Cursor Can Now Build and Deploy Web Apps From Prompts: What’s Included?

Cursor's newly launched Build Live Apps feature enables users to create, host, and deploy web applications by simply describing their requirements to an AI agent. This tool handles several key aspects such as setting up databases, configuring authentication, and managing hosting services, all without requiring the user to set up each service separately.

Initially announced on November 5, the feature is currently available to users on paid Cursor plans that support cloud agents. Consequently, individual users must opt for at least the $30-per-month Premium plan, as opposed to the more affordable $8 Plus subscription.

Designed for both developers and employees creating internal tools, Build Live Apps caters to various application types, such as sales dashboards, registration systems, onboarding portals, and other web-based tools that teams can share via a web link. The process commences when a user opens a cloud agent in Cursor and describes the desired application. Subsequently, the agent manages most of the setup procedure, which would typically necessitate working with several distinct services.

Should an application require integration with an external system, such as a company's data warehouse, Cursor requests the necessary credentials during setup. Users can initiate their application from an existing project on GitHub or Cursor Origin, or create a new one from a repository. However, unlike many AI coding assistants which focus primarily on code generation or editing, Build Live Apps also handles the deployment process.

Users must explicitly request deployment, and Cursor conducts security checks before the application becomes accessible.

Two types of checks are performed before an application is published: deterministic checks that verify defined errors, and AI-based reviews designed to identify additional issues. These security measures include detecting embedded secrets in application files and exposed credentials. If a check fails, the agent identifies the issue and prompts the user to rectify it. Importantly, applications are not published automatically once the code is generated.

Administrators are provided with various controls to monitor employee-created applications, although these do not replace comprehensive security reviews. For instance, while Cursor checks for potential flaws, such as an authorized user accessing another user's records, organizations should still conduct thorough testing with accounts possessing different permissions before sharing the app more broadly.

Furthermore, users have the option to override a failed security check, necessitating clear guidelines regarding who can approve such exceptions.

Upon successful completion of security checks and publication, Cursor provides a live link to access the application. Team plans allow applications to be shared with specific individuals, groups, or the entire team, with access controlled through Cursor's sign-in system. Individual subscribers can also make their applications publicly accessible.

Cursor's offering complements AI coding platforms that are increasingly managing multiple coding agents. Once an application passes security checks and the user publishes it, Cursor offers a live link. For team plans, applications can be shared with specific individuals, groups, or the entire team, with access controlled through Cursor's sign-in system.

Individual subscribers can also make their applications publicly accessible. Cursor supports API-key access for scripts and Grok Bot, enabling software to interact with a published application without manual interaction.

Before sharing an application, users should ensure appropriate access controls are in place, confirming who can open it, what information it exposes, and whether external connections have the necessary permissions. Team administrators should also review which employees are permitted to publish apps and whether the organization's existing approval process covers AI-generated tools.

Build Live Apps is included within paid Cursor plans that enable cloud agents but does not come under a separate subscription plan. Its pricing details are not explicitly disclosed. Additionally, Cursor operates on a shared AI usage allowance that resets weekly, and third-party AI models may incur additional usage charges. The company has not published a separate pricing schedule for the databases and hosting provisions included in Build Live Apps.

Users should exercise caution when deploying applications with significant data requirements, as Cursor has not yet published information on data residency, retention policies, or ownership changes when creators leave a team. For now, Build Live Apps provides a streamlined path from idea to a functional web application, particularly useful for internal tools and prototypes.

However, organizations handling sensitive information should start with limited pilots, rigorously test access permissions, and confirm hosting and data-handling requirements before scaling up to production workloads.