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name: update-cli-config description: >- View and modify Cursor CLI configuration settings in ~/.cursor/cli-config.json. Use when the user wants to change CLI settings, configure permissions, switch approval mode, enable vim mode, toggle display options, configure sandbox, or manage any CLI preferences. metadata: surfaces: - cli

Cursor CLI Configuration

This skill explains how to view and modify Cursor CLI settings stored in ~/.cursor/cli-config.json.

Config File Location

The config file is ~/.cursor/cli-config.json.

Projects can layer overrides via .cursor/cli.json files. The CLI walks from the git root to the current working directory and merges each .cursor/cli.json it finds (deeper files take precedence). Project overrides only affect the current session; they are not written back to the home config.

How to Modify

Read ~/.cursor/cli-config.json, apply changes, and write it back. The file is standard JSON. Changes take effect after restarting the CLI.

Available Settings

permissions (required)

Tool permission rules. Each entry is a string pattern.

  • allow: string[] — patterns for allowed tool calls (e.g. "Shell(**)", "Mcp(server-name, tool-name)")
  • deny: string[] — patterns for denied tool calls

editor

  • vimMode: boolean — enable vim keybindings in the CLI input
  • defaultBehavior: "ide" | "agent" — default behavior mode

display (optional)

  • showLineNumbers: boolean (default: false) — show line numbers in code output
  • showThinkingBlocks: boolean (default: false) — show model thinking/reasoning blocks
  • showStatusIndicators: boolean (default: false) — show status indicators in the UI

channel (optional)

Release channel: "prod" | "lab" | "static"

maxMode (optional)

boolean (default: false) — enable max mode for higher-quality model responses

approvalMode (optional)

Controls tool approval behavior:

  • "allowlist" (default) — require approval for tools not in the allow list
  • Run Everything — auto-approve all tool calls (same as --force / --yolo; set approval mode to the non-allowlist value)

sandbox (optional)

Sandbox execution environment settings:

  • mode: "disabled" | "enabled" (default: "disabled")
  • networkAccess: "user_config_only" | "user_config_with_defaults" | "allow_all" — controls network access from sandbox
  • networkAllowlist: string[] — domains the sandbox is allowed to reach

network (optional)

  • useHttp1ForAgent: boolean (default: false) — use HTTP/1.1 instead of HTTP/2 for agent connections (enables SSE-based streaming)

bedrock (optional)

AWS Bedrock integration settings:

  • enabled: boolean (default: false)
  • mode: "access-key" | "team-role" (default: "access-key")
  • region: string — AWS region
  • testModel: string — model to use for testing
  • teamRoleArn: string — IAM role ARN for team mode
  • teamExternalId: string — external ID for STS assume-role

attribution (optional)

Controls how agent work is attributed in git:

  • attributeCommitsToAgent: boolean (default: true) — attribute commits to the agent
  • attributePRsToAgent: boolean (default: true) — attribute PRs to the agent

webFetchDomainAllowlist (optional)

string[] — domains the web fetch tool is allowed to access (e.g. "docs.github.com", "*.example.com", "*")

Fields You Should NOT Modify

These are internal/cached state and should not be edited manually:

  • version — config schema version
  • model / selectedModel / modelParameters / hasChangedDefaultModel — managed by the model picker
  • privacyCache — cached privacy mode state
  • authInfo — cached authentication info
  • showSandboxIntro — one-time UI flag
  • conversationClassificationScoredConversations — internal cache

Overview

update-cli-config: a free, copy-ready skill on OpenRuna. View and modify Cursor CLI configuration settings in ~/.cursor/cli-config.json. Use when the user wants to change CLI settings, configure permissions, switch approval mod

What this skill does

"update-cli-config" packages a proven skill so you can skip the trial-and-error of writing one from scratch. View and modify Cursor CLI configuration settings in ~/.cursor/cli-config.json. Use when the user wants to change CLI settings, configure permissions, switch approval mode, enable vim mode, toggle display options, configure sandbox, or manage any CLI preferences. It is catalogued next to similar resources on OpenRuna, so the rest of the toolkit you need is close by. Open a new conversation and paste it in, wire it into an agent, or keep it in your team's prompt library.

Use cases

  • Keep it in a shared library as the canonical version of this skill for your organisation.
  • Fork it as a baseline and layer in your own project context, constraints, and examples.
  • Reach for it during planning or review sessions when you want consistent, AI-assisted structure.
  • Combine it with related tools and prompts in the same OpenRuna category to build an end-to-end workflow.

Example output

Running this skill produces output shaped like the source material below:

# Cursor CLI Configuration

This skill explains how to view and modify Cursor CLI settings stored in `~/.cursor/cli-config.json`.

## Config File Location

The config file is `~/.cursor/cli-config.json`.

Projects can layer overrides via `.cursor/cli.json` files. The CLI walks from the git root to the current working directory and merges each `.cursor/cli.json` it finds (deeper files take precedence). Project overrides only affect the current session; they are not written back to the home config.

## How to Modify

Read `~/.cursor/cli-config.json`, apply changes, and write it back. The file is…

Results vary by model and temperature; treat the first response as a draft and refine it with follow-up prompts.

Tips by platform

Claude

In Claude, paste the full skill as your first message or add it to Project instructions, then ask Claude to confirm assumptions before it executes. For longer skills, iterate inside the artifact panel.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT responds well when you paste this skill and immediately give one concrete example of your input. Use a reasoning-capable model for multi-step work.

Cursor

In Cursor, lift the key instructions from this skill into .cursorrules or a SKILL.md file, then reference it in Agent mode with @ mentions. Keep the title in a comment so teammates can find it on OpenRuna.

Frequently asked questions

What is "update-cli-config"?
It is a skill listed on OpenRuna — View and modify Cursor CLI configuration settings in ~/.cursor/cli-config.json. Use when the user wants to change CLI settings, configure permissions, switch approval mode, enable vim mode, toggle display options, configure sandbox, or manage any CLI preferences. You can copy and adapt it for ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any other AI assistant.
Is "update-cli-config" free to use?
Most OpenRuna resources are open or CC0-licensed. Check the license shown on this page before commercial use; premium collections are clearly marked as such.
How do I get the best results from this skill?
Replace any placeholders, add your project context, and ask the model to confirm its assumptions first. Iterate over 2–3 follow-up turns rather than expecting a perfect first response.
Does "update-cli-config" work with both Claude and ChatGPT?
Yes — it is model-agnostic text, so it runs on Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Cursor. The tips on this page cover each of those assistants specifically.
Where can I find resources related to "update-cli-config"?
Scroll to the Related resources section on this page, or open the matching category hub on OpenRuna to find connected prompts, tools, agents, and datasets in the same topic area.

Related resources