Cursor CLI
Anysphere's terminal-native coding agent (`agent` binary) for running Cursor's agent outside the IDE.
About
Cursor CLI is the terminal counterpart to the Cursor editor: the same agentic core that powers Cursor's Agent mode, packaged as a standalone binary you install with curl https://cursor.com/install -fsS | bash and drive with the agent command (historical alias cursor-agent). It reads and edits code, runs shell commands, and works through multi-step tasks from the terminal, with run policies like Auto-Run and command allowlists carried over from the IDE.
It fits naturally into scripted and orchestrated workflows: one-shot non-interactive runs for CI-style harnesses, MCP server auto-discovery from the Cursor config, and the same Composer models as the editor. Authentication goes through a Cursor subscription or API key against Cursor's backend, so there is no bring-your-own-key path.
Closed-source and subscription-tied, and it inherits the IDE's model-routing choices rather than exposing raw provider access. Best for teams already standardized on Cursor who want the agent in terminals, scripts, and automation.
What it can do
- Terminal-native agentic coding with the Cursor agent core
- One-shot non-interactive mode for scripts and harnesses
- MCP servers auto-discovered from Cursor config
- Run policies: Auto-Run, Run Everything, command allowlists
- Same Composer models as the Cursor IDE
Setup
Run curl https://cursor.com/install -fsS | bash, then agent login to authenticate with your Cursor account.
Prerequisites
A Cursor subscription or API key; macOS, Linux, or Windows terminal.
Use cases
Works with
Trust score — 7/10
Scored 7/10 (metrics tier, metrics-v1). Evidence: Exists as official product surface at cursor.com/cli (200 via browser UA; curl gets 403 bot-block); CLI documented in Cursor's own docs and third-party harness integrations; Closed-source, Cursor-backend auth only (no BYOK); capability claims are provider-stated. Manual review: newer product than the IDE with thinner independent coverage; distinct enough from the editor entry to stand alone. License: Proprietary (closed-source).
How the trust score is built
Full methodology →- Adoption · stars/downloads, log-scaled vs peers
- 8.0/10
- Maintenance · recency, releases, issue load
- 8.0/10
- Openness · license + docs
- 3.0/10
- Manual review · sanity read + red-flag check
- 7.0/10
- · Exists as official product surface at cursor.com/cli (200 via browser UA; curl gets 403 bot-block); CLI documented in Cursor's own docs and third-party harness integrations
- · Closed-source, Cursor-backend auth only (no BYOK); capability claims are provider-stated
- · manual review: newer product than the IDE with thinner independent coverage; distinct enough from the editor entry to stand alone
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these sources. Where a claim comes from the provider and couldn't be independently verified, the text says so.