Open the HTML file in Cursor, then use the editor tab’s context menu and choose Open in Browser. Cursor renders the page in its integrated browser. For automatic refresh while you edit vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, install a Live Preview extension and run its Show Preview command. If you are working on React, Vue, or another framework, start that project’s normal development server and open its localhost address in Cursor’s browser.
Preview a standalone HTML file in Cursor
- Open the project: Use File > Open Folder and select the directory containing your site.
- Open the document: Select the
.htmlfile in Explorer. It must be open as an editor tab; selecting it only in the file tree may not expose the preview action in newer layouts. - Open the tab menu: Right-click the HTML editor tab.
- Render it: Choose Open in Browser. Cursor opens the local file in its integrated Browser panel, where you can inspect the rendered page.
The exact menu location is release-sensitive. Cursor’s classic Explorer and newer Glass/Agents layouts have not always shown the same commands. If Open in Browser is missing from the file tree, open the file first and use the tab’s context menu instead.
What this method does and does not do
This is a direct render of a standalone file. It is useful for a page that references local CSS, JavaScript, images, and fonts with paths that work from the file’s location. It does not automatically reload the page after every edit, and it is not a substitute for a framework development server.
Get automatic refresh with Live Preview
For a conventional vanilla site, Live Preview is the practical extension-based workflow. Cursor community guidance describes it as a local-server preview that refreshes after code changes. Install the current Live Preview extension from Cursor’s Extensions view, then:
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- Open the HTML file.
- Open the Command Palette and run the extension’s Show Preview command, or use the preview action supplied by the extension.
- Keep the preview panel open while editing HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.
- Save changes if your extension configuration requires saving; some versions watch edits directly.
The extension serves the project over localhost rather than relying on a file:// URL. That matters when browser security rules, modules, fetch requests, or relative paths behave differently from a directly opened file.
When Live Preview is the right choice
- Plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with no build step.
- You want changes reflected without repeatedly reopening the file.
- Your page loads assets or modules that work more reliably through HTTP.
- You need a stable local URL to share with another tool or browser tab.
When it is not enough
Live Preview is not a replacement for a project’s build tooling. A React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, Vite, or similar application should be started with the command defined by that project’s package scripts (for example, the documented dev script). Open the resulting localhost URL in Cursor’s Browser. The available sources do not establish one framework-independent command, so use the repository’s README and package.json rather than guessing.
Use Cursor’s Browser visual editor
Cursor’s Browser workflow can go beyond showing pixels. Where the feature is available in your build, you can inspect the rendered page, rearrange grid or flexbox layouts, adjust typography, select an element, and describe a requested change for the agent to apply to the source. This is useful when you know what should change visually but do not yet know which selector or layout rule controls it.
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A safe visual-editing loop
- Open the page in Cursor’s Browser.
- Check the current DOM and layout at the viewport size you care about.
- Select the element or region that needs work.
- Describe one concrete change, such as “make the card columns two-wide below 800px and keep 24px spacing.”
- Review the proposed source edit, then refresh the preview and test other viewport widths.
- Keep or revert the change in version control after checking keyboard focus, content overflow, and responsive behavior.
Visual editing is an interactive layer over your source files, not a guarantee that every generated change is production-ready. Treat the resulting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript like any other code review.
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| Workflow | Setup | Reload behavior | Project fit | Visual editing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open in Browser | Built in; open an HTML tab and use its context menu | Manual refresh | Standalone files | Available through Cursor Browser features where supported |
| Live Preview | Install an extension and run Show Preview | Automatic or save-triggered, depending on extension settings | Vanilla HTML/CSS/JS served locally | Generally focused on preview, not source-generating visual edits |
| Framework dev server | Use the project’s documented package command | Provided by the framework’s hot-reload tooling | React, Vue, Vite, Next.js, and other build-based apps | Use Cursor Browser separately if available |
| Gossamer Preview | Third-party extension; verify its current listing and permissions | Advertises live reload without requiring Cmd/Ctrl+S | Multiple HTML files and a stable 127.0.0.1 URL |
Not established as a Cursor visual editor |
Troubleshoot a missing or broken preview
“Open in Browser” is not visible
- Open the HTML file as an editor tab, then right-click the tab rather than the Explorer entry.
- Check that the file really has an
.htmlextension and is not being opened in a special editor. - Look for a command with the same wording in the Command Palette; labels and placement can vary by Cursor release.
- Reload Cursor after an update, then check the tab menu again.
The page is blank
- Open Developer Tools in the Browser and inspect the Console for JavaScript exceptions.
- Confirm that stylesheet, script, image, and font paths are relative to the HTML file or the server root you are using.
- Check that the document contains visible content inside
<body>and that CSS has not set it todisplay:none, zero height, or transparent text. - If the page depends on modules or
fetch(), use Live Preview or the framework server instead of afile://render.
CSS or images do not load
Inspect the failed request’s URL and status. A path beginning with / points to the server root, not necessarily your project folder. For a simple site, prefer paths such as ./styles.css and ./images/logo.png, then verify capitalization on case-sensitive filesystems.
Changes do not appear
- Refresh the Browser panel and verify that you edited the file being served.
- Check whether the preview extension reloads on save; save the file if required.
- Disable aggressive browser caching for local development or append a temporary query string while diagnosing stale assets.
- For a framework app, confirm the dev server is still running and that you opened its current port.
JavaScript behaves differently in preview
Inspect the Console and Network panels. Mixed-content restrictions, CORS, blocked third-party scripts, and missing environment variables can all affect a local page. A static preview cannot reproduce server-side routes, authentication middleware, or production headers unless your local server supplies them.
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Preview accurately across viewports
Check the widths your CSS actually targets rather than relying on one desktop view. Test keyboard navigation, focus indicators, long text, reduced-motion preferences, touch-sized controls, and images that load slowly. If your layout uses lazy loading or intersection observers, scroll through the complete page so below-the-fold content is exercised. For a framework, test both the development server and a production build because bundling and routing can change behavior.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a repeatable image or PDF of a page instead of an interactive local editing session, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API. It accepts a URL and can capture PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Before capture it can accept cookie or consent banners and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled.
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One-call examples
See the full parameter reference in the ScreenshotNeo documentation.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpimport requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);ScreenshotNeo includes full-page capture with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element capture, dark mode, device presets and custom viewports, retina scale, PDF paper and page controls, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks, selector or network-idle waits, request blocking, headers, cookies, user agents, authorization, timezone and geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, selectable-TTL caching, signed image links, asynchronous webhooks, bulk capture for 100 URLs per call, a usage API, and an OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work.
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FAQ
Can I preview HTML without leaving Cursor?
Yes. Open in Browser displays the page in Cursor’s integrated Browser. Live Preview can keep a local preview updating as you edit.
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Is there a universal keyboard shortcut?
No stable cross-platform shortcut is established for every current Cursor build. Use the visible tab command or search the Command Palette.
Should I use Live Preview for React?
Usually not. Start React’s documented development server so JSX, bundling, routing, and environment variables are handled correctly, then open its localhost URL in Cursor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my preview show an old version after I save?
Refresh the Browser panel, confirm the correct file or localhost port is open, and check whether your Live Preview extension is configured to reload on save.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCan Cursor preview a PDF of my HTML page?
Cursor’s built-in workflow is for browser rendering. Use your project’s browser print tools or a dedicated capture service when you need a generated PDF.
Quick Recap
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