5 Cursor AI Prompts That Actually Speed Up Your Vibe Coding Sessions

You know that feeling when you’re in the zone, ideas flowing, but then you hit a wall trying to remember some API syntax or figure out how to structure a component? That’s where Cursor AI becomes your best coding buddy—if you know how to talk to it.

After months of experimenting with different prompting strategies, we’ve found five specific prompts that consistently help developers maintain flow state instead of breaking it. These aren’t generic “write me a function” requests. They’re tactical prompts designed for those moments when you’re moving fast and need just enough help to keep going.

1. The “Show Me the Pattern” Prompt

When to use it: You’re looking at unfamiliar code or trying to understand how something works without diving deep into documentation.

The prompt:

Show me the pattern for [specific thing] with a simple example. Just the core structure, no explanations.

Why it works: This gets you straight to the meat without fluff. Instead of getting a lecture about best practices, you get a working example you can immediately adapt.

Real example:

Show me the pattern for React useEffect cleanup with a simple example. Just the core structure, no explanations.

Cursor gives you:

useEffect(() => {
  const cleanup = () => {
    // cleanup logic
  };
  
  return cleanup;
}, []);

Perfect. You see the pattern, you adapt it, you move on.

2. The “Fix This Quickly” Prompt

When to use it: Something’s broken, you know roughly what’s wrong, but you don’t want to debug line by line.

The prompt:

This [component/function/query] isn't working. Here's what I expect vs what's happening: [brief description]. Quick fix?

Why it works: You’re giving context about the expected behavior, not just dumping code. Cursor can usually spot the issue immediately.

Real example:

This API call isn't working. Here's what I expect vs what's happening: Should return user data but getting 401 even though I'm logged in. Quick fix?

[paste your fetch code]

Instead of spending 20 minutes checking headers and authentication flows, Cursor often spots the missing Authorization header or incorrect endpoint immediately.

3. The “Build On This” Prompt

When to use it: You have working code but need to extend it without starting over.

The prompt:

Take this [component/function] and add [specific feature]. Keep the existing logic intact.

Why it works: This prevents Cursor from rewriting everything from scratch. You get incremental improvements that build on what’s already working.

Real example:

Take this search component and add debouncing. Keep the existing logic intact.

[paste component]

You get your exact component back with just the debouncing logic added, not a completely rewritten version that might break other things.

4. The “Convert This Style” Prompt

When to use it: You found code that does what you want, but it’s in a different framework, library, or style than what you’re using.

The prompt:

Convert this [source style] to [target style]. Same functionality, different approach.

Why it works: This is incredibly useful when you’re working across different tech stacks or trying to adapt examples from documentation.

Real examples:

Convert this jQuery to vanilla JavaScript. Same functionality, different approach.

Convert this class component to hooks. Same functionality, different approach.

Convert this CSS to Tailwind classes. Same functionality, different approach.

This saves you from manually translating patterns between different paradigms.

5. The “Stub This Out” Prompt

When to use it: You know what you need to build but want to get the structure in place before implementing details.

The prompt:

Create a [component/function/class] stub for [description]. Include all the main methods/props but leave implementations empty with TODO comments.

Why it works: This lets you establish the architecture and interfaces first, then fill in the details later. Perfect for maintaining momentum when you’re designing as you go.

Real example:

Create a component stub for a data table with sorting, filtering, and pagination. Include all the main methods/props but leave implementations empty with TODO comments.

You get:

const DataTable = ({ data, columns, onSort, onFilter }) => {
  // TODO: Implement sorting logic
  const handleSort = (column) => {
    // TODO
  };
  
  // TODO: Implement filtering logic
  const handleFilter = (filters) => {
    // TODO
  };
  
  // TODO: Implement pagination logic
  const handlePageChange = (page) => {
    // TODO
  };
  
  return (
    <div>
      {/* TODO: Render table header */}
      {/* TODO: Render table body */}
      {/* TODO: Render pagination controls */}
    </div>
  );
};

Now you have a clear roadmap for implementation without losing your train of thought.

The Meta-Pattern: Being Specific About Context

The real secret behind all these prompts is being specific about your context and constraints. Instead of asking Cursor to solve everything, you’re asking it to solve specific problems within specific boundaries.

This works because:

• You maintain control over the architecture
• You get targeted help instead of generic solutions
• You can quickly evaluate if the suggestion fits your needs
• You keep moving instead of getting stuck in analysis paralysis

Making These Your Own

These five prompts are starting points, not rigid templates. Adapt them to your workflow:

• Add your tech stack specifics (“Convert this to Next.js 13 app router”)
• Include your constraints (“Keep it under 50 lines”)
• Specify your context (“This is for a production app with 10k users”)

The goal isn’t to let AI write all your code—it’s to use AI to eliminate the friction that breaks your flow. When you’re in vibe coding mode, these prompts help you stay in that zone longer and get more done.

Remember: the best AI prompt is the one that gets you back to coding as quickly as possible.

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