Best practices for working with Cursor. Use when learning how to effectively use Cursor features or optimizing your workflow.
65
56%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
Pending
No eval scenarios have been run
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./skills/cursor-best-practices/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
40%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
This description is too vague to be useful for skill selection. It mentions the tool (Cursor) but fails to specify what concrete actions or guidance it provides. The 'Use when' clause exists but is equally generic, making it difficult for Claude to distinguish when this skill should be selected over others.
Suggestions
Replace 'best practices' with specific capabilities like 'Configure AI settings, use multi-file editing, leverage Composer mode, set up custom rules'
Add concrete trigger terms users would say such as 'Cursor IDE', 'AI code editor', 'Composer', 'Cursor rules', '.cursorrules'
Specify the 'when' clause with actionable scenarios like 'Use when setting up Cursor configuration, creating .cursorrules files, or asking about Cursor-specific features like Composer or Tab completion'
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description uses vague language like 'best practices' and 'effectively use Cursor features' without listing any concrete actions. No specific capabilities are mentioned. | 1 / 3 |
Completeness | Has a 'Use when...' clause which addresses the 'when', but the 'what' is extremely vague ('best practices', 'features', 'workflow') providing no meaningful detail about actual capabilities. | 2 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes 'Cursor' as a relevant keyword and 'workflow' which users might say, but lacks specific feature names, common variations, or natural phrases users would use when seeking help. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | While 'Cursor' is a specific tool, the description is so generic ('best practices', 'workflow') that it could conflict with any other Cursor-related skill or general productivity skills. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 7 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
72%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill excels at conciseness and progressive disclosure, providing a clean overview that appropriately delegates detail to reference files. However, the main content lacks concrete, actionable examples - it tells Claude what practices to follow without showing how to execute them. The workflows section would benefit from at least one concrete example demonstrating the pattern.
Suggestions
Add a concrete example for at least one workflow (e.g., show the TDD cycle: write failing test → run → implement → run → refactor)
Include a specific example of Plan Mode usage showing input/output or the planning structure
Add one executable command example for git workflow automation to make the guidance copy-paste ready
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Extremely lean and efficient. Every bullet point is actionable guidance without explaining what Cursor is or how AI assistants work. Assumes Claude's competence throughout. | 3 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides direction (e.g., 'Use Plan Mode (Shift+Tab)') but lacks concrete examples or executable steps. Bullets describe what to do conceptually rather than showing how with specific commands or code. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | Workflows are listed as concepts (TDD, git workflows) but lack sequenced steps or validation checkpoints. The skill mentions 'iterate until passing' but doesn't show the actual feedback loop structure. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Excellent structure with a concise overview and clear one-level-deep references to detailed guidance files. Navigation is well-signaled with descriptive file names and brief topic descriptions. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 12 Passed |
Validation
100%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 11 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
No warnings or errors.
3376255
Table of Contents
If you maintain this skill, you can claim it as your own. Once claimed, you can manage eval scenarios, bundle related skills, attach documentation or rules, and ensure cross-agent compatibility.