• 7 min read • Namanyay Goel

How to Export Your Cursor Project Documentation

cursordocumentationhow-to

You built your app with Cursor but don't have clear documentation. Here's how to export what your project does, how it works, and how everything connects.

You've been building with Cursor for weeks. Maybe months. You have a working app with 10, 20, maybe 50 features.

But if someone asked you "how does your app actually work?" you'd struggle to explain it. If you needed to bring on help, you'd have no documentation to share. If you took a break and came back, you'd be lost in your own project.

All your knowledge is in your head—and scattered across weeks of Cursor chats.

Here's how to export proper documentation of what you actually built.

Why You Need This #

You need documentation when:

Bringing on help: Developer, designer, or VA needs to understand what exists.

Taking a break: Come back after a week and remember what you built.

Debugging issues: Figure out what broke by understanding what connects to what.

Planning new features: Know where new stuff should connect.

Preparing to launch: Write help docs, onboarding, etc.

Selling your project: Show potential buyers what they're getting.

Right now, all this information is locked in your head and buried in Cursor chat history. Let's get it out.

What You Need to Document #

Good project documentation covers:

1. Feature List #

What your app actually does.

  • User login
  • User profiles
  • Settings page
  • Dashboard
  • Payment processing
  • etc.

2. How Features Connect #

What depends on what.

  • Login system → user profiles
  • User profiles → settings page
  • Dashboard → shows data from multiple features

3. Database Structure #

What data you're storing.

  • Users table (email, password, profile_data)
  • Posts table (user_id, content, created_at)
  • Settings table (user_id, preferences)

4. File Organization #

Where everything lives.

  • /pages - all your pages
  • /components - reusable pieces
  • /lib - backend logic
  • /api - database connections

5. Important Patterns #

How you built things.

  • All authentication uses checkUser()
  • All database calls go through db.query()
  • All errors use showError() helper

6. Critical Files #

What shouldn't be changed without care.

  • auth.ts - breaks login if modified
  • database.ts - used everywhere
  • config.ts - settings for entire app

Method 1: Manual Export (Free, Takes Time) #

Step 1: Create Documentation File #

Create PROJECT-DOCS.md in your project root.

Step 2: Ask Cursor to Help #

Use Cursor to generate initial documentation:

Read through all files in this project and create documentation covering:

1. List of main features
2. How features connect to each other
3. Database tables and their structure
4. File organization
5. Important patterns I'm using
6. Critical files that other files depend on

Format it clearly for someone who has never seen this project.

Step 3: Review and Fix #

Cursor will generate something, but it might miss things or get confused. Go through and:

  • Add features Cursor missed
  • Correct wrong connections
  • Add context Cursor doesn't know
  • Explain why you built things certain ways

Step 4: Export Examples #

Ask Cursor for code examples:

For each main feature, show me a simple code example of how it works.
Keep examples short but clear.

Step 5: Keep It Updated #

After adding each new feature, update the docs:

I just added [feature name]. Update PROJECT-DOCS.md to include:
- What this feature does
- What it connects to
- What files it uses

Pros: Free, full control, you understand everything

Cons: Time-consuming, easy to forget updates, Cursor might miss things

Method 2: Use Giga (Automated, Always Current) #

Giga automatically generates and maintains project documentation.

📋 Auto-Generate Your Project Documentation

Giga scans your entire project and creates comprehensive documentation automatically. Always up-to-date, always accurate, exportable anytime.

Generate docs with Giga →

How it works:

  1. Scans everything: Reads all your files, understands what each does

  2. Builds documentation: Creates comprehensive docs showing:

    • Every feature you built
    • How everything connects
    • Database structure
    • File organization
    • Patterns you're using
    • Dependencies between features

  3. Keeps it current: Updates automatically as you build

  4. Exports anytime: Get documentation whenever you need it

Setup:

## Install Giga
npm install -g giga-cli
 
# Scan your project
giga init
 
# Export documentation
giga export docs

This creates a complete GIGA-DOCS.md file covering your entire project.

What you get:

# Project Overview
Built with: [Tech stack]
Main purpose: [What your app does]
Last updated: [Automatic]
 
## Features (12 total)
### User Authentication
- Location: /pages/login.tsx, /lib/auth.ts
- Connects to: User Profiles, Settings, Dashboard
- Database tables: users
- Status: Working
- Critical: Yes (don't modify without testing)
 
### User Profiles
- Location: /pages/profile.tsx, /components/ProfileCard.tsx
- Depends on: User Authentication, Database
- Connects to: Settings, Posts
...
[continues for all features]
 
## Database Structure
### users table
- email (string, unique)
- password (hashed)
- created_at (timestamp)
- profile_data (json)
Used by: Authentication, Profiles, Settings, Dashboard
 
## File Organization
/pages - All application pages
  /login.tsx - User authentication
  /profile.tsx - User profile page
...
 
## Critical Patterns
- Authentication: All auth checks use checkUserSession()
- Database: All queries use db.query() wrapper
- Errors: All error handling uses showError() helper
 
## Dependencies
- profile.tsx depends on auth.ts
- settings.tsx depends on auth.ts, database.ts
- dashboard.tsx depends on auth.ts, database.ts, posts.ts

Pros: Automatic, always current, comprehensive, exportable

Cons: Requires Giga subscription

Exporting for Different Purposes #

For Developers #

Include:

  • Technical architecture
  • Database schema with types
  • API endpoints
  • Code patterns and conventions
  • Setup instructions

For Yourself (Future Reference) #

Include:

  • High-level feature overview
  • What connects to what
  • Why you built things certain ways
  • Known issues or limitations
  • Future feature plans

For Non-Technical People #

Include:

  • What the app does (no code)
  • User flows
  • What each page does
  • How features work together
  • Screenshots or diagrams

For Potential Buyers #

Include:

  • Complete feature list
  • Tech stack
  • Database structure
  • User metrics (if any)
  • Growth potential

Keeping Documentation Updated #

Manual approach:

  • Update after each major feature
  • Review monthly
  • Version control it (commit to git)
  • Set reminders

Giga approach:

  • Updates automatically
  • No manual work needed
  • Always reflects current state
  • Export anytime you need it

Using Your Documentation #

Once you have documentation:

Share with Cursor: "Read PROJECT-DOCS.md before making any changes"

Share with team: Give developers a starting point

Plan new features: Understand where they should connect

Debug issues: Trace connections when something breaks

Write user docs: Know what features exist to document

Common Questions #

Should I document every function? #

No. Focus on main features, connections, and critical patterns. Too much detail makes documentation hard to maintain.

What if my project is messy? #

Document what exists, not what you wish existed. Honest documentation is useful documentation.

How detailed should it be? #

Detailed enough that:

  • You understand it after a month away
  • A developer could start contributing
  • You can explain your app to others

Can I use AI to generate this? #

Yes. Cursor, Claude, or ChatGPT can help generate initial docs. But you'll need to review and correct.

Should I document my code comments? #

No. Document the high-level structure. Comments are for explaining why specific code works that way.

What format should I use? #

Markdown (.md files) works great. Easy to read, version control, and share.

What to Do Right Now #

If you have 5+ features:

You have enough complexity to need documentation. Choose your approach:

Manual route: Spend 1-2 hours creating PROJECT-DOCS.md today

Automated route: Let Giga scan and document everything in 5 minutes

If you're planning to:

  • Bring on help
  • Take a break
  • Sell your project
  • Launch publicly

Do this before that happens. Future you will be incredibly grateful.

Why This Matters #

You built something real. Don't let that knowledge live only in your head.

Documentation isn't about being "professional" or "doing it right." It's about:

  • Not forgetting what you built
  • Being able to come back to your project
  • Sharing your work with others
  • Actually launching instead of being paralyzed

Export your project knowledge. Make it accessible. Keep building.

Auto-generate your documentation → Try Giga