Install & sign in

LaunchWithCursor lives in two places that work together: VS Code or Cursor on your machine, and the LaunchWithCursor dashboard in your browser. The extension is the bridge — it connects your project folder, copies the starter pack into your repo, and keeps the platform in sync with what you are building.

Why the extension includes everything

The .vsix file you download is not just a plugin. It bundles the setup guide and skills pack — the same instructions your AI coding assistant reads from your project. You never hunt for a separate skills download or wonder if your docs are out of date.

Why this matters: Founders often piece together a VS Code extension from the Marketplace, a Notion doc for prompts, and a deploy checklist in Google Docs. LaunchWithCursor ships editor + dashboard + starter pack in one install so your assistant and your platform always agree on the same playbook.

Step 1 — Install your editor and open your project folder

1. Install VS Code 1.85 or newer or Cursor — both work with the LaunchWithCursor extension.
   • VS Code: code.visualstudio.com
   • Cursor: cursor.com
2. In the editor, choose File → Open Folder (not “Open File”) and select your project’s root folder — the directory that will contain your app code and, soon, .launchwithcursor/.
3. Keep one workspace folder open per window. The extension syncs with the folder you have open; switching folders without signing in again can cause confusing sync errors.

Why this matters: Opening a folder (not a single file) tells the extension where to write the starter pack and where to report project status back to the dashboard.

Step 2 — Install the LaunchWithCursor extension

Download the latest .vsix using the button below. The file includes the current setup guide and skills pack — no separate download.

After you download, two install options appear below the download box: install from the Command Palette (easiest) or install from Terminal if you prefer the command line.

Step 3 — Sign in and connect your workspace

1. Confirm you are signed into the LaunchWithCursor dashboard in your browser (same account you use for projects and deploy).
2. In VS Code or Cursor, open the Command Palette: Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows / Linux).
3. Run LaunchWithCursor: Sign In.
4. A browser tab opens — approve the connection. When you see “Connection approved,” return to the editor; sign-in completes automatically.

On first open of a connected folder, the extension writes:

• .launchwithcursor/pack/LAUNCHWITHCURSOR/ — setup guide, skills, and deploy docs your AI assistant should follow
• AGENTS.md at the repo root — a short pointer so Cursor and other agents know where the pack lives

Commit both to Git. They are part of your project, not personal cache. (Keep .launchwithcursor/cache/ in .gitignore, but do commit the pack/ folder and root AGENTS.md.)

Why this matters: When your coding assistant reads files from the repo, it gets the same deploy rules and build phases the platform expects — without you copying pages from the website.

Step 4 — Confirm sync with the dashboard

1. Command Palette → LaunchWithCursor: Run Full Scan.
2. Open your project on the LaunchWithCursor dashboard — it should appear with an up-to-date sync status. The scan also picks up USER-STORY.md, MVP-SPEC.md, and docs/plans/ when they exist in your repo.
3. Check the LaunchWithCursor output panel (View → Output → LaunchWithCursor). A successful sync ends with Synced full snapshot …. The status bar shows synced just now when it worked.

After your first git push (or if you add a GitHub remote late), run Run Full Scan again so the extension can link your folder to the dashboard project by repo URL. If the dashboard still looks empty, reload the editor window (Developer: Reload Window) and run Run Full Scan once more.

If the project does not show up, check that you opened the correct folder, finished sign-in, and are on the same account in the browser.

Living product docs: Draft user story, MVP spec, and build plans with ChatGPT or your AI assistant (use Agent mode when creating plan files). Commit them in Git and keep them updated when scope changes — the platform reflects your repo after each scan or GitHub push.

What you get vs piecing tools together

When you are ready to ship, read Git & GitHub and Environment variables, then continue to Deploy & hosting. To stay current after we ship updates, see Keeping up to date.