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Cursor API Key Management
Configure Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) for AI model providers in Cursor. BYOK lets you use your own API keys to bypass Cursor's monthly quota, pay per token directly, and access models not included in Cursor's subscription.
Supported Providers
Provider Key Format Models Available OpenAI sk-proj-... or sk-...GPT-4o, GPT-4o-mini, o1, o3, GPT-5 Anthropic sk-ant-api03-...Claude Sonnet, Claude Opus, Claude Haiku Google AIzaSy...Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini Flash Azure OpenAI Azure portal key Any deployed Azure OpenAI model AWS Bedrock IAM credentials Claude, Titan, Llama models OpenAI-compatible Varies Ollama, LM Studio, Together AI, etc.
Configuration Steps
OpenAI
Go to platform.openai.com/api-keys
Create a new API key (project-scoped recommended)
In Cursor: Cursor Settings > Models > check Use own API key
Paste key in the OpenAI API Key field
Select model from dropdown (e.g., gpt-4o)
Anthropic
Go to console.anthropic.com/settings/keys
Create a new API key
In Cursor: Cursor Settings > Models > check Use own API key
Paste key in the Anthropic API Key field
Select Claude model from dropdown
Google (Gemini)
Go to aistudio.google.com/apikey
Create API key
In Cursor: Cursor Settings > Models > check Use own API key
Paste key in the Google API Key field
Azure OpenAI Azure requires additional configuration beyond a simple API key:
In Azure Portal: create an Azure OpenAI resource
Deploy your desired model (e.g., gpt-4o)
Note the Endpoint URL and API Key from the resource
In Cursor: Cursor Settings > Models:
Azure Configuration:
API Key: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Endpoint: https://your-instance.openai.azure.com
Deployment: your-gpt4o-deployment-name
API Version: 2024-10-21
Custom OpenAI-Compatible Endpoints For self-hosted models (Ollama, vLLM) or third-party providers:
Cursor Settings > Models > Add ModelModel name: e.g., llama-3.1-70b
Check Override OpenAI Base URL
Enter base URL:
Ollama: http://localhost:11434/v1
LM Studio: http://localhost:1234/v1
Together AI: https://api.together.xyz/v1
Enter API key if required by the provider
The model appears in the Chat/Composer model dropdown
What BYOK Covers (and What It Does Not) BYOK key used: Cursor model (always):
┌──────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐
│ Chat (Cmd+L) │ │ Tab Completion │
│ Composer (Cmd+I) │ │ Apply from Chat │
│ Agent Mode │ │ (diff application) │
│ Inline Edit (Cmd+K) │ │ │
└──────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────┘
Tab Completion and Apply always use Cursor's proprietary models. You cannot route these through your own API key.
Cost Management
Monitoring Usage With BYOK, you pay the provider directly. Monitor costs at:
Setting Spending Limits Set monthly spending limits at the provider level:
OpenAI : Settings > Limits > Set monthly budgetAnthropic : Settings > Limits > Set spending limitAzure : Create budget alerts in Azure Cost Management
Cost-Saving Strategies
Use Auto mode : Cursor selects cheaper models for simple tasksDefault to Sonnet/GPT-4o : Reserve Opus/o1 for hard problemsShorter context : Use @Files not @Codebase when you know the locationFewer round-trips : Write detailed prompts to reduce back-and-forth
Approximate Token Costs (as of early 2026) Model Input (per 1M tokens) Output (per 1M tokens) GPT-4o $2.50 $10.00 GPT-4o-mini $0.15 $0.60 Claude Sonnet $3.00 $15.00 Claude Opus $15.00 $75.00 o1 $15.00 $60.00
A typical Composer session generating multi-file code uses 5K-20K tokens.
Security Best Practices
Key Storage Cursor stores API keys locally in its settings database:
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/
Linux: ~/.config/Cursor/
Windows: %APPDATA%\Cursor\
Keys are stored in the local Cursor configuration, not in project files. They do not sync between machines.
Rotation
Generate a new key at the provider
Update the key in Cursor Settings > Models
Revoke the old key at the provider
Verify Chat/Composer work with the new key
Team Key Management
Individual keys : Each developer uses their own key. Simplest setup, hardest to audit.Shared project key : Create a project-scoped key at the provider. Share via secure channel. Track usage per project.Azure gateway : Route all requests through a central Azure OpenAI deployment. Full audit logging, spending controls, model governance.
Troubleshooting Error Cause Fix 401 UnauthorizedInvalid or expired API key Regenerate key at provider 429 Rate LimitedToo many requests Wait, or upgrade provider plan 403 ForbiddenKey lacks model access Enable model access at provider Model not appearing Key not saved or wrong provider Re-enter key in Cursor Settings Azure connection refused Wrong endpoint or API version Verify endpoint URL and version Slow responses with BYOK Provider rate limits apply Check provider dashboard
Enterprise Considerations
Compliance : BYOK routes requests directly to the provider, bypassing Cursor's infrastructure. Verify this meets your data governance requirements.Azure private endpoints : Enterprise Azure deployments can use private endpoints for network-level isolationKey rotation policy : Implement quarterly key rotation as standard practiceSSO + BYOK : Team admins can configure shared BYOK keys via the admin dashboard (Enterprise plan)
Resources 