Get Started with Cursor AI: A Quick Guide for Accountants
What You'll Learn
This guide will get you up and running with Cursor AI in under 15 minutes. You'll learn how to automate Excel tasks like cleaning up bank statements, reconciling transactions, and generating reports using simple English instructions.
Step 1: Install Python
Install Python
- Run the downloaded installer
- Important: Check the box "Add Python to PATH" during installation
- Choose "Install Now" for a standard installation
- Wait for the installation to complete
Step 2: Install Cursor
Download and Install
Visit cursor.com to download the latest version for your operating system.
Download Cursor
Run the installer and follow the setup wizard.
Step 3: First Steps
Open Cursor
- Launch Cursor
- Create an account or sign in
- Choose "Auto" for the AI model (this is the default and works great)
Open a Folder
Click "Open Folder" and select any folder on your computer. This becomes your workspace where you'll create Python scripts.
Test the AI
Press Ctrl + L (or Cmd + L on Mac) to open the AI chat and type "Hello" to test connectivity.
Install Required Dependencies
When Cursor asks about installing Python packages, choose "Allow" or "Always Allow" to automatically install required dependencies like pandas, openpyxl, and other libraries.
Pro Tip: This setting allows Cursor to automatically install Python packages when your automations need them, saving you from manual installation steps.
Your First Excel Automation
Try Your First Automation
- Press Ctrl + L (or Cmd + L on Mac) to open the AI chat
- Type this prompt:
Create a Python automation that cleans up an Excel file. The automation should:
1. Remove the first 2 rows (headers and disclaimers)
2. Standardize date formats to YYYY-MM-DD
3. Remove extra spaces from text columns
4. Delete duplicate rows
5. Save the cleaned file with "_cleaned" in the filename
The AI will create everything for you automatically! You don't need to write any code yourself.
Common Excel Tasks You Can Automate
Try These Prompts
Copy and paste these prompts into Cursor's AI chat (Ctrl + L) to get started:
Bank Statement Cleanup
Goal: Clean up messy bank statement data
Steps: Remove header rows, standardize dates, clean transaction descriptions, remove duplicates
Output: Clean Excel file ready for analysis
Transaction Reconciliation
Goal: Match bank transactions with ledger entries
Steps: Compare two Excel files, find matching transactions, identify missing items
Output: Reconciliation report with flagged discrepancies
Monthly Summary Report
Goal: Create monthly financial summary
Steps: Group transactions by category, calculate totals, format data
Output: Professional Excel report with charts and totals
Data Validation
Goal: Check accounting data for errors
Steps: Find missing values, check dates, validate amounts, flag suspicious entries
Output: Error report highlighting data quality issues
Tips for Better Results
Pro Tips
- Be specific: Instead of "clean Excel file," say "remove first 3 rows, standardize dates, remove duplicates"
- Include file details: Mention column names, data types, and what the final result should look like
- Test small first: Start with a small Excel file to test your automation before using it on important data
- Always backup: Keep copies of your original Excel files before running any automation
- Don't rename files: Never change your file names or folder names once you start working with them
What's Next?
- Practice with simple Excel cleanup tasks
- Try automating your most repetitive accounting tasks
- Experiment with different prompts to see what the AI can do
- Build a library of automations for common accounting workflows
Remember
Start simple and build up. The AI is powerful, but the best results come from clear, specific instructions. Focus on automating one task at a time.
Get Started with Cursor AI: A Quick Guide for Accountants
Transform your Excel workflows with AI-powered automation.