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SpecStory integrates seamlessly with Cursor. Cursor already helps developers move faster with inline edits, multi-line completions, and codebase chat. SpecStory adds the missing layer by capturing why the changes were made. With SpecStory enabled, every AI conversation in Cursor is auto-saved as Markdown in your project. Your reasoning, tradeoffs, and design decisions live alongside your code: versioned, reusable, and shareable.

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Install the SpecStory Extension

  1. Open Cursor.
  2. Go to Extensions Marketplace (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+X).
  3. Search for SpecStory and click Install.
  4. Verify installation:
    • Open the Command Palette (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P).
    • Type SpecStory, the commands should appear.
If you install SpecStory directly from the Visual Studio Marketplace website, you may end up with VS Code having the extension but not Cursor. Always install directly from inside Cursor to avoid this issue.

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Verify It Works

  • Start a chat with Cursor’s AI.
  • Open your project folder.
  • You should now see a new .specstory/history/ directory.
  • Inside, you should see a Markdown file of your session, named with a timestamp.
SpecStory is local-first by default. Nothing leaves your machine unless you explicitly share it.

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How SpecStory Enhances Cursor

  • Auto-save: Every AI conversations in Cursor are automatically stored in .specstory/history/ as clean Markdown.
  • Manual saves: From the Command Palette, run SpecStory: Save AI Chat History to cherry-pick and combine conversations.
  • Share conversations with a URL: Use SpecStory: Share AI Chat History to generate a private, anonymous link at share.specstory.com.
Share your chat history
  • Derived rules for AI: SpecStory can extract project-level rules and custom instructions from your chats, feeding them back into Cursor to improve suggestions.
Rule derivation requires:
  • Auto-save enabled.
  • Signed-in SpecStory extension.

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Best Practices for Cursor Users

  • Commit your history: Include .specstory/history/ in your repo so teammates can review reasoning in PRs.
  • Use manual saves before big changes: Preserve the conversation context before accepting multi-line or agent-driven edits.
  • Leverage derived rules: Cursor’s Project Rules evolve automatically when SpecStory is active.

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Why This Matters

Cursor accelerates what changes in your codebase. SpecStory ensures you never lose why those changes happened. Together, they give you:
  • Faster debugging and onboarding
  • Traceable architectural decisions
  • Cleaner collaboration on AI-assisted code

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Troubleshooting

  • Extension mismatch: If VS Code shows SpecStory installed but Cursor doesn’t, uninstall and reinstall from Cursor’s built-in Marketplace.
  • No .specstory folder: Make sure you have an active project folder open. SpecStory only saves inside projects.
  • Still stuck? File an issue on GitHub or contact support@specstory.com.
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