When working with large files (in my case, a 4000+ line JS file), Cursor only sends an outline and the region around the cursor to the AI, not the full file content. This makes it nearly impossible to get meaningful help on legacy codebases.
The Workaround
- First message: Start a conversation with the AI and ask any simple question
- Second message: Paste your entire file content and ask your actual question
For some reason, Cursor only sends the full content when it’s in a follow-up message, not in the initial conversation starter.
I’ve documented this in more detail with testing and technical notes here: Force Full Context in Cursor IDE: Workaround for Large Files