Error: Ambiguous search string to replace

Bug Reports
1

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor IDE

Describe the Bug

When I give a prompt, the ‘loading’ part stays frozen and after a while I get the error: ‘The model provided an ambiguous search string to replace.’

Steps to Reproduce

I give a prompt and expect it to write code, but after a while it either starts showing errors or doesn’t write any code at all it just cancels the prompt.

Operating System

Windows 10/11

Current Cursor Version (Menu → About Cursor → Copy)

Version: 2.0.34 (Universal)
VSCode Version: 1.99.3
Commit: 45fd70f3fe72037444ba35c9e51ce86a1977ac10
Date: 2025-10-29T06:51:29.202Z (9 hrs ago)
Electron: 34.5.8
Chromium: 132.0.6834.210
Node.js: 20.19.1
V8: 13.2.152.41-electron.0
OS: Darwin x64 24.6.0

For AI issues: which model did you use?

Auto Model

Does this stop you from using Cursor

No - Cursor works, but with this issue

2

Hey, from what I am seeing, this can sometimes occur for a few reasons - long chats, large context, etc.

Try these:

  • Start a new chat – a fresh conversation often clears loops or tool misuse.
  • Use smaller, more specific edits – break large changes into chunks, as MultiEdit can struggle with complex or ambiguous modifications.

If the problem persists, copy the Request ID from the chat sidebar (menu → “Copy Request ID”) and share it - I guess a staff member may be able to help review.

3

Hey, thanks for the report. Arun’s suggestions are the best approach for this issue. The “ambiguous search string” error usually appears when the model struggles with complex edits or an overly large context.

Quick fixes:

  • Start a fresh chat (this clears the tool usage loop)
  • Break requests into smaller, more specific edits
  • If it persists, grab the Request ID from the chat sidebar (menu → “Copy Request ID”) and share it here so we can investigate

Let me know if the issue continues after starting a new chat.

4

Thank you I guess I’m fixed the issue.