1 min lesson
Investigate in ask mode, not agent mode
Use "Agent mode is the full suite - it writes code, edits files, moves them, runs the terminal" to describe the practical rule.
Step 1 of 2
Investigate in ask mode, not agent moderesearch without write access
Cursor's modes change which tools the AI can reach. Agent modeCursor's full-capability mode: the AI can read the codebase, write and edit files, move them and run terminal commands. Contrast with Ask mode, which is read-only. Press Enter for the full definition. is the full suite - it writes code, edits files, moves them, runs the terminal. Ask modeA read-only mode for asking questions about a codebase without changing files; the safe way to explore unfamiliar or legacy code. Press Enter for the full definition. strips all of that out and leaves you semantic search and codebase understanding. For support work you're mostly reading the product, not changing it, so ask mode is the efficient default. Pair it with a cost-effective model and you get the same answer without burning tokens or risking an edit you didn't want.
In agent mode, asking why the app loses clicks can backfire: the agent decides it knows the fix and quietly rewrites the code to debounce - even when the batching was intentional. Hit undo-all, then re-ask in ask mode so it only explains the problem instead of taking it upon itself to make the change it assumes you want.
“Whenever you're doing research we recommend using ask mode. We don't necessarily need to write code as much as we're just looking it up.”