Cursor AI Programming Assistant Configuration Tutorial
Configure Cursor with custom LLM API, unlock programming capabilities of powerful Large Language Models like GPT-4o, Claude 3.5, DeepSeek
Quick Configuration Steps
1
Open Cursor Settings
Access settings page through menu or shortcuts
- •Mac: Cmd + , or Cursor → Preferences
- •Windows: Ctrl + , or File → Preferences
- •Or click the settings icon in the bottom left corner
2
Configure API Key
Add API key in Models tab
- •Select Models tab
- •Click "Add API Key"
- •Enter your API key
- •Select corresponding provider
3
Set API Endpoint
Configure custom API address
- •In Advanced settings
- •Find "API Base URL"
- •Enter custom API address
- •Save settings and restart Cursor
4
Select Default Model
Set commonly used AI model
- •Select from model list
- •Set as default model
- •ConfigureModelParameter
- •Test if connection is normal
ConfigureExample
Basic Configuration
Configure Cursor with custom API
{
"models": [
{
"model": "gpt-4o",
"contextLength": 128000,
"title": "GPT-4o",
"provider": "openai"
},
{
"model": "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
"contextLength": 200000,
"title": "Claude 3.5 Sonnet",
"provider": "anthropic"
}
],
"apiKeys": {
"openai": "YOUR_API_KEY",
"anthropic": "YOUR_API_KEY"
},
"apiBaseUrl": {
"openai": "https://api.example.com/v1",
"anthropic": "https://api.example.com/v1"
}
}Core Feature Usage
Smart Code Completion
Context-based intelligent code suggestions
- Use Tab to accept suggestions
- Esc to cancel current suggestion
- Cmd/Ctrl + → to accept partial suggestion
AI Chat Assistant
Natural language conversation with AI
- Cmd/Ctrl + L for quick questions
- Select code then ask for targeted suggestions
- @filename to reference specific files
Code Refactoring
Smart refactoring and code optimization
- Select code using Cmd/Ctrl + K
- Describe refactoring requirements
- Preview changes then apply
Error Fixing
Automatic detection and fixing of code errors
- Hover mouse over errors
- Click lightbulb icon to view fix suggestions
- One-click apply AI fix solutions
API Key Security Tips
- • Don't commit API keys to code repositories
- • Use environment variables or key management tools to store keys
- • Regularly rotate API keys
- • Use different keys for different projects
- • Monitor API usage to prevent abnormal consumption
FAQ Solutions
API Connection Failed
- Check if API key is correct
- Verify API endpoint address
- Confirm network connection is normal
- Check Cursor log files
Poor Code Suggestion Quality
- Provide more context information
- Optimize prompt descriptions
- Switch to more powerful models
- Adjust temperature parameters
Slow Response Speed
- Use faster models (like GPT-3.5)
- Reduce context length
- Check network latency
- Consider using local models
Token Limit Error
- Reduce selected code amount
- Process long files in batches
- Use models supporting longer context
- Clear unnecessary conversation history
Model Selection Recommendations
Code Generation and Completion
- • GPT-4o: Most powerful general programming capabilities
- • Claude 3.5 Sonnet: Excellent code understanding and generation
- • DeepSeek Coder: Specially optimized programming model
Fast Response Scenarios
- • GPT-4o-mini: Fast and low cost
- • GPT-3.5-turbo: Classic fast model
- • Claude 3.5 Haiku: Lightweight Claude model