#Tab and Inline Edit

Agent is the headline, but Tab completion and inline edit (Ctrl+K / Cmd+K) are still the highest-frequency tools. They stay local and fast when you are already staring at the lines that matter. Official pages: Tab completion and Inline edit.

#Tab: complete as you type

Tab suggests from recent edits, surrounding code, and linter errors. Ghost text appears ahead of the cursor.

Tab can edit multiple lines, add missing imports, and coordinate related edits. After you accept, press Tab again for jump-in-file: it predicts the next edit location so you scroll less.

When another file needs a matching edit, a portal may appear at the bottom of the editor so you can preview and jump there.

Toggle: click the Tab indicator at the bottom-right, or Cursor Settings → Tab.

Remap: search Keyboard Shortcuts for Accept Cursor Tab Suggestions.

#Inline edit: select → describe → patch in place

Inline edit does not open the chat panel. It only touches the selection.

1. Select the code
2. Cmd+K on macOS, Ctrl+K on Windows / Linux
3. Type an instruction, e.g. Convert this to an async function.
4. Press Enter; Cursor applies the edit in place
5. Refine with a follow-up and Enter again

Question only: select, Ctrl+K / Cmd+K, then Alt+Enter (macOS Opt+Enter) for question mode. To apply a suggestion, type do it and press Enter.

Escalate to Agent (multi-file / harder work): select and press Ctrl+L / Cmd+L to open Agent with that selection as context.

The terminal has a prompt bar too: with the terminal focused, Ctrl+K / Cmd+K drafts a command; Ctrl+Enter / Cmd+Enter runs it. Full table: Keyboard shortcuts.

#Chat, Agent, Tab, inline: pick by intent

UI names shift between builds. Choose by intent.

Officially: rules do not affect Tab. User rules also do not apply to inline edit (Ctrl+K / Cmd+K)—only to Agent (Chat). Put “always reply in English” or “never use default exports” in rules and do that work in Agent; do not expect Tab to read .cursor/rules.

#One contrast drill

Try the same intent three ways on any function.

Tab: type the name and first parameter; see if it finishes the body and imports. Accept with Tab or dismiss with Esc.

Inline:

Rewrite this function to return a Result-style object { ok, error }
instead of throwing. Keep the same parameter names.

Agent:

Find every caller of this function and update them for the new
{ ok, error } return shape. Do not change unrelated error handling.
Run the existing unit tests.

If Agent overreaches: restore a checkpoint, fix the core function with Ctrl+K, then ask Agent to update callers only.

#Shortcut cheatsheet

Trust the Keyboard Shortcuts panel on your machine; a VS Code import can override defaults.

#Next

• Rules and Skills
• Agent
• Quick Start