Problem Statement
I am developing on a remote server that cannot connect to the public internet. Due to these network restrictions, Cursor’s online Codebase Indexing feature is unable to function. This prevents me from using essential features that rely on the codebase index, such as symbol search, contextual Q&A, and code navigation, which significantly impacts my development productivity in a restricted network environment.
Proposed Solution
I propose adding a feature to manually import and export the codebase index.
This functionality could work as follows:
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Export Index: On a machine with internet access, after a project’s index has been successfully generated, the user can export this index into a single file (e.g., a .cursor-index archive).
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Manual Transfer: The user can then copy this exported index file to the remote server that lacks internet connectivity.
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Import Index: In the Cursor instance on the remote server, the user could select an option like “Load Index from File” to manually import the index. After Cursor loads and validates the file, all code intelligence features for the project would be enabled, using the imported index.
Use Cases
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Corporate Intranet Development: For developers working within strict corporate intranets that block access to external services.
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Offline Development: For developers working in environments with no network connection (e.g., on a plane, in remote areas).
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Unstable Network Environments: This can serve as a reliable fallback when an unstable network connection causes the online indexing process to fail frequently.
Summary
Adding an offline index import/export feature would greatly expand Cursor’s applicability, allowing developers in offline or restricted network environments to also benefit from the powerful productivity boost it offers. I hope the development team will consider this suggestion.