How I Conquered Cursor IDE’s 500 Request Limit and Supercharged My AI Coding Workflow

As a developer using AI tools every day, I know how frustrating usage limits can be. When I started with Cursor IDE, that 500-request cap kept stopping me in my tracks. It was especially tough during busy freelance weeks. But I found a way around it! In this post, I’ll share how a recent update changed everything and made my workflow way more efficient.

The Core Problem: Hitting the Wall with Request Limits

I’ve used Cursor IDE for about six months now. I started free, then upgraded to a subscription. But even then, I kept hitting that 500-request limit every couple of weeks.

When deadlines were tight, this was a disaster. I’d be deep in a project and suddenly couldn’t generate code or refine my logic. I’d have to scramble to find workarounds.

And here’s the thing: $20 a month might not sound like a lot, but in Brazil, that’s a decent chunk of change. It’s more like the cost of a coffee machine than a cup of coffee. At one point, I even tried some risky alternatives to save time and money, but that just caused more stress.

The Solution: Cursor’s Update to Fair Rate Limits

Everything changed when Cursor updated their system. They replaced the hard cap with rate limits. Now, I could use the IDE smoothly without sudden cutoffs. It fit my workflow perfectly.

I was so relieved! It was clear the team listened to users. This wasn’t just a small tweak—it made a huge difference. Suddenly, I wasn’t counting requests anymore. I could focus on building things, and my productivity shot up.

My Optimized Cursor Workflow for Peak Efficiency

With those limits gone, I refined how I use Cursor. Here’s what works best for me:

• Model Strategy: Claude (especially Sonnet 3.5 or Claude 4) is my go-to for quick code generation. When planning complex business rules or architecture, I switch to GPT models like o1 or o3 to map things out first.
• Safety First with Cursor Rules: I block dangerous database commands in the terminal:
  WHEN ACCESSING TERMINAL: FORBID MYSQL COMMANDS LIKE DROP, ALTER, UPDATE, SET. ONLY ALLOW READ-ONLY OPERATIONS SUCH AS SELECTS AND JOINS. This protects my data while still letting me run essential queries.
• Directory Optimization: Clear paths like FRONTEND = ~/projects/frontend/ and BACKEND = ~/projects/backend/ help the AI find files faster during our sessions.
• Code Quality Boosters: ESLINT autocompliance stays on, and I prefer ‘type’ over ‘interface’ for cleaner code. Frontend hooks live separately, and all API calls go through a single service file (api.ts) instead of direct Axios calls.
• Environment Setup: Linux is my foundation—it handles dependencies better and plays nicely with terminal commands. Migrations and other tasks just fly compared to Windows.

Key Actionable Tips for Your AI Coding Journey

Want to try this yourself? Here’s what I recommend:

• Begin with 3-5 core cursor rules. Add more as you notice patterns. This keeps things simple and effective.
• Use @search to avoid digging through docs manually. It saves hours of research time.
• At the end of each session, ask your AI for a checklist of what you’ve done. This gives you a ready-made test plan to check your work.
• For databases, use read-only modes or set up separate dev environments. This reduces risk without losing functionality.

Since using these strategies, I don’t worry about request limits anymore. I’m getting way more done, too. Cursor IDE has become a key part of my daily work—it helps me code faster and with more confidence. Try these tips yourself and see how much time you can save!