Cursor Rules vs Skills
Compare Cursor rules and skills, and understand when users should go to the Cursor platform page versus a workflow guide.
Mar 8, 2026
Cursor Rules vs Skills
Cursor now supports skills directly, so Cursor skills is the main place to browse them. This guide focuses on a different question: when a reusable workflow belongs in a skill and when it should stay in rules.
The distinction
- Rules shape environment-level behavior and persistent operating constraints.
- Skills package reusable workflows for tasks that can be triggered across projects.
The closer the problem is to “how should the agent behave everywhere,” the more likely it belongs in rules. The closer it is to “how should the agent perform this repeatable task,” the more likely it belongs in a skill.