Cursor fits WordPress agencies because most work is bounded: theme templates, ACF fields, plugin hooks, and content models — not greenfield microservices.
Project rules first
Store non-negotiables in .cursor/rules/: no page builders, ACF patterns, enqueue conventions, GDPR/Complianz notes, and «never touch wp-config secrets.»
Composer for multi-file changes
Use Composer when a task spans PHP templates + CSS + seeder scripts. Keep the prompt scoped: «money page hero only» beats «redesign the site.»
Safe refactoring checklist
- Run on a git branch
- Ask for minimal diff
- PHP lint + visual check on mobile
- Deploy via existing script — not manual FTP of AI output
Common mistakes
- Letting the agent rename functions used across 20 templates
- Generating fake case studies or client logos
- Adding npm build chains to a CSS-in-git theme
Deep dive: Cursor guides