Cursor Intermediate: Git, Tools & Knowledge Files: The Safety System That Stops You Losing Work — Git, MCP Setup, and cursor rules for Non-Coder Builders (AI Field Guide Book 29)

You've built something real in Cursor. Now make sure you can't lose it.Most non-coders who get comfortable in Cursor hit the same two walls: a session goes wrong and there's no way back, and every new conversation requires re-explaining the whole project from scratch. Neither of these is a Cursor problem. Both are setup problems — and both have direct solutions.This guide installs those solutions. Git version control through GitHub Desktop (no terminal required), a .cursorrules file that gives Cursor permanent memory of your project, and the MCP tool connections that extend what Cursor can reach. One 60-minute setup session. Permanent protection after that.What you'll learn:The git save-point system — how to commit your work in GitHub Desktop so every session starts from a known-safe state you can return to in two clicksThe 10-minute recovery drill — break something on purpose and get back, so you know exactly what to do when it countsHow to write a .cursor rules file that carries your project context across every session — so you stop re-explaining what you're building and whyKnowledge files — what they are, how to structure them, and the specific types that produce the largest improvement in Cursor's output qualityTool and MCP connections that matter at this level — and which ones to skip until you need themA complete intermediate workflow: adding a new feature to a working project safely, from first commit to merge or deleteThe eight mistakes that trip up intermediate Cursor users, with specific fixes for eachWhat Background Agents can and cannot do unsupervised — including where billing surprises come fromWho this is for: Non-coders and builders who have completed the beginner Cursor guide, have built something real with Cursor, and want to work without the anxiety of a session going wrong and losing everything. If you've already hit that moment of panic — this is the guide that prevents the next one.What makes this different: Most intermediate Cursor content assumes you already know what git is. This guide does not. It starts from the mental model (commits are save points, like a video game), installs the system step by step through GitHub Desktop, and proves it works with a drill you run yourself. The .cursorrules chapter is the other half — most experienced Cursor users haven't set one up, and it's the single highest-leverage change at this level.Get the guide. Run the recovery drill. Work with confidence.Part of the AI Field Guide Cursor Series — practical guides for non-coders building real things with AI-assisted development. Read more