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Skills
Presets:

Target Standard & File Format

AI Agent Rules & Skills
Context Shields & Privacy (Ignore Files)
Integrations & Machine Documentation
AI Governance & Multi-Agent Planning Suite

.cursorignore Shield

Prevent Cursor AI from indexing secrets, build caches, and bulky lockfiles to save context window tokens:

Full Protection
Tokens Saved / Turn
~190k tokens
Secret Leak Guards
2 Active Guards
Shield Categories
8 of 8 Enabled

Indexing Boundary Categories

Toggle specific categories to mask secrets and exclude heavy artifacts:

Custom Rules & Negate Exceptions

Append repo-specific file globs or re-include allowed files with negation patterns (!path):

Star.CURSORIGNORE
Specialist Persona
.cursorignore Shield Hub Directory

Behavior-Preserving Refactoring .cursorignore Shield

Generate an optimized .cursorignore for Behavior-Preserving Refactoring to mask secrets and stop token bloat. This .cursorignore keeps Behavior-Preserving Refactoring build output, large data files and environment secrets out of Cursor's index and AI features, so context goes to your source code. It is best effort: commands the agent runs in the terminal can still read ignored files, so keep real secrets out of the repo too.

Target Path
.cursorignore
Execution Scope
Indexing and AI features
Specification Format
gitignore syntax
AI Tool Support
Cursor
02 / WHY IT HELPS

What this file changes for Behavior-Preserving Refactoring

Without it

This .cursorignore keeps Behavior-Preserving Refactoring build output, large data files and environment secrets out of Cursor's index and AI features, so context goes to your source code. It is best effort: commands the agent runs in the terminal can still read ignored files, so keep real secrets out of the repo too.

What the file tells the agent
Add characterization tests before touching uncovered code.
One refactoring step at a time, tests after each; revert a step that breaks.
Keep exported names, signatures, import paths, and formats stable.
Never mix behaviour changes or formatting into a refactor diff.
Add an abstraction only when three real call sites need it.
04 / REPOSITORY PLACEMENT & 3-STEP TERMINAL INSTALLATION

How to Install Behavior-Preserving Refactoring .cursorignore Shield via Terminal

1

Step 1: Open Project Directory & Verify Target Placement

Open your terminal and navigate to your project root folder where the .cursorignore file will reside. Ensure the file is placed at the exact path below relative to your project root so the AI engine automatically loads it:

.cursorignore
2

Step 2: Fetch Rule File via Terminal Command

Run curl, PowerShell, or wget to stream the rule directly from the DevScratchpad raw API endpoint and write it to .cursorignore:

Terminal One-Liner Install

Run directly in your project root to stream and write this rule file with one command.

Raw API Stream
$curl -fsSL "https://www.devscratchpad.tech/api/raw/cursorignore/safe-refactor" -o ".cursorignore"
3

Step 3: Check that Cursor uses it

Cursor applies .cursorignore automatically. Matching files leave the index and AI features, but commands the agent runs in the terminal can still read them.

05 / ROUTE DIRECTORY & CROSS-TOOLING
Format Pillar Hub

.cursorignore generator: keep secrets and build output away from Cursor

.cursorignore Shield: how it works, where the file goes, and every .cursorignore preset.

/cursorignore Directory
06 / RELATED DEVELOPER TOOLS

Tools for Behavior-Preserving Refactoring work

Browser-based utilities to test, format and inspect the code your AI tool writes. Nothing you paste is uploaded.

View all 28 tools

Live Repository & Schema Ingestion

Inspect any public or private GitHub repository, or paste SQL DDL and Prisma models directly in AI Skill Studio to auto-generate authentic rules. Zero server transmission.

Launch AI Skill Studio

Migrating from Legacy .cursorrules or CLAUDE.md?

Use the free, in-browser converter to turn one long rules file into Cursor .mdc, Claude SKILL.md or Windsurf rules.

Convert Rules Free
07 / FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Technical FAQ: Behavior-Preserving Refactoring AI Rulebooks

How is .cursorignore different from .gitignore?

.gitignore decides what git tracks. .cursorignore keeps files out of Cursor's codebase index and AI features; Cursor already skips files in .gitignore when it indexes.

Does .cursorignore reduce wasted context?

Yes. Ignored files are not indexed or pulled into requests, so build output and large data files do not crowd out your source code.