Default paste behavior (Cmd+V) should paste terminal output as plain text, not auto-detected nuggets

Ideas Feature Requests
1

Hello, I got really annoyed by being unable to paste text from console to the chat. Cursor can access what I paste, but when reviewing my chats later, I cannot see the code being pasted. Such unannounced behavior changes are super-annoying.

Here more details (generated by AI):

Problem

When copying text from a terminal and pasting it into Cursor chat with Cmd+V (the standard paste shortcut), the application automatically detects it as terminal output and creates a collapsed “terminal_selection” block/nugget at the top of the message.

Why this is problematic:

  1. Breaks muscle memory - Users expect Cmd+V to paste inline text, as it does in every other application

  2. Content hidden from transcripts - Terminal output in nuggets isn’t visible when reviewing conversation history or sharing transcripts

  3. Requires remembering a non-standard shortcut - Users must remember to use Cmd+Shift+V instead

Current Workaround

Using Cmd+Shift+V pastes as plain text and bypasses the auto-detection, which is the desired behavior for most use cases.

Requested Solution

Swap the default behavior:

  • Cmd+V → Paste as plain text (current Cmd+Shift+V behavior)

  • Cmd+Shift+V → Auto-detect and create terminal nugget (current Cmd+V behavior)

This aligns with standard application conventions where Cmd+V is plain paste and Cmd+Shift+V is “paste with special formatting/behavior.”

Use Case

When debugging or discussing code with AI, terminal output needs to be visible in the conversation flow for reference and for sharing transcripts with team members. The current default forces an extra cognitive load to remember the non-standard shortcut.

Environment

  • macOS (darwin 24.6.0 based on your workspace info)

  • Cursor Version: 1.7.46
    VSCode Version: 1.99.3
    Commit: b9e5948c1ad20443a5cecba6b84a3c9b99d62580

2

Hey, thanks for the feedback.

The current behavior is intentional - Cmd+V creates context nuggets (which can be clicked/removed), while Cmd+Shift+V pastes as plain text. This is documented in our keyboard shortcuts.

I understand your concerns about:

  • Breaking muscle memory from standard apps
  • Hidden content in transcripts
  • Extra cognitive load

Your feedback is noted and will be passed to the product team. For now, Cmd+Shift+V is the way to paste inline as plain text.