# Does \`.cursorrules\` file need to be in strict JSON format?

**URL:** <https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [January 13, 2025, 12:21am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974 "2025-01-13T00:21:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![huangyingw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/huangyingw/32/8208_2.png) [@huangyingw](https://forum.cursor.com/u/huangyingw)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 12:21am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974/1 "2025-01-13T00:21:42Z")

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Hi all,

I’m wondering if the `.cursorrules` file content must be in strict JSON format, or if it can be more like natural human-readable text. For example, can it be something like this?

```auto
This is the first rule
This is the second rule

```

Does anyone know if this kind of format would work? Thanks in advance! 🙏

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**Author:** ![RenjiYuusei](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/renjiyuusei/32/22500_2.png) [@RenjiYuusei](https://forum.cursor.com/u/RenjiYuusei)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 2:57am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974/2 "2025-01-13T02:57:58Z")

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json format is best  
If you don’t know how to create it, use this

> **[GitHub - RenjiYuusei/CursorFocus: A lightweight tool that maintains a focused view...](https://github.com/RenjiYuusei/CursorFocus)**
>
> A lightweight tool that maintains a focused view of your project structure and environment. CursorFocus automatically tracks your project files, functions, and environment variables, updating every 60 seconds to keep you informed of changes.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![huangyingw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/huangyingw/32/8208_2.png) [@huangyingw](https://forum.cursor.com/u/huangyingw)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 3:39am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974/3 "2025-01-13T03:39:25Z")

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thanks, so, still json contents in .cursorrules file? Or .cursorrules.json?  
And what about language? If I put Chinese in the json content, will that affect the AI’s performance?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RenjiYuusei](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/renjiyuusei/32/22500_2.png) [@RenjiYuusei](https://forum.cursor.com/u/RenjiYuusei)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 3:48am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974/4 "2025-01-13T03:48:56Z")

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best in english and just .cursorrules no .json or anything after it

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RenjiYuusei](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/renjiyuusei/32/22500_2.png) [@RenjiYuusei](https://forum.cursor.com/u/RenjiYuusei)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 3:54am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974/5 "2025-01-13T03:54:44Z")

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@huangyingw In CursorFocus there is a discord channel if you don’t know anything you can come and ask us anything we can answer and we will help lol

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![huangyingw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/huangyingw/32/8208_2.png) [@huangyingw](https://forum.cursor.com/u/huangyingw)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 3:57am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974/6 "2025-01-13T03:57:59Z")

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thanks a lot

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RenjiYuusei](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/renjiyuusei/32/22500_2.png) [@RenjiYuusei](https://forum.cursor.com/u/RenjiYuusei)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 3:59am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974/7 "2025-01-13T03:59:59Z")

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@huangyingw If you don’t know anything, you can ask us on discord.

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**Author:** ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/system/32/99069_2.png) [@system](https://forum.cursor.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2026, 10:24am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/does-cursorrules-file-need-to-be-in-strict-json-format/40974/8 "2026-06-18T10:24:21Z")

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Closed on June 18, 2026, 10:24am UTC