Using AI assistants with the Video SDK

Starting with Video SDK version 2.5.7 the SDK package includes docs and files that you can use to get accurate coding assistance from AI assistants such as Cursor.

Note

This is currently available in the Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows SDK packages.

What's included

The Docs/ folder is located at the root of the SDK package and includes everything you need to provide context to your AI assistant.

  • index.md — Entry point and module map
  • *-API.md — Human-readable API explanations including lifecycle, behavior, and edge cases
  • *-API.json — Structured API metadata including signatures, params, async flags, and snippets/examples
  • skills/.../SKILL.md — Cursor skill definition to teach the assistant how to navigate these docs

How to use these files

  1. Open Docs/index.md or Docs/videosdk/index.md (the path varies by package).
  2. Identify the API module you want to use.
  3. Read both files for the API module.
    • xxx-API.md for semantics and constraints.
    • xxx-API.json for exact signatures, fields, examples, etc.
  4. Prompt your AI assistant with explicit context.
    • "Use Docs/zoom_video_sdk_share_helper_interface-API.md and matching JSON only and then cross-check async behavior in JSON before suggesting code."

Best practices for using each file type

Each of the file types serve specific uses that work in tandem.

Markdown

  • Lifecycle and callback order
  • Usage notes and warnings
  • Conceptual behavior

JSON

  • Exact method signatures
  • Parameter names/types
  • Structured examples and async indicators

Always validate implementation details with JSON if there is any mismatch.

Prompt templates

These prompt templates will help you get started using the files with your AI assistant.

  • "Use only Docs/ docs for this answer. Prefer JSON for signatures and async behavior."
  • "Compare xxx-API.md and xxx-API.json and list any differences."
  • "Generate code using API names exactly as documented in JSON."

Using the built-in Cursor skill

The package includes a skill (for example zm-videosdk-ios-api/SKILL.md):

  1. Copy or symlink the skill folder into one of the following locations depending on the intended scope.
    • Project: .cursor/skills/
    • User: ~/.cursor/skills/
  2. Verify relative links inside SKILL.md still resolve after moving.
  3. Restart or reload Cursor if needed.

Common mistakes

There are a few mistakes that cause the AI assistant to not act as expected, but they can easily be avoided.

  • Assuming Windows/macOS behavior for Linux APIs without checking package scope notes.
  • Not referencing the Docs/ folder at all causing the AI assistant will fall back on general knowledge and may hallucinate API names or signatures.
  • Relying on only one file type instead of using .md and .json together — each covers different details that the other doesn't.
  • Forgetting to reload Cursor after adding the skill, which can cause the skill to not be recognized.
  • Moving the skill folder without verifying that relative links inside SKILL.md still resolve correctly.