Cursor Pro Required Prompt on Ask Queries

[LiquidJ (Chris)]

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor IDE

Describe the Bug

“Cursor Pro Required” error showing after submitting ask queries when using my own API keys. This was working fine earlier today. The error only started popping up after I grabbed the latest Cursor update.

I have logged out, disabled/re-enabled my keys, rebooted cursor…error does not go away. This is so frustrating!

Steps to Reproduce

1. Log in with a free account that has GPT and Google keys enabled already
2. Install the latest update
3. Try to perform ask queries with models using your API keys

Expected Behavior

I shouldn’t need Cursor Pro to make ‘ask’ queries using my own API keys.

Screenshots / Screen Recordings

Operating System

Windows 10/11

Version Information

Version: 2.4.21 (system setup)
VSCode Version: 1.105.1
Commit: dc8361355d709f306d5159635a677a571b277bc0
Date: 2026-01-22T16:57:59.675Z
Build Type: Stable
Release Track: Default
Electron: 39.2.7
Chromium: 142.0.7444.235
Node.js: 22.21.1
V8: 14.2.231.21-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200

For AI issues: which model did you use?

Gemini 2.5 Flash, 3 Flash, 3 Pro
GPT-5.2

For AI issues: add Request ID with privacy disabled

645cffde-e443-4c09-9955-2d2d5009af9d

Does this stop you from using Cursor

Yes - Cursor is unusable

[deanrie]

Hey, thanks for the report. Using your own API keys requires a Pro subscription. This feature isn’t available on the Free plan.

[LiquidJ (Chris)]

That’s so confusing. Do they include access to ASK on a limited trial basis or something? I’ve been using it with my own keys on a free account for a month. Why did it change abruptly? And where/when did they announce this?

[Corn]

Is it possible to optimize the switching experience of custom APIs to make it more comfortable for pro users? This would be a very popular improvement.

[deanrie]

Hey @Corn thanks for the feedback on the UX of switching custom APIs. I’ll pass it on to the team.