# I cannot use my own Anthropic key **URL:** \ **Category:** Bug Reports\ **Tags:** byok, anthropic\ **Created:** [February 26, 2026, 12:11pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/i-cannot-use-my-own-anthropic-key/153033 "2026-02-26T12:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![abdullahc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@abdullahc](https://forum.cursor.com/u/abdullahc)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 12:11pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/i-cannot-use-my-own-anthropic-key/153033/1 "2026-02-26T12:11:41Z")
### Where does the bug appear (feature/product)? Cursor IDE ### Describe the Bug I try use my own Anthropic API key but receiving the following error: ```auto We're having trouble connecting to the model provider. This might be temporary - please try again in a moment. ``` I’m able to use the same key with other IDE’s or extensions. ### Steps to Reproduce Enter your own Anthropic key from model settings ### Expected Behavior I shouldn’t see a provider error ### Screenshots / Screen Recordings ![Screenshot 2026-02-26 at 15.01.14.png](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/original/3X/9/4/94fc1c7c0ac3ee50b07b7071ea72fa226020d0ff.png) ### Operating System MacOS ### Version Information Version: 2.5.25 VSCode Version: 1.105.1 Commit: 7150844152b426ed50d2b68dd6b33b5c5beb73c0 Date: 2026-02-24T07:17:49.417Z Build Type: Stable Release Track: Default Electron: 39.4.0 Chromium: 142.0.7444.265 Node.js: 22.22.0 V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0 OS: Darwin arm64 24.1.0 ### For AI issues: which model did you use? Opus 4.6 ### For AI issues: add Request ID with privacy disabled Request ID: 9b5894da-57ce-4140-a8fd-f74ba7bec168 Provider Error We’re having trouble connecting to the model provider. This might be temporary - please try again in a moment. aXt: Provider Error We’re having trouble connecting to the model provider. This might be temporary - please try again in a moment. ### Does this stop you from using Cursor Yes - Cursor is unusable ---
**Author:** ![deanrie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/deanrie/32/1263_2.png) [@deanrie](https://forum.cursor.com/u/deanrie)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 12:40pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/i-cannot-use-my-own-anthropic-key/153033/3 "2026-02-26T12:40:05Z")
Hey, thanks for the report. I can see the screenshot with the provider error. This is a common issue with Anthropic BYOK. Please check a few things: 1. Anthropic credits: Make sure you have API credits at [Billing | Claude Developer Platform](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/billing). 2. Conflicting settings: Go to Cursor Settings \> Models and make sure Override OpenAI Base URL is turned off. If you have an OpenAI API key set, try turning it off for now too. 3. MCP servers: If you have any MCP servers connected (Cursor Settings \> Tools & MCP), temporarily disable all of them. For several users with the same error, this was the root cause: [Again We're having trouble connecting to the model provider. This might be temporary - please try again in a moment](https://forum.cursor.com/t/again-were-having-trouble-connecting-to-the-model-provider-this-might-be-temporary-please-try-again-in-a-moment/151553) 4. New chat: Start a completely new chat thread after making these changes. If none of that helps, try disabling HTTP/2: Cursor Settings \> search for “HTTP/2” \> enable “Disable HTTP/2”. Let me know how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![abdullahc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@abdullahc](https://forum.cursor.com/u/abdullahc)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 11:17pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/i-cannot-use-my-own-anthropic-key/153033/4 "2026-02-26T23:17:33Z")
Thank you for your response. - I can confirm that I have sufficient credits. To ensure the issue was not API-related, I installed the Claude Code VS Code extension, which operates correctly using the same API key without any issues. - The `Override OpenAI Base URL` setting was turned off already. - I have also disabled all MCPs (there were only 4), still the same - Starting a new chat didn’t help There is no `Disable HTTP/2` option available. I can see a dropdown menu within the `Network `settings and have tested the alternative options provided but unfortunately without success. ![Screenshot 2026-02-27 at 02.14.15](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/original/3X/e/4/e486fbc6a6de866588fed5b3928c6059df823fa1.png) Thanks again ---
**Author:** ![abdullahc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@abdullahc](https://forum.cursor.com/u/abdullahc)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2026, 11:53pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/i-cannot-use-my-own-anthropic-key/153033/5 "2026-03-07T23:53:36Z")
Apparently, there is no solution to this issue. As the other IDEs are working with no issues but Cursor, I will cancel my Cursor subscription and continue using the alternatives. Thank you for your help. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/system/32/99069_2.png) [@system](https://forum.cursor.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2026, 11:53pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/i-cannot-use-my-own-anthropic-key/153033/6 "2026-03-29T23:53:44Z")
Closed on March 29, 2026, 11:53pm UTC This topic was automatically closed 22 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.