> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://edocs.iamnaime.info.bd/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Install Engineering Docs in Cursor and Windsurf

> Add 22 engineering documentation skills to Cursor or Windsurf as project-scoped .mdc rules — one file per skill, installed to .cursor/rules/ in seconds.

Engineering Docs uses Cursor's native rules system to deliver all 22 skills. Instead of a monolithic plugin file, the installer extracts each `SKILL.md` into its own `.mdc` rule file — giving Cursor's context engine fine-grained control over when each skill is applied. Windsurf reads the same `.cursor/rules/` directory, so one install command covers both editors.

## Install with npx

<Steps>
  <Step title="Run the installer from your project root">
    ```bash terminal theme={null}
    npx engineering-docs --cursor
    ```

    The short alias `-r` also works:

    ```bash terminal theme={null}
    npx engineering-docs -r
    ```

    The installer creates `.cursor/rules/` in your current working directory if it does not already exist.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the rule files were created">
    The installer prints one confirmation line per skill as it copies each file:

    ```text theme={null}
      created  Cursor rule: engineering-docs-using-engineering-docs.mdc
      created  Cursor rule: engineering-docs-business-concept.mdc
      created  Cursor rule: engineering-docs-project-plan.mdc
      ... (22 rules total)
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restart Cursor or Windsurf">
    Rules in `.cursor/rules/` are loaded at editor startup. Close and reopen Cursor (or Windsurf) to activate the new rules. You do not need to configure anything else — the rules are detected automatically.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  **Always restart after install.** Cursor and Windsurf do not hot-reload `.cursor/rules/` changes. Skipping the restart means the skills will not be available in the current editor session.
</Warning>

## What gets created

The `--cursor` flag runs a special install path in `scripts/install.js`. For every subdirectory in `skills/`, it reads the `SKILL.md` file and copies it to `.cursor/rules/` with a prefixed filename:

```text theme={null}
.cursor/rules/
├── engineering-docs-using-engineering-docs.mdc
├── engineering-docs-business-concept.mdc
├── engineering-docs-project-plan.mdc
├── engineering-docs-user-personas-behavior.mdc
├── engineering-docs-technical-specification.mdc
├── engineering-docs-technical-feasibility-study.mdc
├── engineering-docs-system-architecture-document.mdc
├── engineering-docs-architecture-decision-record.mdc
├── engineering-docs-database-design-document.mdc
├── engineering-docs-api-design-document.mdc
├── engineering-docs-admin-access-control-specification.mdc
├── engineering-docs-technical-blueprint.mdc
├── engineering-docs-ux-flow-specification.mdc
├── engineering-docs-design-system-specification.mdc
├── engineering-docs-security-threat-model.mdc
├── engineering-docs-test-strategy-document.mdc
├── engineering-docs-implementation-plan.mdc
├── engineering-docs-deployment-plan.mdc
├── engineering-docs-slo-error-budget-document.mdc
├── engineering-docs-technical-runbook.mdc
├── engineering-docs-disaster-recovery-plan.mdc
└── engineering-docs-incident-postmortem.mdc
```

Each `.mdc` file contains the full `SKILL.md` content for that skill — the auto-trigger intent, key concepts, document template structure, and behavioral standards. The `engineering-docs-` prefix keeps all rules grouped together and prevents naming collisions with your own project rules.

<Note>
  This install is **workspace-scoped**. The rules are created in the `.cursor/rules/` directory of the project where you run the command, not in a global directory. Run the install in each repository where you want the skills available, or add `.cursor/rules/` to your project starter template.
</Note>

## Install with the setup script

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Linux / macOS theme={null}
  chmod +x scripts/setup.sh
  ./scripts/setup.sh --cursor
  ```

  ```powershell Windows theme={null}
  pwsh scripts\setup.ps1 -Target cursor
  ```
</CodeGroup>

Both scripts use the same Cursor-specific install logic as `npx engineering-docs --cursor` — they copy each `SKILL.md` as an individual `.mdc` rule file rather than copying the full plugin tree.

## Cursor plugin manifest

The repository also ships a `plugin.json` at `integrations/plugins/.cursor-plugin/plugin.json` for editors that consume a structured manifest alongside the rules:

```json integrations/plugins/.cursor-plugin/plugin.json theme={null}
{
  "name": "engineering-docs",
  "displayName": "Engineering Documentation",
  "description": "22 engineering documentation skills covering the complete software lifecycle: business concept, project planning, personas, specs, feasibility, UX flow, architecture, design system, API, database, ADR, access control, security, testing, implementation, deployment, SLO, operations, disaster recovery, and incident review.",
  "version": "1.2.1",
  "author": {
    "name": "Fattain Naime",
    "email": "iamnaime@builderhall.com"
  },
  "homepage": "https://github.com/fattain-naime/engineering-docs",
  "repository": "https://github.com/fattain-naime/engineering-docs",
  "license": "MIT",
  "keywords": [
    "engineering",
    "documentation",
    "architecture",
    "technical-spec",
    "api-design",
    "runbook",
    "postmortem",
    "ADR",
    "threat-model",
    "deployment"
  ],
  "skills": "./skills/"
}
```

## Adding to version control

The `.cursor/rules/` directory is project-local. If you want the entire team to have access to the skills without each person running the installer, commit the generated `.mdc` files:

```bash terminal theme={null}
git add .cursor/rules/engineering-docs-*.mdc
git commit -m "chore: add engineering-docs Cursor rules"
```

Team members who clone the repository will have all 22 rules available as soon as they open the project in Cursor or Windsurf, without running any install command.