Cursor · 2026-08-27 · major
Cursor cloud agents start without a repo — and preview in the browser
Cursor Cloud Agents can now begin a project with no GitHub or other Git host connected. Pick "Start from scratch" in the repo picker, prompt the agent, and Cursor creates a Cursor Origin repo in the background.
Cursor Cloud Agents can now open a brand-new project with nothing connected — no GitHub, no local checkout, no repo of your own.
Quick facts
| Product | Cursor Cloud Agents |
|---|---|
| What's new | Start a project with no Git host connected |
| Where code lands | A Cursor Origin repo, created in the background |
| Saving work | "Create repo", with a custom name |
| Repo visibility | Private or internal |
| Preview | Agent environment port-forwarded to the browser |
| Publishing | Live URL through a connected Vercel account |
What is it?
"Start from scratch" is a new choice in the Cursor Cloud Agents repo picker. Selecting it drops you straight into a prompt: Cursor spins up a Cursor Origin repo in the background and the agent works there. Previously a Cloud Agent could only run against a repo from GitHub or another third-party source control provider, so a new idea meant setting up hosting first.
How does it work?
The background repo stays throwaway until you press "Create repo", which saves it as a permanent Cursor Origin repo under a name you choose and a visibility you pick. While the agent runs, its cloud environment is port-forwarded to the browser, so the preview is the real process rather than a rendered mock, and design mode tools work against it. Connecting a Vercel account adds a publish step that returns a live URL.
Why does it matter?
The setup cost of trying an idea drops to a prompt. A developer who wants to test a rough concept no longer creates a GitHub repo, wires up permissions and waits for a clone before the agent can start — and because the preview and the publish target are both hosted, a working link can come out the other end without touching a local machine. It also pulls more of the loop inside Cursor Origin, the Git hosting service Cursor opened in early beta on August 17.
Who is it for?
developers prototyping new projects with cloud agents
Frequently asked questions
- Do I still need a GitHub account to use Cursor Cloud Agents?
- No. Before this change a Cloud Agent needed GitHub or another third-party source control provider before it could run. Cursor now offers "Start from scratch" in the repo picker, creates a Cursor Origin repo behind the scenes, and lets you prompt the agent right away.
- How do I keep work an agent built from scratch?
- Click "Create repo" once you are happy with what the Cursor agent produced. That turns the background repo into a permanent Cursor Origin repo, and you choose the name and whether it is private or internal at that point.
- Can I see the app running before I save it?
- Yes. Cursor port-forwards the cloud agent's environment straight to your browser, so you get a live preview of the running project and access to design mode tools while the agent is still working, rather than waiting for a local checkout.
- Is Vercel required to use this?
- Only for publishing. Cursor's "Start from scratch" flow, the background Origin repo and the browser preview all work on their own. Getting a public live URL at the end needs a connected Vercel account, which Cursor states as a requirement for that step.
Try it
In Cursor Cloud Agents, open the repo picker and choose "Start from scratch"