Use Cursor's Ask Mode to ask questions without code edits

Melvin Vivas · X post · 2026-07-21 · Open on X

Topics: AI Dev Tools & Productivity, Prompt & Context Engineering · Level: beginner

Summary

Many developers end prompts to Claude or Codex with 'don't write any code, I'm just asking a question.' The creator points out that Cursor has a built-in Ask Mode for exactly this, and says Codex and Claude lack an equivalent mode.

Key points

• A common workaround is adding 'don't write any code, I'm just asking a question' to prompts for coding agents.
• Cursor's Ask Mode lets you ask questions about your codebase without the agent changing any code.
• According to the creator, Codex and Claude don't have a dedicated Ask Mode, so you have to state the constraint in your prompt there.
• Switch modes based on intent: Ask for exploring and understanding, Agent for making changes.

Resources mentioned

• Cursor · tool · x.com · free · recommended by both Bashiri Smith & Melvin Vivas
  AI-native code editor (VS Code with AI built in).
  Also in: GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash now in Cursor (Melvin Vivas on X · notes), Grok Bot Can Now Hand Off Coding Tasks to Cursor (Melvin Vivas on X · notes), Why Plan Mode Still Matters in AI Coding Assistants (Codex, Claude, Cursor) (Melvin Vivas on X · notes), Why Plan Mode Still Matters in AI Coding Agents (Codex, Claude, Cursor) (Melvin Vivas on X · notes) and 121 more
• OpenAI Codex · tool · openai.com · paid
  OpenAI's coding agent. In the diagram it writes code, fixes review findings and drives the build loop. The creator also used it to make this video.
  Also in: An agent bot that installs and drives Codex on its own (Melvin Vivas on X · notes), Asking a Coder bot to install Codex (Melvin Vivas on X · notes), Sign in with ChatGPT: Setting Usage Limits for Each App (Melvin Vivas on X · notes), Codex Cloud Environments Must Be Saved & Published Before Use (Melvin Vivas on X · notes) and 240 more
• Claude Opus 5.5 · tool · claude.ai · paid · open in a browser to verify · recommended by both Bashiri Smith & Melvin Vivas
  Anthropic's AI assistant, used throughout the guide to tailor resumes, add live roles to the tracker, match connections to target companies and find hiring managers.
  Also in: Generating a Repo Promo Video with a Claude Skill on Sonnet 5.5 vs Opus 5.5 (Melvin Vivas on X · notes), Comparing Coding Models on the Same Task in Devin iOS (Melvin Vivas on X · notes), Customizing Your Coding Setup with Pi Coding Agent Extensions (Melvin Vivas on X · notes), AI Engineer Roadmap Overview: From ML Foundations to RAG, Agents & Ops (Bashiri Smith on Facebook · notes) and 53 more

Try this

• Use Cursor's Ask Mode when you want answers about code without any edits.
• When using Codex or Claude, say clearly in the prompt that no code should be written.