What Is the Cursor Visual Editor?
The Cursor Visual Editor is a new type of functionality in Cursor 2.2, which integrates the visual design of the web with AI-assisted codewriting into one, easy-to-use workflow. Instead of using textual prompts and traditional code editing, the Visual Editor allows the developer to work with rendered interfaces and operate as a drag-and-drop experience and uses effectively the powerful AI agents of Cursor to convert these visual changes into usable code.
It is a major step forward in the modern practice of front-end development, minimizing the context switching, simplifying the loop of user interface inception and design and engineering in novel ways.
Video Credit: Cursor
The Rise of Cursor and Cursor 2.2
Cursor, an AI-powered code editor built around “vibe coding,” has rapidly gained traction among developers aiming to accelerate software creation with natural-language interaction, multi-agent workflows, and AI assistance. The release of Cursor 2 in October 2025 expanded the platform with robust agent orchestration, an integrated browser environment, and a frontier AI model (“Composer”) optimized for swift, context-aware edits across large codebases.
With Cursor 2.2, released in December 2025, the company enhanced the tool further — introducing Debug Mode, Plan Mode improvements, Multi-Agent Judging, and most notably, the Visual Editor for Cursor Browser.
Why the Visual Editor Matters
Bridging Design and Code in One Workspace
Traditionally, web development involved toggling between design tools (like Figma), browser dev tools, and code editors. Cursor’s Visual Editor eliminates most of that friction by embedding design interaction directly within the editor:
- Drag-and-Drop UI Manipulation: Rearrange visual elements (like buttons, grids, and sections) directly on a live web app canvas.
- Component Inspection: Click any element to view its properties and React props in a sidebar, making it easy to tweak behavior visually.
- Point-and-Prompt Interaction: Developers can click on an element and describe changes in plain language, such as “make this button larger and blue,” and Cursor’s agent applies those changes to the underlying code.
- Live Property Controls: Fine-tune styles using sliders, color pickers, layout tools, and design tokens right within the visual interface.
This approach blends the strengths of visual editors with the precision of code, creating a more natural development experience.
Cursor 2.2: What’s New Beyond Visual Editing
While the Visual Editor is the headline feature, Cursor 2.2 brings several other enhancements that improve developer productivity and collaboration:
1. Debug Mode
Debug Mode helps identify and resolve tricky bugs by auto-instrumenting code with runtime logs, allowing AI agents to analyze execution flows and pinpoint root causes — all without manual log insertion.
2. Plan Mode Improvements
Developers can now include inline Mermaid diagrams in their agent plans, making it easier to visualize flows and processes. This adds clarity to complex tasks and supports sending specific plan items to new agents.
3. Multi-Agent Judging
When multiple AI agents produce solutions in parallel, Cursor can now automatically evaluate and select the best recommendation with a justification, streamlining decision-making.
4. Pinned Chats
Frequently used agent discussions can be pinned in the sidebar for quick reference — improving the organization of conversational context over time.
These improvements build on Cursor’s existing capabilities for agent orchestration, planning, and testing that were introduced earlier in Cursor 2.
How the Visual Editor Works: Step-by-Step
Open Your Web App in Cursor Browser
Cursor’s built-in browser environment renders your app within the editor. When the Visual Editor is activated, it overlays interactive design tools directly onto that rendered interface.
Rearrange Elements Visually
Users can manipulate elements visually with drag-and-drop, moving sections and components across the DOM tree. Tests of layout variants and structure changes happen instantly within the editor.
Inspect Component Properties
The sidebar surfaces properties and state variants — particularly useful in React projects. Developers can toggle states and see variants in real time without touching code manually.
Apply Natural Language Prompts
With Point-and-Prompt, clicking on any element and issuing commands like “make this section wider” or “change this title’s font” triggers Cursor’s AI to adjust code accordingly. Changes are reflected immediately, maintaining sync between visual edits and underlying code.
Code Integration
After visual changes, Cursor translates them into precise code edits — automatically updating styles, component props, layout definitions, and more. This closes the loop between design intent and implementation.
Benefits of the Cursor Visual Editor
Faster UI Iteration
By reducing the need to switch tools when making style or layout changes, teams can iterate faster and respond to feedback immediately.
Lower Barrier for Design-Heavy Tasks
Developers who are less confident in CSS or design tools can make visual adjustments directly and let Cursor handle the code translation.
Precision with AI Assistance
Unlike some visual tools that generate static code, Cursor ensures changes map to production-ready code using an AI agent — reducing manual cleanup and bridging design/code gaps.
Better Collaboration Between Designers and Developers
Designers and engineers can work in the same environment, speak the same language (visual intent), and share changes without handoffs — improving efficiency and alignment.
Real-World Example: Building a Dashboard Component
Imagine a scenario common in modern web apps — creating a responsive dashboard card. With traditional tools:
- A designer mocks the card in a design app like Figma.
- A developer translates the mockup into JSX, CSS, and interactive behavior.
- Multiple rounds of back-and-forth iteration occur to refine spacing, typography, and responsiveness.
With the Cursor Visual Editor:
- Developers load the dashboard component in the Cursor Browser.
- Using drag-and-drop and property controls, they adjust layout, spacing, and colors visually.
- Through the chat sidebar, they issue natural language commands like “increase padding and align items center.”
- Cursor’s agent updates the code behind the scenes, and the developer reviews changes in real time.
This significantly reduces turnaround time, improves accuracy, and keeps design intent tightly coupled with implementation.
Cursor 2.2: A Milestone in Vibe Coding Evolution
The introduction of the Visual Editor for Cursor Browser in Cursor 2.2 represents a meaningful evolution of vibe coding — shifting the paradigm from purely text-based natural language coding to an interactive, visually empowered experience. By embracing point-and-click interfaces and live design controls, Cursor is pushing toward a future where developers and designers can focus on intent rather than the mechanics of code.
Cursor’s approach aligns with broader industry trends emphasizing visual programming, multimodal AI interfaces, and removing barriers between design and implementation. As development teams increasingly adopt AI-assisted workflows, tools like Cursor’s Visual Editor help unify creative and technical tasks.
Conclusion
Cursor Visual Editor, which was launched with Cursor 2.2, is a major innovation in AI-assisted web development, combining the visual design and the code into one continuous and smooth experience. As it provides drag-and-drop interfaces, component inspection, real-time style manipulation and natural language prompts, the developers have become more able to design in natural language and see the changes reflected in actual code immediately.
Cursor is building a future where a merging of code, design and interaction converge and therefore creating a faster iterative cycle, more understandable communication and expressive development processes than ever before by minimizing friction, improving collaboration, and leveraging the power of AI agents.
FAQs
What is the Cursor Visual Editor?
The Cursor Visual Editor is an interactive design tool within Cursor 2.2 that allows developers to visually manipulate web interfaces (drag-and-drop, adjust styles, test component states) while Cursor’s AI updates the underlying code automatically.
Is the Visual Editor part of Cursor 2.2?
Yes. The Visual Editor is included as a core feature of the Cursor 2.2 update, alongside other workflow enhancements like Debug Mode and Multi-Agent Judging.
How does the Visual Editor improve front-end development?
It reduces context switching between design tools and code, lets developers work visually and with natural language, and seamlessly integrates design adjustments into production code.
Do I need coding experience to use the Visual Editor?
Basic knowledge helps, but the tool lowers barriers by letting users interact visually and use natural language; advanced coding expertise is not required for many UI tasks.
Does Cursor replace tools like Figma or Webflow?
Cursor’s Visual Editor complements design tools by integrating design capabilities directly into the development environment. It’s not a full replacement for specialized design software but can reduce reliance on handoffs between design and code.