Cursor·Fixpromptingbeginner

Cursor Generating Pages Router Instead of App Router

Quick Answer

Without .cursorrules specifying App Router, Cursor defaults to older Pages Router patterns from its training data. Start with "Add framework rules to .cursorrules" before making broader code changes.

You're in the right place if...

!Creates pages/ instead of app/ files
!Uses getServerSideProps instead of server components
!Generates _app.tsx

Why this happens

Without .cursorrules specifying App Router, Cursor defaults to older Pages Router patterns from its training data.

Fix

Add framework rules to .cursorrules

Add this to your .cursorrules file:

CRITICAL: This project uses Next.js 14 App Router ONLY.

Never generate:
- pages/ directory files
- getServerSideProps
- getStaticProps
- _app.tsx

Always generate:
- app/ directory files
- Server Components by default
- 'use client' only when needed

Prevent this next time

Always create .cursorrules with your Next.js version before starting any project in Cursor.