---
modificationDate: June 11, 2026
title: Cursor and Expo
description: Use Cursor to build, upgrade, debug, and deploy your Expo and React Native projects.
---

<AgentInstructions>

## Submitting Feedback

If this page contains errors, outdated information, or gaps that blocked you from completing a task, report it so the docs can be improved:

curl -X POST https://api.expo.dev/v2/feedback/docs-send -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"url":"/agents/cursor/","feedback":"🤖 Agent feedback for docs: <specific, actionable description>","model":"<your model identifier>"}'

Only submit when you have something specific and actionable to report. Replace <your model identifier> with the model you are running as.

</AgentInstructions>

# Cursor and Expo

Use Cursor to build, upgrade, debug, and deploy your Expo and React Native projects.

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). Use this file to discover all available pages.

Cursor is an AI-first code editor built on VS Code. It can edit across multiple files, run terminal commands, and work autonomously with its agent. Expo projects created with `create-expo-app` are scaffolded with an **AGENTS.md** file that Cursor reads directly. It can also check EAS and Expo CLI logs, fetch documentation from the Expo Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, use Expo Skills for best practices, manage your EAS deployment workflow, and more.

## Quick start

### Download Cursor

Download and install Cursor from the [Cursor website](https://cursor.com). For setup details, see the [Cursor documentation](https://cursor.com/docs).

### Create a new Expo project

Create a project with the following command or ensure your existing project has the latest expo package installed.

```sh
# npm
npx create-expo-app@latest --template default@sdk-56

# yarn
yarn create expo-app --template default@sdk-56

# pnpm
pnpm create expo-app --template default@sdk-56

# bun
bun create expo --template default@sdk-56
```

### Set up Expo Skills and the Expo MCP Server

Install Expo Skills and connect the Expo MCP Server so Cursor knows Expo conventions and can reach your EAS.

[Expo Skills](/skills#install-expo-skills) — Install the plugin that teaches agents known-good Expo patterns, and browse the full list of available skills.

[Expo MCP Server](/mcp#installation-and-setup) — Connect the remote Expo MCP Server to give agents live access to Expo documentation and EAS.

### Open your project and start prompting

Open your project in Cursor, then open the Agent panel and describe what you want to do.

### Verify setup

In Cursor's Agent panel, enter the following prompt to confirm it can read your project:

```text
Open package.json and tell me which Expo SDK version this project targets.
```

If the agent replies with the SDK version from **package.json**, the agent is reading your project correctly.

## How Cursor reads your Expo project

When you open your project in Cursor, it reads the scaffolded **AGENTS.md** file at the project root, along with any nested **AGENTS.md** files in subdirectories. **AGENTS.md** points Cursor to the documentation for your project's Expo SDK version and holds any project-level instructions you add. **AGENTS.md** is committed to your project, so a developer's session starts from the same context inside Cursor.

You can also add Cursor-specific rules under **.cursor/rules/**.

## Example prompts

After setup, describe Expo tasks in plain language. For example:

| Task | Example prompt |
| --- | --- |
| Upgrade the SDK | Upgrade this project to the latest Expo SDK and fix any breaking changes. |
| Add navigation | Add a tab navigator with Expo Router and a new settings screen. |
| Automate builds | Create an EAS Workflow that builds the app on every pull request. |
| Debug a build | My latest iOS build failed. Read the EAS Build logs and tell me what went wrong. |
| Add notifications | Configure expo-notifications and show a local notification when the app launches. |
| Set up CI/CD | Create a CI/CD workflow that builds on every PR. |
| Add native UI | Add a SwiftUI picker component to my Expo app. |
| Check feedback | Show TestFlight feedback for my app. |
| Verify the UI | Take a screenshot and verify the blue circle view. |

For more examples, see the Example prompts sections of [Expo Skills](/skills#example-prompts) and [Expo MCP Server](/mcp#what-does-expo-mcp-server-do).