Ask is a “read-only” mode for the Chat made to ask questions, explore, and learn about a codebase. It is a built-in mode in Cursor that has search tools enabled by default.

Make sure to read chat overview to learn more about how modes work in Cursor.

Difference to Other Modes

Ask is unique to the other default modes (Agent and Manual) as it does not apply any suggested changes by default - this makes it a sort of “read only” mode, having the full ability to read files and other context, but without the ability to make any changes on its own.

This can be great for learning about a codebase you may not want to make changes to, or to plan out a solution with the AI before implementing it!

Configuration Options

  • Model - Pre-select a model that should be the default for Ask
  • Keybinding - Set a keybinding to switch to the Ask mode
  • Search Codebase - Allow Cursor to search for it’s own context, instead of you having to manually @ files as context when you want the AI to see them

Was this page helpful?