Summary
On August 27, 2026, Cursor removed the requirement that its Cloud Agents connect to GitHub or another source-control provider before starting. Developers can now pick 'Start from scratch' in the repo picker and prompt an agent immediately; Cursor provisions a Cursor Origin repository in the background, offers a live browser preview of the agent's environment, and can publish the result to a live URL via Vercel.
What changed
Cursor Cloud Agents no longer need a pre-connected SCM. Selecting 'Start from scratch' lets a user prompt an agent right away; Cursor creates an Origin repo behind the scenes, which the user can later name and keep with 'Create repo', with live browser preview and one-click Vercel publish.
Why it matters
It shortens the path from prompt to running code for greenfield work and deepens Cursor's push to own the full loop — editor, cloud execution, code hosting (Origin), and deploy — reducing early dependence on GitHub. For teams evaluating agent-first workflows, onboarding friction drops to a single prompt.
Evidence excerpt
Cloud Agents no longer require a connected GitHub repository or third-party source control provider... Select Start from scratch in the repo picker, then prompt the agent.