Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?
Somewhere else…
Describe the Bug
Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?
Docs / Help Center: Rules | Cursor Docs
Describe the Bug
The “Where are rules stored?” section still documents User Rules as local to one machine:
User rules are stored locally in your Cursor settings, not in any project directory. They apply across all your projects on that machine.
If you switch machines, re-enter user rules manually or move them into a project rule file.
That is the pre-0.50 behavior. It contradicts Cursor staff and the current product:
- @deanrie (Oct 2025): User Rules have been stored in the cloud since version 0.50. Import/Export User Rules - #5 by deanrie
- @deanrie (Jan 2026): “User Rules (cloud): Managed via Cursor Settings > Rules. Stored in the cloud and synced across devices.” Why can't user rules be set in the system user directory? And why can commands be set in C:\Users\{{user}}\.cursor\commands?
- @condor (Jun 2025, accepted on a now-closed thread): “yes the user rules are synchronized in latest versions.” Bug: User Rules are not Machine Specific
I hit this on two Windows hosts sharing one Cursor account (desktop hive Z:\code, laptop hive C:\code). Customize → Rules (User Rules) replicated the same blob both ways, including machine paths. %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\rules did not sync.
Closed related threads cannot be bumped, so this is a new docs ticket.
Steps to Reproduce
- Open Rules | Cursor Docs and read “Where are rules stored?”
- Put a unique string in Customize → Rules (User Rules) on machine A
- Sign in on machine B with the same Cursor account
- The string is already in User Rules
Expected Behavior
Help Center matches staff: User Rules are an account cloud store and sync across devices. Machine-local global rules belong in ~/.cursor/rules (Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\rules). Do not tell people to re-enter User Rules on a new machine as if they were per-install.
Actual
Help Center still says User Rules are local to that machine and must be re-entered after a machine switch.
Operating System
Windows 10/11
Version Information
Current stable as of 2026-08-17
Does this stop you from using Cursor
No - Cursor works, but with this issue