I’m unable to run the free Auto model on my pro plan because of paid usage limits.
Steps to Reproduce
When I enter a prompt, with “Auto Balanced” selected (it appears the Auto option is now gone) it returns and says I’m at my usage limit and need to switch to Auto. When I click the button in the error message, it sets the model to “auto” and then complains that the model doesn’t exist.
Expected Behavior
I should be able to run the free Auto model after exceeding paid usage.
Hi @Ryan_Smyth Thank you for the forum post and I apologize for the inconvenience here.
You have found a bug on our side, and it is not something wrong with your account or your team’s settings. When you hit your paid usage limit, the “Switch to auto” button in that message is setting your model to a value our backend does not accept, which is why the next message fails with “Model name is not valid: auto”. Our team is aware of this and is tracking a fix.
In the meantime, here is a reliable workaround:
Instead of clicking the “Switch to auto” button in the error, open the model picker yourself (the model selector at the bottom of the chat box).
Select Auto directly from the dropdown (it may show alongside a “Balance” option), or select Composer 2.5.
Send your message again. Choosing the model manually from the picker sets a valid model and avoids the broken button.
Lmk if you are still facing issues after this and I’ll take a closer look! Thank you for reporting this.
Hi Ryan, thanks for testing this again and sharing the additional screenshots.
I traced these attempts and found that your fallback usage is still available, but Auto Balance and Composer 2.5 Fast are not matching the models that this usage currently accepts. This is why those selections remain blocked.
Could you please try selecting Auto, then choose Cost instead of Balance? I’ve believe that Cost maps to the Auto mode accepted by your available fallback usage. Please let me know whether that allows the request to complete.
I’m also escalating the broader model-picker issue, since the earlier workaround was not sufficient. Thank you again for helping us investigate this.
Glad to hear that worked and you’re unblocked. We’re continuing to track the model-picker issue so the correct fallback option is clearer in the future. Thanks for your help on this!
My paid model usage has run out. When I select Auto, it still returns the error: “You’re out of usage. Switch to auto, Auto, or Composer 2.5, or ask your admin to increase your limit to continue.” Could you please help check if this is a bug and when it might be fixed?
Hi @80419891 — thanks for the report. This is a known issue on our side: after you hit your paid usage limit, the default Auto option (Balance) can still get blocked even though free fallback should remain available. As a workaround, please open the model picker, select Auto, then set Optimize For to Cost, or choose plain Composer 2.5 (not the Fast variant), then try your request again. We’re working on a fix so the correct fallback is recognized automatically, and I’ll update this thread when it’s resolved. In the meantime, please keep Cursor updated to the latest version, so you pick up any related fixes as they ship.
