> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://opentouter.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cursor

> Use Cursor with OpenRouter

<Note>
  **Beta**

  The Cursor integration is currently in beta. Behavior may change as Cursor updates their client.
</Note>

## What is Cursor?

[Cursor](https://cursor.com) is an AI-powered code editor built on VS Code. It features an agent mode for autonomous coding, tab completions, inline edits, a CLI, and cloud agents. Cursor ships its own in-house models (like [Composer](https://cursor.com/blog/composer)) alongside frontier models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and more.

By routing Cursor through OpenRouter, you get access to hundreds of models through a single API key, automatic provider failover, and centralized usage tracking.

## Quick Start

Cursor supports OpenRouter through its **Override OpenAI Base URL** feature. This routes requests from Cursor's OpenAI provider override through a dedicated OpenRouter endpoint that handles Cursor's request format natively.

### Step 1: Get Your OpenRouter API Key

1. Sign up or log in at [OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai)
2. Navigate to your [API Keys page](https://openrouter.ai/keys)
3. Create a new API key
4. Copy your key (starts with `sk-or-...`)

### Step 2: Configure Cursor

1. Open **Cursor Settings** (gear icon or `Cmd/Ctrl + ,`)
2. Navigate to **Models**, then expand the **API Keys** section
3. Toggle on **OpenAI API Key**, then:
   * Paste your OpenRouter API key into the **OpenAI API Key** field
   * Toggle on **Override OpenAI Base URL** and set it to:

     ```text lines theme={null}
     https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/cursor
     ```

<Warning>
  The base URL must be `https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/cursor` (not `/api/v1`). This dedicated endpoint handles Cursor's request format correctly.
</Warning>

### Step 3: Add Models

After connecting, add the models you want to use. In the **Models** section, click **+ Add model** and enter an [OpenRouter model ID](https://openrouter.ai/models):

* `~anthropic/claude-opus-latest`
* `~openai/gpt-latest`
* `~moonshotai/kimi-latest`
* `deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash`

### Step 4: Select a Model

Open the model picker in the chat or agent panel and select one of the models you added. Your requests will now route through OpenRouter.

## How It Works

OpenRouter exposes a dedicated Cursor endpoint at `/api/v1/cursor` that normalizes Cursor's request format into the standard OpenAI Chat Completions format before routing.

## Why Use OpenRouter with Cursor?

### Access to Hundreds of Models

Cursor's built-in BYOK only supports a handful of providers. With OpenRouter, you get access to hundreds of models across dozens of providers, all through the single OpenAI provider override.

### Provider Failover

If one provider is unavailable or rate-limited, OpenRouter automatically routes to another, keeping your coding sessions uninterrupted.

### Organizational Controls

For teams, OpenRouter provides centralized budget management. Set spending limits, allocate credits, and monitor usage across developers using Cursor from your [OpenRouter Activity Dashboard](https://openrouter.ai/activity).

### Usage Visibility

Track which models your team uses, monitor costs in real-time, and understand usage patterns from a single dashboard, regardless of the underlying provider. See the [Activity page](https://openrouter.ai/activity) for a breakdown by model, user, and cost.

You can also control which upstream providers handle your requests. See the [Provider Routing docs](/guides/routing/provider-selection) for details on routing suffixes like `:nitro` and `:floor`.

## Limitations

* **Tab completions** are not affected by BYOK settings; they always use Cursor's built-in models.
* **Auto and Composer 2 modes** may not be routed through your API key. Check [Cursor's docs](https://cursor.com/help/models-and-usage/api-keys) for current behavior.
* Only models accessible via OpenRouter's [OpenAI-compatible endpoint](/api/reference/overview#openapi-specification) will work. Most chat and reasoning models are supported.

## Troubleshooting

* **"Invalid API key":** Make sure you're using your OpenRouter API key (starts with `sk-or-...`), not an OpenAI key.
* **Model not found:** Ensure the model ID exactly matches the format on [openrouter.ai/models](https://openrouter.ai/models). Router model aliases need the `~` prefix (e.g., `~anthropic/claude-sonnet-latest`, not `anthropic/claude-sonnet-latest`).
* **Base URL:** The override URL must be `https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/cursor`. If you're using `https://openrouter.ai/api/v1` (without `/cursor`), tool calls and some request formats may not work correctly.
* **Tool errors:** If you see unexpected tool call failures, double-check whether you're pointed at the `/cursor` endpoint. The dedicated endpoint handles Cursor's flat tool format; the generic `/v1` endpoint does not.

## Resources

* [Cursor Documentation](https://cursor.com/docs)
* [Cursor BYOK Help](https://cursor.com/help/models-and-usage/api-keys)
* [OpenRouter Models](https://openrouter.ai/models)
* [Provider Routing](/guides/routing/provider-selection)