Cursor
Cursor is one of the best experiences with Openference because of its excellent model picker and “Override OpenAI Base URL” support.Step-by-step setup
- Open Cursor.
- Go to Settings (⌘, on macOS) → Models.
- Turn on Override OpenAI Base URL.
-
Enter:
- Paste your API key into the API Key field.
- (Recommended) Click Verify. It should succeed and populate models.
Using models
- In the model picker (bottom right or ⌘K), select any model ID shown in Openference’s catalog.
- Exact IDs matter — copy them from the Models page or from the response of
GET /v1/models. - Cursor does not auto-discover models from a custom base URL. You must add each model manually: type the exact model ID into the search field in Settings → Models and click Add Custom Model. Avoid names that collide with Cursor’s built-in models (e.g.
gpt-5.5) — use a unique name or the exact Openference ID.
What works through the custom endpoint
Cursor routes only chat / plan mode (the chat panel, ⌘L) through the custom OpenAI base URL. Features like Composer, inline edit, autocomplete, and Apply are locked to Cursor’s own backend and do not honor the custom API key or base URL. This is a Cursor limitation, not an Openference one — if you need a full coding agent backed by Openference, use Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cline, OpenCode, or Pi instead.Recommended models
Start with whatever is currently marked as fast/good value on the Openference Models page. You can switch models instantly without changing any code.Common issues
Verify button fails
- Make sure the URL includes the trailing
/v1. - Check that the key is still valid and not model-restricted away from what Cursor expects.
- Try a simple curl to
/v1/modelswith the same key. Each model should include"permission": [],"root", and"parent": null.