steps: invoke agent non-interactively from a pipeline step. Output: text review output the pipeline can capture.

Before you choose

• Costs depend on Cursor plan usage, and third-party model usage is billed separately on paid tiers; check the pricing page before automating heavy runs.
• Command execution is gated by sandbox settings and approvals; review sandbox configuration before running in automated pipelines.
• Some features, such as Cloud Agent handoff, require a Cursor account and a connection to Cursor cloud services.

Listed under

• Coding
• Coding agents
• DevOps and observability
• Agents
• AI agent
• Automation
• Ci-cd
• Developers

Get started

Install with the provided command, then start an interactive session with agent.

1. Install the CLI with the curl command for macOS, Linux, or WSL, or the PowerShell irm command on Windows.
2. Run agent to start an interactive session and confirm the install works.
3. Read the installation and MCP integration guides in the documentation before wiring it into scripts or GitHub Actions.

Prices exclude applicable taxes. Third-party model usage in Cursor is not included in the monthly prices and is billed separately by usage. Usage allowances refresh weekly. Self-serve plans accept major cards; Enterprise is needed for invoice billing.

Source: cursor.com/pricing, checked 28 Oct 2026. Prices can change; check before you buy.

Sources for this overview

Product pages, documentation, and pricing checked 28 Oct 2026. Each source supports part of the overview; availability and prices can change.

• Cursor CLI — Run Agents in Terminal, GitHub Actions and Automations & Scripts ↗cursor.com
• Cursor · Pricing ↗cursor.com
• Cursor CLI | Cursor Docs ↗cursor.com

Company website

cursor.com: product, pricing and policy pages

YC directory mirror

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Web search

Confirms the official site

Social accounts

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Human review

Checked by a person

knowledge_base

Last checked 28 Oct 2026. Every field keeps its source and date; unknown means we couldn’t confirm it.