2 min lesson
Route each task to the smallest surface that closes the loop
Complete "Route each task to the smallest surface that closes the loop". Check the final state against the lesson before you move on.
Check your understanding
Complete this walkthrough: Mode selection — route each task to the smallest surface that closes the loop.
Outcome: Finish with the result shown in the final walkthrough step.
Mode selection — route each task to the smallest surface that closes the loop
Ask, Agent, Plan
3 steps · ~2 min
Ask → Agent → Plan
Read this walkthrough as text
Mode selection — route each task to the smallest surface that closes the loop
Ask, Agent, Plan
SayYou just want to understand how search filtering works — no edit.
DoPick Ask in the composer's mode dropdown: it reads and explains without touching anything, the smallest surface that answers the question.
SayNow rename a label across two files — a clear, bounded change.
DoPick Agent: a concrete, low-risk change with an obvious result is its job, no plan ceremony needed.
SayNow 'improve search somehow' — vague and spanning files.
DoPick Plan: unclear scope plus several files means you review and bound the plan before any code is written.
Simulated Cursor 3.12 (macOS, light) — beta educational reconstruction, not the real product.
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Optional practice
Practice: Route each task to the smallest surface that closes the loop
QYou've applied it. What actually proves the work is done, not just a plausible answer?