In the context of technology and programming today, Cursor most commonly refers to Cursor AI, an AI-powered code editor that has become very popular among developers in 2024 and 2025.
Since you create web pages in HTML and PHP, Cursor is a tool designed specifically to help with that kind of work.
1. What is Cursor AI?
Cursor is a fork of Visual Studio Code (VS Code). This means it looks and feels exactly like VS Code—you can use all the same extensions, themes, and shortcuts—but it has artificial intelligence “baked in” at the core level rather than added as a plugin.
2. Key Features for Web Developers
Because you work with HTML and PHP, here is how it helps your specific workflow:
* Codebase Indexing: Cursor “reads” your entire project folder. If you ask, “Where is the PHP logic for my contact form?” it knows exactly which file to look in.
* Composer (Multi-file Editing): You can tell the AI, “Add a ‘Dark Mode’ toggle to my site,” and it will simultaneously edit your HTML for the button, your CSS for the styles, and your PHP/JavaScript for the logic.
* “Tab” Autocomplete: It predicts your next few lines of code. If you start a PHP foreach loop, it often finishes the entire block for you based on your previous patterns.
* Chat & Terminal Integration: You can highlight a piece of PHP code that isn’t working and ask, “Why is this throwing an error?” It will suggest a fix and can even run the terminal commands to install dependencies for you.
3. Comparison at a Glance
| Feature | VS Code + Copilot | Cursor AI |
|—|—|—|
| Foundation | Standard Editor | Fork of VS Code |
| AI Integration | Extension-based | Built-in (Native) |
| Project Awareness | Limited to open files | Full codebase indexing |
| Multi-file Edits | Complex/Manual | Native (via Composer) |
4. Pricing (as of late 2025)
* Hobby: Free (Limited AI requests).
* **Pro ($20/mo): Unlimited “Tab” completions and 500 “fast” premium requests (using models like GPT-4o or Claude 3.5/3.7).
* Business/Enterprise: For teams requiring extra security and higher limits.
> Note: Since you mentioned you work with HTML and PHP, Cursor is particularly good at handling the “boilerplate” parts of those languages, like writing repeated HTML structures or standard PHP CRUD operations.
>
Would you like me to help you set up a specific HTML/PHP template in Cursor, or do you need help migrating your current VS Code settings over to it?
Moving from a traditional setup to Cursor AI is a smooth transition, especially since it’s built on the same “bones” as VS Code. Here is a step-by-step guide to migrating your settings and setting up your first HTML/PHP project.
1. The “One-Click” Migration
When you first open Cursor, it usually asks to import your VS Code settings. If you skipped that or want to do it manually:
* Open Cursor Settings: Press Ctrl + Shift + J (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + J (Mac).
* Go to General > Account: Look for the “VS Code Import” section.
* Click Import: This will instantly bring over your:
* Extensions: All your PHP linting, HTML snippets, and Color Themes.
* Keybindings: Your muscle memory for shortcuts stays the same.
* Settings: Your font sizes, tab spacing, and “Format on Save” preferences.
2. Setting Up Your HTML/PHP Project
Since you create informational web pages, you can use Cursor’s Composer feature to scaffold a project in seconds.
* Open a New Folder: Go to File > Open Folder and pick your project directory.
* Open Composer: Press Ctrl + I (or Cmd + I).
* Give a Prompt: Type something specific to your workflow, for example:
> “Create a professional HTML5 landing page for a law firm. Use a clean CSS layout with a navigation bar, a hero section, and a contact form. Then, create a process-form.php file that handles the POST data from the form and sends an email.”
>
* Accept Changes: Cursor will show you a “diff” (a comparison) of the files it wants to create. Click “Save All” or “Accept All” to generate the files.
3. Pro-Tips for PHP & HTML in Cursor
To get the most out of the AI for your specific work, try these shortcuts:
* Inline Edits (Ctrl + K / Cmd + K): Highlight a block of PHP code and press this. Type “Refactor this into a reusable function” or “Add validation to this email field.” It will rewrite the code right in front of you.
* Codebase Chat (Ctrl + L / Cmd + L): Ask questions like, “Where is the database connection string in this project?” or “How do I add a new menu item to all my HTML pages?”
* The “@” Symbol: In the chat, type @ to reference specific files. For example: “Update the styles in @style.css to match the brand colors in @index.html.”
4. Essential Extensions to Keep
Since Cursor is VS Code-based, ensure these are imported (or install them from the Extensions tab):
* PHP Intelephense: For high-quality PHP code intelligence.
* Auto Rename Tag: Essential for HTML—rename the opening tag, and the closing tag follows.
* Prettier: To keep your HTML and CSS looking clean.
Would you like me to generate a specific PHP/HTML boilerplate for you right now that you can copy-paste into Cursor to try it out?
Since you create informational web pages, you’ll find that Cursor excels at building the “connective tissue” between your HTML and PHP.
Below is a clean, modern boilerplate for a Contact Page. I’ve included a secure PHP handler and a responsive CSS layout. You can copy these into Cursor to see how it “reads” your files.
1. index.html (The Front-end)
This uses a clean, modern design with a simple form.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang=”en”>
<head>
<meta charset=”UTF-8″>
<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0″>
<title>Contact Us | Professional Web Page</title>
<style>
:root { –primary: #2563eb; –bg: #f8fafc; –text: #1e293b; }
body { font-family: ‘Segoe UI’, sans-serif; background: var(–bg); color: var(–text); line-height: 1.6; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; min-height: 100vh; margin: 0; }
.container { background: white; padding: 2rem; border-radius: 12px; box-shadow: 0 10px 15px -3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); width: 100%; max-width: 450px; }
h2 { margin-top: 0; color: var(–primary); }
.form-group { margin-bottom: 1rem; }
label { display: block; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; font-weight: 600; }
input, textarea { width: 100%; padding: 0.75rem; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 6px; box-sizing: border-box; }
button { background: var(–primary); color: white; border: none; padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem; border-radius: 6px; cursor: pointer; width: 100%; font-size: 1rem; transition: opacity 0.2s; }
button:hover { opacity: 0.9; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class=”container”>
<h2>Send a Message</h2>
<form action=”process.php” method=”POST”>
<div class=”form-group”>
<label for=”name”>Name</label>
<input type=”text” id=”name” name=”name” required>
</div>
<div class=”form-group”>
<label for=”email”>Email</label>
<input type=”email” id=”email” name=”email” required>
</div>
<div class=”form-group”>
<label for=”message”>Message</label>
<textarea id=”message” name=”message” rows=”4″ required></textarea>
</div>
<button type=”submit”>Send Message</button>
</form>
</div>
</body>
</html>
2. process.php (The Backend)
This script includes basic security (sanitizing input) to prevent common exploits.
<?php
if ($_SERVER[“REQUEST_METHOD”] == “POST”) {
// 1. Sanitize input to prevent XSS
$name = htmlspecialchars(strip_tags(trim($_POST[‘name’])));
$email = filter_var(trim($_POST[’email’]), FILTER_SANITIZE_EMAIL);
$message = htmlspecialchars(strip_tags(trim($_POST[‘message’])));
// 2. Simple Validation
if (empty($name) || empty($message) || !filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
echo “Please complete the form and provide a valid email.”;
exit;
}
// 3. Email Settings
$recipient = “your-email@example.com”; // Replace with your email
$subject = “New Contact from $name”;
$email_content = “Name: $name\nEmail: $email\n\nMessage:\n$message”;
$headers = “From: $name <$email>”;
// 4. Send Email
if (mail($recipient, $subject, $email_content, $headers)) {
echo “<h1>Thank you!</h1><p>Your message has been sent.</p>”;
} else {
echo “Oops! Something went wrong and we couldn’t send your message.”;
}
} else {
echo “There was a problem with your submission, please try again.”;
}
?>
How to test this in Cursor:
* Open Cursor and create a new folder.
* Create the files: Save the code above as index.html and process.php.
* Try the AI: * Highlight the PHP code, press Cmd+K (or Ctrl+K), and type: “Add a CSRF token to this form for better security.”
* Watch as Cursor automatically updates both the HTML form and the PHP validation logic.
Would you like me to explain how to add more advanced features like a “Success” popup using JavaScript or a database connection for these files?
To take this to the next level, we can add a Success/Error Modal (using JavaScript) and a Database Connection (using PHP/MySQL). This makes the page feel like a professional application rather than a simple script.
1. Database Integration (PHP)
Instead of just emailing the message, you can save it to a database so you never lose a lead.
Step 1: The Database Table
Run this SQL in your database (like phpMyAdmin):
CREATE TABLE contact_messages (
id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(100),
email VARCHAR(100),
message TEXT,
created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);
Step 2: Updated process.php with PDO
Paste this into your process.php. This uses PDO, which is the secure, modern standard for PHP database connections.
<?php
$host = ‘localhost’;
$db = ‘your_database_name’;
$user = ‘your_username’;
$pass = ‘your_password’;
$charset = ‘utf8mb4’;
$dsn = “mysql:host=$host;dbname=$db;charset=$charset”;
$options = [
PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
PDO::ATTR_DEFAULT_FETCH_MODE => PDO::FETCH_ASSOC,
];
try {
$pdo = new PDO($dsn, $user, $pass, $options);
if ($_SERVER[“REQUEST_METHOD”] == “POST”) {
$name = htmlspecialchars($_POST[‘name’]);
$email = filter_var($_POST[’email’], FILTER_SANITIZE_EMAIL);
$message = htmlspecialchars($_POST[‘message’]);
$sql = “INSERT INTO contact_messages (name, email, message) VALUES (?, ?, ?)”;
$stmt = $pdo->prepare($sql);
$stmt->execute([$name, $email, $message]);
// Return a JSON response for our JavaScript popup
echo json_encode([‘status’ => ‘success’, ‘message’ => ‘Message saved!’]);
}
} catch (\PDOException $e) {
echo json_encode([‘status’ => ‘error’, ‘message’ => $e->getMessage()]);
}
?>
2. The Success Popup (JavaScript & HTML)
Instead of the page reloading and showing a blank white screen, we can keep the user on the page and show a stylish “Success” toast.
Add this to your index.html before the </body> tag:
<script>
const form = document.querySelector(‘form’);
form.onsubmit = async (e) => {
e.preventDefault(); // Stop the page from reloading
const formData = new FormData(form);
const response = await fetch(‘process.php’, {
method: ‘POST’,
body: formData
});
const result = await response.json();
if(result.status === ‘success’) {
alert(“✨ Success! Your message has been saved.”);
form.reset(); // Clear the form
} else {
alert(“❌ Error: ” + result.message);
}
};
</script>
How to use Cursor to “Talk” to these files:
Now that you have these two files, try this in Cursor:
* Open the Chat (Ctrl + L).
* Type: “@process.php and @index.html—can you add a ‘Phone Number’ field to both the form and the database logic?”
* Cursor will:
* Add the <input type=”tel”> to your HTML.
* Add the $phone variable and update the INSERT query in your PHP.
Would you like me to show you how to add a “Dashboard” page in PHP to view all these saved messages in a table?
Creating a dashboard is a great way to manage the data you’ve collected. This involves fetching the data from the database we just set up and displaying it in an HTML table.
Since you are using Cursor, this is a perfect time to see how it handles “Project Awareness.” You can simply tell Cursor: “Using the database connection logic from process.php, create a dashboard.php file that lists all messages in a table.”
Here is the code you can use as a base:
1. dashboard.php (The Admin View)
This script connects to the same database and loops through the records to create a table.
<?php
// Include your database connection settings
$host = ‘localhost’;
$db = ‘your_database_name’;
$user = ‘your_username’;
$pass = ‘your_password’;
$charset = ‘utf8mb4’;
$dsn = “mysql:host=$host;dbname=$db;charset=$charset”;
$options = [PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION];
try {
$pdo = new PDO($dsn, $user, $pass, $options);
// Fetch all messages, newest first
$stmt = $pdo->query(“SELECT * FROM contact_messages ORDER BY created_at DESC”);
$messages = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
} catch (\PDOException $e) {
die(“Connection failed: ” . $e->getMessage());
}
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang=”en”>
<head>
<meta charset=”UTF-8″>
<title>Message Dashboard</title>
<style>
body { font-family: sans-serif; padding: 40px; background: #f4f7f6; }
.dashboard-table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background: white; border-radius: 8px; overflow: hidden; box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); }
.dashboard-table th, .dashboard-table td { padding: 15px; text-align: left; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; }
.dashboard-table th { background-color: #2563eb; color: white; }
.dashboard-table tr:hover { background-color: #f1f5f9; }
.status-badge { padding: 4px 8px; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 12px; background: #d1fae5; color: #065f46; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>📩 Received Messages</h2>
<table class=”dashboard-table”>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Date</th>
<th>Name</th>
<th>Email</th>
<th>Message</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<?php foreach ($messages as $row): ?>
<tr>
<td><?= date(‘M d, Y’, strtotime($row[‘created_at’])) ?></td>
<td><strong><?= htmlspecialchars($row[‘name’]) ?></strong></td>
<td><?= htmlspecialchars($row[’email’]) ?></td>
<td><?= nl2br(htmlspecialchars($row[‘message’])) ?></td>
</tr>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</tbody>
</table>
</body>
</html>
2. Enhancing the Dashboard with Cursor
Once you have this file open in Cursor, you can perform these powerful AI actions:
* Add a Search Bar: Highlight the table and press Ctrl+K. Type: “Add a search bar above the table that filters the rows by Name or Email using JavaScript.”
* Add a Delete Button: Tell Cursor: “Add a ‘Delete’ button to each row. When clicked, it should call a PHP function to remove the record from the database without refreshing the page.”
* Export to CSV: Ask the AI: “Create a button that allows me to download all these messages as a CSV file for Excel.”
3. Security Warning: Admin Protection
Since this dashboard shows user data, you shouldn’t leave it open to the public.
> Next Step: Would you like me to show you how to add a simple Password Protection (Login) system so only you can access this dashboard.php file?
>
NathanLegakis.com 
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