How to Migrate Cursor AI Snippets and Templates to WindSurf Editor
Developers who have invested time building custom snippets and templates in Cursor AI often face a challenge when trying to move to WindSurf. While both editors share roots in Visual Studio Code, their approaches to custom AI-assisted content differ in ways that affect how you transfer your workflows. This guide walks through the practical steps of migrating your Cursor snippets and templates to WindSurf, with working code examples you can apply immediately.
Understanding the Difference Between Cursor and WindSurf
Cursor stores user snippets in a JSON format within its configuration directory. These snippets appear as AI-completable options when you type trigger words or invoke the AI completion feature. WindSurf, developed by Codeium, takes a different approach—it uses a combination of VS Code’s native snippet system and its own AI context files.
Before migrating, locate your Cursor snippet files. On macOS, they’re typically stored in ~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/snippets/ or ~/.cursor/extensions/. On Windows, check %APPDATA%\Cursor\User\snippets\. You’ll find JSON files containing your custom snippets and template definitions.
Exporting Your Cursor Snippets
Start by gathering all your Cursor snippets. Create a backup directory and copy the relevant files:
mkdir ~/cursor-migration-backup
cp -r ~/.cursor/User/snippets/* ~/cursor-migration-backup/ 2>/dev/null
# Also check for template files
find ~/.cursor -name "*.cursortemplate" -o -name "*template*.json" 2>/dev/null | xargs -I {} cp {} ~/cursor-migration-backup/
Open each JSON file and examine its structure. Cursor snippets typically follow this pattern:
{
"react-component-basic": {
"prefix": "rccb",
"body": [
"import React from 'react';",
"",
"export const ${1:ComponentName} = (props) => {",
" return (",
" <div>",
" {$1}",
" </div>",
" );",
"};"
],
"description": "Basic React functional component"
}
}
Note the use of tabstops ( $1, $2 ) for cursor positioning after expansion.
Converting to WindSurf Format
WindSurf supports VS Code-compatible snippets directly. The primary conversion involves transforming your Cursor JSON snippets into VS Code’s snippet format, which WindSurf recognizes automatically.
Create a new snippet file in WindSurf’s configuration directory. On macOS, this is ~/Library/Application Support/WindSurf/User/snippets/. On Windows, check %APPDATA%\WindSurf\User\snippets\. Create a folder named after your programming language:
mkdir -p ~/Library/Application Support/WindSurf/User/snippets/javascript
Now create your snippet file with the .code-snippets extension:
{
"React Functional Component": {
"prefix": "rccb",
"body": [
"import React from 'react';",
"",
"export const ${1:ComponentName} = (props) => {",
" return (",
" <div>",
" $1",
" </div>",
" );",
"};"
],
"description": "Basic React functional component",
"scope": "javascript,typescript,typescriptreact"
}
}
The structure closely mirrors Cursor’s format, with a few key differences. WindSurf uses the scope field to define where the snippet applies, and the JSON format requires careful attention to commas between properties.
Migrating AI Prompt Templates
If you’ve created custom AI prompt templates in Cursor, these require more attention. Cursor stores prompt templates in a separate configuration file, typically named cursorrules or stored in the .cursorrules file at your project root. WindSurf uses a different mechanism called windrules for project-specific AI behavior.
Extract your Cursor rules:
# Find and copy your cursorrules files
find ~ -name ".cursorrules" -o -name "cursorrules.json" 2>/dev/null
Create a corresponding windrules file in your project root. The format differs significantly—Cursor uses a more verbose JSON structure while Windurf prefers a simpler YAML-like format:
# windrules
version: "1.0"
context:
- type: "file"
pattern: "**/*.{ts,tsx}"
- type: "directory"
path: "./src"
ai_behavior:
max_tokens: 4096
temperature: 0.7
custom_prompts:
code_review: |
Review the following code for potential bugs and improvements.
Focus on:
- Security vulnerabilities
- Performance issues
- Code readability
{{code}}
generate_tests: |
Generate unit tests for the following function.
Use the testing framework established in the project.
{{code}}
Handling Tab Completion Differences
Cursor’s Tab completion behaves slightly differently from WindSurf’s. In Cursor, pressing Tab accepts the entire suggestion instantly. WindSurf uses a two-step process—you preview the suggestion, then press Tab to accept. Adjust your snippet trigger prefixes to account for this:
{
"Quick Console Log": {
"prefix": "cl",
"body": [
"console.log('$1:', $1);"
],
"description": "Quick console log with label",
"scope": "javascript,typescript"
}
}
Batch Migration Script
For developers with extensive snippet collections, create a migration script:
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import json
import os
import shutil
def migrate_cursor_snippets(cursor_snippets_dir, windsnap_user_dir):
os.makedirs(windsnap_user_dir, exist_ok=True)
for filename in os.listdir(cursor_snippets_dir):
if filename.endswith('.json'):
with open(os.path.join(cursor_snippets_dir, filename), 'r') as f:
snippets = json.load(f)
# Transform and save in WindSurf format
output_filename = filename.replace('.json', '.code-snippets')
output_path = os.path.join(windsnap_user_dir, output_filename)
with open(output_path, 'w') as f:
json.dump(snippets, f, indent=2)
print(f"Migrated: {filename} -> {output_filename}")
if __name__ == "__main__":
cursor_dir = os.path.expanduser("~/.cursor/User/snippets")
windsnap_dir = os.path.expanduser("~/Library/Application Support/WindSurf/User/snippets")
if os.path.exists(cursor_dir):
migrate_cursor_snippets(cursor_dir, windsnap_dir)
print("Migration complete!")
else:
print("Cursor snippets directory not found")
Run this script after installing WindSurf to batch-convert your snippet collection.
Verifying Your Migration
After migration, restart WindSurf and test each snippet by typing its prefix. Check that tabstops work correctly and that the scope settings apply to the right file types. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P) and search for “Snippets” to see all loaded user snippets.
Compare the output with your original Cursor setup. If certain snippets don’t appear, check that the JSON syntax is valid—missing commas or malformed structures cause silent failures.
Maintaining Both Editors
Many developers use both Cursor and WindSurf during transition periods. Create a sync script that copies your snippets to both editors:
#!/bin/bash
SNIPPETS_DIR="$HOME/Library/Application Support/WindSurf/User/snippets"
CURSOR_SNIPPETS="$HOME/.cursor/User/snippets"
# Sync from Cursor to WindSurf
rsync -av --include='*/' --include='*.json' --exclude='*' "$CURSOR_SNIPPETS/" "$SNIPPETS_DIR/"
# Rename to code-snippets
for file in "$SNIPPETS_DIR"/*.json; do
mv "$file" "${file%.json}.code-snippets"
done
echo "Snippets synchronized"
This approach keeps both editors in sync while you evaluate WindSurf’s capabilities.
Summary
Migrating Cursor AI snippets and templates to WindSurf involves three main steps: exporting your Cursor configuration files, converting the JSON structure to WindSurf’s VS Code-compatible format, and verifying that tabstops and scopes work correctly. The process is straightforward for standard snippets but requires attention to detail for AI prompt templates. Use the Python migration script for bulk conversions and maintain a sync workflow if you’re using both editors during the transition.
Related Reading
Built by theluckystrike — More at zovo.one