# Cursor Guardrails That Block Repeated Mistakes

3 min read · Designed for Cursor, works across all MCP agents

TL;DR: Cursor moves fast, which makes repeated mistakes expensive. ThumbGate gives Cursor users a feedback loop that turns thumbs-down corrections into pre-action checks before the next risky step fires.

## The Cursor workflow problem

Cursor can move from idea to edits quickly, but the failure mode is familiar: the same wrong refactor, risky shell command, or skipped check comes back in the next session because nothing hardened the workflow.

Sound familiar? You correct the agent. It apologizes. Next session, same mistake. The problem is not the agent's memory. The problem is that nothing enforces what was learned.

## How ThumbGate fits into Cursor

- Capture thumbs-up/down feedback on agent behavior.
- Promote repeated failures into prevention rules.
- Block known-bad commands with pre-action checks before execution.
- Keep the memory and gates local-first so the operator retains control.

## Install for Cursor

    npx thumbgate init --agent cursor

Auto-detects Cursor and configures the PreToolUse hook. No build step, no cloud account.

## What makes this different from a rule file

Static rules help on day one. ThumbGate helps on day two and day twenty because it keeps learning from live corrections instead of relying on a fixed checklist that drifts out of date.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Do I need to leave Cursor to use ThumbGate?

No. ThumbGate is designed to sit alongside existing coding-agent workflows so you can add enforcement without switching tools.

### What kind of mistakes can Cursor guardrails stop?

Repeated failures like risky git actions, destructive scripts, skipped verification, or any other known-bad pattern you have already corrected once.

### How is ThumbGate different from a Cursor rules file?

Static rules help on day one. ThumbGate helps on day two and day twenty because it keeps learning from live corrections instead of relying on a fixed checklist that drifts out of date.

### Does ThumbGate slow down Cursor?

No. The PreToolUse hook adds a sub-millisecond pattern check before each tool call. You keep Cursor's speed while gaining enforcement.

## Pro for operators, Team for governance

Start free with local gates. Pro is $19/mo or $149/yr for the personal dashboard and exports. Team rollout anchors at $49/seat/mo when shared lessons and org visibility matter.

$ npx thumbgate init --agent cursor

See Pro and Team pricing →

### Related

Stop Repeated AI Agent Mistakes → What Are Pre-Action Checks? → ThumbGate vs SpecLock → GitHub →
Try it now: `npx thumbgate init --agent cursor` GitHub →