A guide to using Notepads in Cursor for sharing context between Composers and Chat interactions

Notepads are currently in beta and subject to be deprecated in the future.

Overview

Notepads are powerful context-sharing tools in Cursor that bridge the gap between composers and chat interactions. Think of them as enhanced reference documents that go beyond the capabilities of .cursorrules, allowing you to create reusable contexts for your development workflow.

Notepads serve as collections of thoughts, rules, and documentation that can be:

Shared between different parts of your development environment

Referenced using the @ syntax

Enhanced with file attachments

Used as dynamic templates for various development scenarios

Click the ”+” button in the Notepads section

Give your notepad a meaningful name

Add your content, context, files and other relevant information the same way you would in composer or chat.

Reference it in composers or chat using @

Key features

Context Sharing: Seamlessly share context between composers and chat

File Attachments: Attach documentation and reference files (not possible in .cursorrules)

Dynamic References: Use @ mentions to link to other resources

Flexible Content: Write and structure information in a way that suits your needs

Common use cases

Dynamic Boilerplate Generation

Create templates for common code patterns

Store project-specific scaffolding rules

Maintain consistent code structure across your team

Architecture Documentation

Frontend specifications

Backend design patterns

Data model documentation

System architecture guidelines

Development Guidelines

Coding standards

Project-specific rules

Best practices

Team conventions

FAQ

What should I write in Notepads?

Notepads are ideal for:

Project architecture decisions

Development guidelines and standards

Reusable code templates

Documentation that needs to be referenced frequently

Team-specific conventions and rules

What should not be written in Notepads?

Avoid using Notepads for:

Temporary notes or scratch work

Information that belongs in version control (like git)

Sensitive data or credentials

Highly volatile information that changes frequently

Should I follow a particular format or structure?

While Notepads are flexible, we recommend:

Using clear headings and sections

Including examples where relevant

Keeping content focused and organized

Using markdown formatting for better readability

Adding relevant file attachments when necessary

Example Notepad

Here’s a typical example of a Notepad for a web application project:

Notepad example

# API Development Guidelines

## Endpoint Structure
- Use RESTful conventions
- Base URL: `/api/v1`
- Resource naming in plural form

## Authentication
- JWT-based authentication
- Token format: Bearer {token}
- Refresh token mechanism required

## Response Format
{
  "status": "success|error",
  "data": {},
  "message": "Optional message"
} 

## Attached References
@api-specs.yaml
@auth-flow.md

Notepads (Beta)