What I mean is on most platforms and I think markdown you can type triple ` marks (```) to create a block of monospaced font. This works on the website for anthropic and discord and allows syntax highlighting on the specified language when you do something like:
// it apparently works on the forums so i had to put in a placeholder lol
// is there a way to escape out of those on the forums so i don’t need a placeholder?
I am wondering if it is possible to do that in the chat/composer window and also in the quick question/quick edit menu. I know those support having code sections in your message because when pasting something like that in it gets formatted in as a code section, but I’m trying to make one manually without having to paste something in.
I’ve tried triple back ticks, triple /, triple , tried doing @code, tried looking it up but couldn’t find anything or know if it is even possible. I can obv just type what i wanted to type elsewhere and paste it in, but having to do that is clunky and takes me out of the flow of expressing what i want to express.
The original query specifically asks about existing functionality (“How To” category), not feature suggestions.
For context on the utility: Code block formatting serves as a critical visual and semantic separator that:
Preserves exact whitespace/indentation crucial for code readability
Enables syntax highlighting for improved comprehension
Clearly delineates executable content from natural language
Maintains consistent UX patterns across technical platforms
The platform already acknowledges this value by auto-formatting pasted code blocks. The question simply asks about manual creation capabilities to avoid workflow disruption, as having to paste from external sources breaks the natural thought/writing process.
The ability to seamlessly transition between prose and code in a single composition flow is fundamental to technical discussion - which is why this pattern has become ubiquitous across development platforms.
You’ve got a good point about the workflow disruption. Right now there isn’t a documented way to manually create code blocks in chat/composer without pasting - the triple backtick markdown syntax isn’t supported yet
The best current workaround is probably using the @code command to reference existing code, as mentioned in our docs here: Cursor – Overview
I totally get why this would be useful for maintaining flow while writing - I’ll make sure to pass this feedback along to the team since it aligns well with our goal of seamless coding experiences