# What to Do When Cursor Leaves Code Unfinished

- Tool: Cursor
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Time required: 10-15 min
- Compatibility: Cursor Free+, any language
- Last updated: March 2026

## TL;DR

When Cursor stalls mid-generation during an API integration, the fastest recovery is to identify the cut-off point, reduce the prompt scope, and continue from exactly where it stopped. Use Cmd+K for smaller completions, break large integrations into sequential Chat turns, and reference specific incomplete functions with @file. Most stalls are caused by over-large prompts or context window saturation — both are fixable.

## What to do when Cursor stalls in the middle of an API integration

Cursor stalls mid-generation when a prompt is too large for the model's output window, when the context is saturated with too many @file references, or when the network connection drops briefly. During API integrations this is especially frustrating because the generated code may have a partial fetch call, an unfinished error handler, or a typed interface that references a type defined on the next line that never arrived. This tutorial gives you a systematic recovery workflow so that stalls cost minutes rather than hours.

## Before you start

- Cursor installed (Free plan or above)
- An API integration in progress (REST or GraphQL, any language)
- Basic familiarity with Cursor Chat (Cmd+L) and Cmd+K

## Step-by-step guide

### 1. Identify the cut-off point in the generated code

Before re-prompting, scan the generated code to find exactly where Cursor stopped. Common cut-off signs: an unclosed function body, a comment that starts a section but has no code below it, an import statement with no matching usage, or a TODO placeholder where an implementation should be. Note the function name and the last line of valid code. This information goes into your recovery prompt.

```
// Example of a typical mid-stall output:

async function fetchUserOrders(userId: string): Promise<Order[]> {
  try {
    const response = await fetch(`${API_BASE}/users/${userId}/orders`, {
      headers: {
        Authorization: `Bearer ${getAuthToken()}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      },
    });
    // <-- Cursor stopped here. Error handling, JSON parsing, and return are missing.
  }
}
```

> Pro tip: Look for syntax errors that TypeScript catches immediately — unclosed brackets, missing return types, or references to variables that were never declared. These mark the exact stall boundary.

**Expected result:** You have identified the function name (fetchUserOrders) and the last valid line (the headers object), ready for your recovery prompt.

### 2. Use Cmd+K to complete the specific incomplete function

Select only the incomplete function — from its opening declaration to the cut-off line — and press Cmd+K. Give a targeted instruction that references what is missing. Cmd+K works on a small selection rather than the whole file, so it avoids re-triggering the conditions that caused the original stall. Do not ask it to regenerate the entire integration — only the missing piece.

```
Complete this function body.
The try block needs:
1. A check for response.ok — if false, throw new ApiError(response.status, await response.text())
2. Parse the JSON response as Order[]
3. Return the parsed array
The catch block needs:
- Re-throw ApiError instances unchanged
- Wrap other errors in new ApiError(500, error.message)
Add the ApiError class import at the top of the file if it does not exist.
```

> Pro tip: Use Cmd+K on a selection of 10-30 lines maximum. For larger completions, Chat is more reliable. The smaller the selection, the faster and more accurate the completion.

**Expected result:** The fetchUserOrders function is completed with error handling, JSON parsing, and a typed return. The ApiError import is added if needed.

### 3. Break the integration into sequential Chat turns

If Cmd+K stalls again on a complex function, switch to Cursor Chat (Cmd+L) and break the integration into a sequence of smaller requests. Structure the session as: first turn generates types and interfaces, second turn generates the API client class, third turn adds error handling, fourth turn adds retry logic. Each turn is small enough to complete in one pass. Reference the previous output with @file to maintain continuity.

```
# Turn 1 — types only
Generate TypeScript interfaces for the Stripe API integration at src/types/stripe.ts.
Only types — no functions. Include: StripeCustomer, StripeSubscription, StripeInvoice, StripeError.

# Turn 2 — client class
Using @file src/types/stripe.ts, generate the StripeClient class at src/services/stripe-client.ts.
Only include: constructor (takes apiKey: string), fetchCustomer(id: string), and listSubscriptions(customerId: string).
Do NOT include error handling yet — just the happy path.

# Turn 3 — error handling
Using @file src/services/stripe-client.ts, add try/catch error handling to each method.
Map Stripe API error responses (status 402, 422, 429) to typed StripeError objects.
```

> Pro tip: Starting a fresh Chat session (Cmd+N) for each turn avoids context window saturation from previous conversation history. Reference the previous file with @file instead of scrolling back through the conversation.

**Expected result:** Each turn completes without stalling. The full integration is built incrementally across three clean Chat sessions.

### 4. Reduce context to prevent future stalls

Stalls often recur because the prompt includes too many @file references or the .cursorrules file is very long. Audit your context load: more than 4-5 @file references in one prompt is usually too much. For complex integrations, create a dedicated api-integration.md scratch file with just the relevant types and endpoint list, then reference that single file instead of the whole codebase.

```
# api-integration-context.md
# Include this with @file when working on the payment integration

## Stripe API endpoints used
- GET /v1/customers/{id}
- GET /v1/customers/{id}/subscriptions
- POST /v1/payment_intents
- POST /v1/subscriptions

## Shared types (already defined in src/types/stripe.ts)
- StripeCustomer, StripeSubscription, StripeInvoice, StripeError

## Error codes to handle
- 402: payment required
- 422: validation failed (parse error body)
- 429: rate limited (retry after header)
- 500: Stripe internal (retry up to 3 times)
```

> Pro tip: A focused context file is faster and more reliable than @codebase for large integrations. @codebase does a semantic search — a dedicated context file gives Cursor exactly what it needs with no noise.

**Expected result:** Future prompts using @file api-integration-context.md complete without stalling because the context is compact and relevant.

### 5. Add a .cursorrules rule to prevent large monolithic integration prompts

Add a generation style rule to .cursorrules that encourages incremental building. This does not prevent all stalls but signals to Cursor — and to yourself — to keep integration prompts focused. Pair it with a rule about always generating TypeScript types before implementation to ensure the type foundation is solid before function generation begins.

```
# .cursorrules

## API Integration Style
- When generating API client code, always create types/interfaces first, then the client class, then error handling.
- Generate one class or module per prompt — do not generate a full integration in a single request.
- All API responses must be typed. NEVER use 'any' for API response shapes.
- All fetch calls must include a response.ok check and throw a typed error if false.
- Use AbortController for fetch calls that may time out. Pass signal to fetch options.
- Retry logic must be extracted into a separate retryWithBackoff utility function, not inlined.
```

**Expected result:** Cursor generates API integration code incrementally, reducing the likelihood of stalls and producing more maintainable output.

## Complete code example

File: `src/services/api-client.ts`

```typescript
// Complete typed API client — built incrementally with Cursor

export class ApiError extends Error {
  constructor(
    public readonly status: number,
    message: string
  ) {
    super(message);
    this.name = 'ApiError';
  }
}

async function retryWithBackoff<T>(
  fn: () => Promise<T>,
  retries = 3,
  delayMs = 500
): Promise<T> {
  try {
    return await fn();
  } catch (err) {
    if (retries === 0 || !(err instanceof ApiError) || err.status !== 429) {
      throw err;
    }
    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, delayMs));
    return retryWithBackoff(fn, retries - 1, delayMs * 2);
  }
}

export interface Order {
  id: string;
  userId: string;
  status: 'pending' | 'fulfilled' | 'cancelled';
  total: number;
  createdAt: string;
}

const API_BASE = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL ?? '';

function getAuthToken(): string {
  return localStorage.getItem('auth_token') ?? '';
}

export async function fetchUserOrders(userId: string): Promise<Order[]> {
  return retryWithBackoff(async () => {
    const controller = new AbortController();
    const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 10_000);

    try {
      const response = await fetch(`${API_BASE}/users/${userId}/orders`, {
        headers: {
          Authorization: `Bearer ${getAuthToken()}`,
          'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        },
        signal: controller.signal,
      });

      if (!response.ok) {
        throw new ApiError(response.status, await response.text());
      }

      return response.json() as Promise<Order[]>;
    } finally {
      clearTimeout(timeoutId);
    }
  });
}
```

## Common mistakes

- **Re-running the exact same large prompt that caused the stall** — If a prompt caused a stall once, it will likely stall again — the root cause is prompt size or context saturation, not a transient error. Fix: Break the prompt into two or three smaller prompts. Generate types first, then implementation, then error handling as separate Chat turns.
- **Asking Cursor to 'continue' in the same Chat thread after a stall** — The conversation history from the stalled generation adds to context window pressure, making the continuation more likely to stall again. Fix: Open a fresh Chat session (Cmd+N), reference the incomplete file with @file, and ask Cursor to complete the specific missing section.
- **Accepting partial code without checking for syntax errors first** — Partial generation often produces code that looks plausible but contains unclosed brackets, missing return statements, or references to undefined variables that only surface at runtime. Fix: Before accepting any partial completion, check the file for TypeScript errors in the Problems panel (Ctrl+Shift+M). Fix all errors before continuing.
- **Including too many @file references in an API integration prompt** — Each @file reference adds to the context window. Four or more large files can saturate the window before Cursor finishes generating. Fix: Create a focused context document (api-integration-context.md) with only the relevant types and endpoint list. Use one @file reference instead of four.

## Best practices

- Always generate TypeScript types and interfaces before implementation code — types are small and complete reliably, giving Cursor a solid foundation for the larger generation.
- Use Cmd+K for completions under 30 lines and Chat for larger sections — Cmd+K is faster and less likely to stall on small, focused completions.
- Start a fresh Chat session for each discrete part of an API integration instead of building everything in one long conversation thread.
- Create a compact api-integration-context.md file for complex integrations and reference it with @file instead of @codebase.
- Add a response.ok check and typed error throw to .cursorrules so every generated fetch call includes proper error handling by default.
- Use AbortController with a timeout for every fetch call — ask Cursor to include this pattern in all API client generation.
- After any stall recovery, run TypeScript type checking (tsc --noEmit) to verify the completed code is sound before continuing development.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I know if Cursor stalled because of prompt size or a network issue?

If Cursor stops generating and shows a spinner indefinitely, it is usually a network timeout — wait 30 seconds, then reload. If it stops generating and returns what it has so far without an error message, the output window limit was reached. Reducing prompt scope fixes the latter; a fresh attempt fixes the former.

### Can I prevent stalls by choosing a different model?

Smaller models (cursor-small, GPT-4o-mini) have smaller output windows and stall more often on large prompts. For complex API integrations, use Claude 3.5 Sonnet or GPT-4o in Chat. Switch models in the model selector at the top of the Chat panel.

### Should I use Composer instead of Chat for large API integrations?

Composer (Cmd+I) in Agent mode is ideal when the integration spans multiple files. It can create types, client, and tests in one session. However, Agent mode uses more context per operation, so breaking the Agent prompt into phases (types first, then implementation) still prevents stalls.

### What should I do if Cursor's partial code has already been accepted to the file?

Use Cmd+Z to undo the partial application, then use @file in a fresh Chat session to re-approach the generation with a smaller scope. Alternatively, use Cmd+K on the incomplete section to complete just the missing part without undoing.

### How do I ensure the completed code is safe to use in production?

Run tsc --noEmit to verify TypeScript is satisfied, run your test suite to check for regressions, and manually review any fetch calls for missing error handling or timeout logic. Cursor's recovery completions are generally sound but always warrant a quick review.

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Source: https://www.rapidevelopers.com/cursor-tutorial/how-to-handle-incomplete-suggestions-from-cursor-ai-if-it-stalls-mid-api-integration
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