How to Make Cursor Remember Your Entire Project

Cursor was keeping track of everything perfectly. It knew your login system connected to your database. It remembered your user profiles talked to your settings page. Every suggestion made sense.

Now? Cursor suggests things that break existing features. It forgets you already built something and tries to rebuild it differently. It makes changes that don't match what you did last week.

You're not imagining this. Cursor really did forget.

Here's how to help Cursor remember your entire project—even as it grows to 10, 20, 50+ features.

Why Cursor Forgets #

When your project was small (3-5 features), Cursor could see everything at once. It knew how things connected. Suggestions made sense.

As your project grew:

• More files to track
• More connections between features
• More patterns Cursor needs to remember
• More context than Cursor can hold at once

Think of it like trying to remember a short grocery list versus remembering everyone's orders at a restaurant. The grocery list? Easy. Twenty different orders? You need to write it down.

Your project crossed from "grocery list" to "twenty orders" territory.

Signs Cursor Forgot Your Project #

You know Cursor forgot when:

Suggests rebuilding existing features: "Let's add user login!" when you already have login working.

Breaks working connections: Changes your homepage and accidentally breaks your settings page.

Ignores your patterns: You've been using one approach, Cursor suddenly suggests a completely different way.

Confused by your structure: Asks questions about things you explained three days ago.

Inconsistent suggestions: Day 1 suggests X. Day 3 suggests Y (which contradicts X).

If any of these sound familiar, Cursor needs help tracking your project.

Quick Fixes (That Don't Really Work) #

Before I show you what actually works, here are things people try:

❌ Restart Cursor: Helps temporarily, but Cursor forgets again within an hour.

❌ Explain everything in each prompt: Exhausting. You'll spend all day writing essays instead of building.

❌ Work on one feature at a time: Reduces damage per mistake, but doesn't help Cursor remember.

❌ Keep notes yourself: Good for you, but Cursor can't read your notes.

These are band-aids. They don't fix the core problem: Cursor needs a way to track your growing project.

What Actually Works #

The solution is giving Cursor a persistent memory of your project.

Not your memory. Not manual notes. A system that:

• Tracks what features exist
• Knows how they connect
• Updates automatically as you build
• Cursor can reference before making suggestions

Think of it like giving Cursor a map of your project that's always up-to-date.

How to Set This Up #

Option 1: Manual Documentation (Free, Time-Consuming) #

Create a file called PROJECT-MAP.md in your project root:

## Project Overview
 
## Main Features
- User Login (connects to: database, user profiles, settings)
- User Profiles (depends on: login system, database)
- Settings Page (requires: login, user profiles)
- Dashboard (shows: user stats, recent activity)
 
## Database Structure
- Users table (used by: login, profiles, settings)
- Activities table (used by: dashboard, history)
 
## Important Patterns
- All authentication checks use checkUserSession()
- Database calls always use db.query() wrapper
- Error messages follow format in errorMessages.ts
 
## Critical Files
- auth.ts - DO NOT change, breaks login
- database.ts - Core connection, used everywhere

Tell Cursor about it: In every chat, start with "Read PROJECT-MAP.md first, then..."

Keep it updated: Every time you add a feature, update the map.

Pros: Free, full control

Cons: Manual work, easy to forget to update, Cursor might still not check it consistently

Option 2: Use Giga (Automated, 5-Minute Setup) #

Giga automatically creates and maintains this map for you.

How it works:

1. Scans your project: Giga reads all your files and figures out what everything does

2. Builds the map: Creates documentation showing:

   • Every feature you built
   • How features connect
   • What depends on what
   • Patterns you're following

3. Updates automatically: As you build new features, Giga updates the map

4. Cursor reads it: Before making suggestions, Cursor checks the map

Setup process:

# Install Giga
npm install -g giga-cli
 
# Point it at your project
giga init
 
# That's it - now Cursor has memory

From this point on, Cursor:

• Remembers everything you built
• Knows how features connect
• Suggests changes that match your patterns
• Stops trying to rebuild existing features

Pros: Automatic, always current, Cursor actually uses it consistently

Cons: Costs money (but saves massive time)

What Changes After Setup #

Testing If It's Working #

After you set this up (either manually or with Giga), test it:

Test 1: Ask Cursor about existing features

"What login system do we have?"

If Cursor describes your actual login system → it's working.

Test 2: Ask for a change that could break things

"Update the user profile page styling"

If Cursor updates styling without touching database connections → it's working.

Test 3: Ask about connections

"What would break if I changed the database.ts file?"

If Cursor lists the specific features that depend on it → it's definitely working.

Maintaining Your Project Memory #

If using manual documentation:

• Update PROJECT-MAP.md after each major feature
• Review it weekly
• Include it in your version control (git)
• Remind Cursor to check it

If using Giga:

• It updates automatically
• No maintenance needed
• Works in the background
• Just keep building

Common Questions #

Will this slow down Cursor? #

No. Cursor actually gets faster because it makes fewer mistakes that need fixing.

Do I have to document everything? #

No. Focus on:

• Main features
• How they connect
• Critical files that shouldn't change
• Patterns you're following

What if I already built a lot? #

Both approaches work with existing projects. Manual: document what exists. Giga: scans everything automatically.

Can I use this with Claude Code too? #

Yes. The manual approach works with any AI tool. Giga works with Cursor, Claude Code, and most AI coding assistants.

How detailed should the documentation be? #

High-level is fine. You don't need every function—just major features and connections.

Will Cursor still make mistakes? #

Fewer mistakes. Much fewer. But AI isn't perfect. The difference is mistakes become rare instead of constant.

What to Do Right Now #

If your project has 5+ features:

Your project is complex enough to benefit from this. Choose your approach:

Free route: Create PROJECT-MAP.md today, update it after each feature

Automated route: Set up Giga in 5 minutes, let it handle everything

If your project has 2-3 features:

Start documenting now before it gets harder. Set up your system while it's still simple to map.

The Real Benefit #

This isn't just about Cursor making fewer mistakes.

It's about building confidently again.

Remember when you first started and Cursor just... worked? When every suggestion made sense? When you weren't scared to ask for changes?

This brings that back.

Give Cursor memory. Build confidently. Stop fixing preventable mistakes.

Help Cursor remember your project → Try Giga