Cursor slash commands: ask, plan, and inspect
A complete snapshot of the documented Cursor CLI command families, including aliases, with a small workflow for investigating a UI bug.
Name the surface
This guide covers Cursor CLI. The editor and its custom commands are a different surface. Consult the official CLI menu or /help for the installed version. Some entries depend on account features or rollout.
Complete documented CLI menu
| Area | Commands |
|---|---|
| Model | /model, /max-mode |
| Modes | /plan, /ask, /debug, /goal |
| Execution | /run-everything, /auto-run, /sandbox, /shell, /sh, /run |
| Sessions | /clear, /new, /new-chat, /newchat, /resume, /fork, /rename, /rewind |
| Context | /summarize, /compress |
| Presentation | /vim, /line-numbers, /show-thinking, /status-indicators |
| Configuration | /config, /setup-terminal, /bedrock |
| Integrations | /mcp, /plugin |
| Navigation | /open, /cursor |
| Clipboard | /copy, /copy-request-id, /copy-conversation-id |
| Diagnostics | /about, /logs, /feedback, /help |
| Maintenance | /update, /logout, /quit, /exit |
Arguments include /model [filter], /plan [prompt], /debug [prompt], /goal [objective], /help [command], and /shell [command]. /run-everything accepts on, off, or status. For MCP, the reference lists list and list-tools; /plugin and /bedrock have their own subcommands. This snapshot was checked on October 10, 2026 against Cursor’s reference.
Investigate a UI bug before editing
Suppose a modal closes whenever someone clicks inside it. I would first ask a read-only question:
/ask Trace the modal’s click handlers and show why a click inside the dialog
reaches the backdrop handler. Name the component and event path.
Do not edit the code yet.
The useful result is a concrete event path: the target element, its container, and the backdrop listener. “Event bubbling” is a diagnosis category, not enough evidence by itself. I would ask for the exact handler condition and compare it with a click on a button inside the modal.
My next brief would name three observable outcomes: clicking the backdrop closes the modal, clicking within the dialog keeps it open, and pressing Escape still closes it. I would also include one keyboard path: tab to an action in the dialog, activate it, then confirm where focus moves when the modal closes.
After the edit, I would reproduce those paths in the browser at a narrow width. A targeted test can check the handler, while the browser check reveals whether another element covers the backdrop or whether focus escapes into the page behind it. I would describe both observations in the result rather than saying only “fixed the modal.”
These are original investigation prompts. The CLI overview explains the terminal’s interaction model; it does not make this modal scenario a built-in workflow.
Treat speed settings as a separate decision
An execution setting should follow a clear task boundary. Before broad changes, write down which files and outcomes belong to the task. A small diff and an observable acceptance condition make a change easier to review than an unrestricted instruction to “clean everything up.”
Continue with GitHub Copilot in VS Code or the verification loop.