# What are cursor rules?

Cursor rules are ways to give AI in the editor specific instructions about your codebase.

The old way: A single `.cursorrules` file in the project root. This still works but is being phased out.

The new way: MDC files in the `.cursor/rules` directory. These are more flexible.

MDC stands for "Markdown with Context" and these files tell the AI how to understand and work with your code.

With the new system, you can:

* Create specific rules for different parts of your project
    
* Use glob patterns to match specific files (like `.tsx` *or* `src/components/`)
    
* Reference other files using `@file` to include them as context
    
* Chain multiple rules together
    

The rules are simply files in your project, so you can version control them with Git, making it easy to share with your team.

To create a new rule, use the command palette (`Cmd + Shift + P > New Cursor Rule`).

This system provides detailed control over how the AI interacts with different parts of your codebase, which is particularly helpful for larger projects that use various technologies or patterns.