You start a long Agent run on a working tree that already holds an hour of uncommitted changes, then leave your desk expecting to approve the edits in the diff view when you get back. What state are your files in while you are away?

Easycursoragentdiffcheckpoints

Last reviewed 21 Aug 2026

Already edited on disk — Agent applies its edits as it works, and the diff view is where you reject unwanted ones.Correct answer
Unchanged on disk but staged in Git by Agent, so a single reset command puts everything back the way you left it.
Written to a scratch copy of the repository, which Cursor merges into your working files only once you approve the finished run.
Unchanged until you accept the diff, because the diff view is a preview of the edits Agent proposes for your approval.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. Already edited on disk — Agent applies its edits as it works, and the diff view is where you reject unwanted ones.

Explanation

The principle — Agent's edits are applied as it works. Review them in the diff view and reject anything you don't want. The diff records changes already on disk, not a proposal awaiting consent.

Why the key is correct — Nothing asks permission before a file is written, so an unattended run on uncommitted work is risky. Commit or stash first, and treat checkpoints as an undo, not version control: they are local and separate from Git.

Why the others are wrong — Reading the diff as a preview inverts the order of events, and it leaves unsaved work exposed. Agent stages nothing in Git, so a reset recovers only what you committed. A normal run edits your workspace directly, not a scratch copy.

Remember this — The diff is a review, not a preview; commit before you walk away.

Sources — Cursor's Agent mode help documentation.

Sources

Primary sourceAgent mode — Cursor · accessed 19 Aug 2026
“Agent's edits are applied as it works. Review them in the diff view and reject anything you don't want.”

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You start a long Agent run on a working tree that already holds an hour of uncommitted changes, then leave your desk expecting to approve the edits in the diff view when you get back. What state are your files in while you are away?

Easycursoragentdiffcheckpoints

Last reviewed 21 Aug 2026

Already edited on disk — Agent applies its edits as it works, and the diff view is where you reject unwanted ones.Correct answer
Unchanged on disk but staged in Git by Agent, so a single reset command puts everything back the way you left it.
Written to a scratch copy of the repository, which Cursor merges into your working files only once you approve the finished run.
Unchanged until you accept the diff, because the diff view is a preview of the edits Agent proposes for your approval.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. Already edited on disk — Agent applies its edits as it works, and the diff view is where you reject unwanted ones.

Explanation

Remember this — The diff is a review, not a preview; commit before you walk away.

Sources — Cursor's Agent mode help documentation.

Sources

Primary sourceAgent mode — Cursor · accessed 19 Aug 2026
“Agent's edits are applied as it works. Review them in the diff view and reject anything you don't want.”

Practise 10 questions on this topic

Take Cursor AI Features — Timed Test 1 (10 questions) — scored instantly, explanation for every question, no login.

Start the test

You start a long Agent run on a working tree that already holds an hour of uncommitted changes, then leave your desk expecting to approve the edits in the diff view when you get back. What state are your files in while you are away?

Related questions

You start a long Agent run on a working tree that already holds an hour of uncommitted changes, then leave your desk expecting to approve the edits in the diff view when you get back. What state are your files in while you are away?

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