In Cursor terminal:

npm init -y
npm install express

Then ask Cursor:

"Set up basic Express server with proper structure"

Cursor creates:

• server.js
• routes/
• controllers/
• config/

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Tell Cursor what you're building:

"Create a Task API with these fields:
- id (auto-generated)
- title (string)
- description (string)
- completed (boolean)
- createdAt (date)"

Cursor generates database schema.

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Ask Cursor:

"Create REST endpoints for Tasks:
- GET /api/tasks (get all)
- GET /api/tasks/:id (get one)
- POST /api/tasks (create)
- PUT /api/tasks/:id (update)
- DELETE /api/tasks/:id (delete)"

Cursor writes:

• Routes
• Controllers
• Validation
• Error handling

All the boilerplate done.

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Tell Cursor:

"Connect this API to PostgreSQL using Prisma"

or

"Connect to MongoDB using Mongoose"

Cursor:

• Installs packages
• Sets up connection
• Creates schemas
• Handles migrations

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Use Cursor to help:

"Create test requests for all endpoints using curl"

Cursor generates test commands. Copy and run.

Or:

"Create a simple test file for these endpoints"

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Ask Cursor:

"Add proper error handling and validation to all endpoints"

Cursor adds:

• Try-catch blocks
• Input validation
• Error responses
• HTTP status codes

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"Add JWT authentication to protect these endpoints"

Cursor implements:

• Login endpoint
• JWT generation
• Auth middleware
• Protected routes

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Add Pagination

"Add pagination to the GET all endpoint with page and limit params"

Add Filtering

"Add filtering by completed status and search by title"

Add Rate Limiting

"Add rate limiting to prevent API abuse"

Add CORS

"Set up CORS to allow requests from localhost:3000"

Cursor handles all of these.

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Ask Cursor:

"Prepare this API for deployment on Railway"

Cursor:

• Adds environment config
• Creates Procfile
• Sets up production settings

Then deploy to Railway/Render/Fly.

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"Create a complete REST API for a blog with:
- Posts (title, content, author, createdAt)
- CRUD endpoints
- PostgreSQL database with Prisma
- JWT authentication
- Error handling
- Input validation

Use Express and TypeScript."

Cursor builds the whole thing. You review and adjust.

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Without Cursor: 1-2 days for basic API

With Cursor: 2-4 hours

ROI is massive.

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1. Be Specific
Detail exactly what endpoints you need.

2. Build Incrementally
Start with basic CRUD. Add features after.

3. Test As You Go
Test each endpoint before moving on.

4. Let Cursor Handle Boilerplate
Error handling, validation, structure - all boilerplate.

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Database Connection Errors

Ask Cursor:

"Fix this database connection error: [paste error]"

Validation Not Working

"Add stronger validation to the POST endpoint"

Auth Issues

"Debug why JWT auth is not working"

Cursor debugs faster than Stack Overflow.

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First API: Follow this guide step-by-step.

Second API: Give Cursor the full spec upfront.

Production API: Review Cursor's code carefully. Add tests.

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Get started:

• Cursor - Build APIs fast

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More API guides:

• API Development
• Backend Development

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Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links.