Cursor is a desktop code editor built as a fork of VS Code, and the part that makes it special, the AI features, depends on reaching Cursor’s model backend over the internet. That split matters when something breaks. You can usually still open files, type, and use the editor, but completions stall, the agent stops responding, or you cannot sign in. This guide walks through the most common reasons Cursor is not working and the fixes that resolve them, starting with the fastest checks and moving toward the rarer, more stubborn causes.
First: is Cursor down, or is it just you?
Before you start changing settings, find out whether the problem is on Cursor’s side. The quickest way is to check the Cursor status page for a live, independent read on whether the backend and AI features are degraded right now. If many people are reporting timeouts or failed requests at the same time, the issue is almost certainly an outage or a capacity problem, and no amount of restarting will help. If the status looks healthy, the cause is more likely local to your machine, your network, or your account, and the fixes below will get you moving again.
The fast fixes (these solve most cases)
- Restart Cursor completely. Quit the app, not just the window, and reopen it so it re-establishes its connection to the backend.
- Check your internet connection by loading any website in a browser. AI features need a working connection even though editing does not.
- Reload the window from the command palette using “Developer: Reload Window” to clear a stuck session without a full restart.
- Sign out and sign back in to refresh an expired authentication token.
- Update Cursor to the latest version, since a stale build can break compatibility with the current backend.
- Confirm you have not hit a usage limit for the month, which silently stops AI requests even when everything else works.
- If you are on a work or campus network, try a personal connection or hotspot to rule out a firewall or proxy.
Common reasons Cursor isn’t working
An outage or high demand on the backend
Cursor’s AI features route through its servers, so when those servers are overloaded or down, completions and the agent stop even though the editor itself is fine. During heavy demand you may see requests queue, time out, or fail intermittently. This is the one category you cannot fix yourself. Check the live status, and if there is a confirmed incident, the right move is to wait it out rather than keep retrying.
Your connection
Because the editor works offline but AI does not, a flaky or intermittent connection produces a very specific symptom: the app opens and behaves normally, but completions hang and the agent never returns a result. Switch networks, disable any background download that is saturating your bandwidth, and confirm that DNS is resolving. If a browser loads pages instantly but Cursor cannot reach its backend, the problem is more likely a firewall or proxy than raw connectivity.
Sign-in and account problems
Authentication is a frequent culprit. Sign-in usually opens a browser window to complete the login and then hands control back to the desktop app, and that handoff can fail if a browser extension blocks the redirect, if you have multiple accounts, or if a previous session expired. If you are stuck on a login loop or see authentication errors, sign out fully, close the app, reopen it, and sign in again. Make sure you are logging into the same account that holds your subscription or seat.
The editor versus the model backend
It helps to separate the two halves of Cursor when diagnosing. If menus, file editing, search, and extensions all work but only AI features fail, the editor is healthy and the problem is the connection to the model backend, your account, or your usage limits. If the whole app is sluggish, crashing, or failing to launch, that points to a local install, extension, or resource problem instead. Naming which half is broken saves a lot of guessing.
Slow or stalled completions and the agent
Completions that lag, and an agent that starts a task and never finishes, often trace back to backend load, a weak connection, or a very large request. The agent reads and edits across your project, so a huge file or a sprawling task can slow it down or cause it to stall. Try a smaller, more specific request, reload the window, and check whether the same prompt completes when the status page shows everything healthy.
Codebase indexing problems
Cursor indexes your project so the AI can reference your code. If indexing is stuck, incomplete, or failing, answers feel less aware of your codebase and the agent may behave oddly. Very large repositories, files excluded by ignore rules, or an interrupted index can all cause this. Letting the index finish, or re-triggering it, usually restores context-aware behavior. Indexing also relies on the backend, so an outage can stall it too.
Corporate proxy, VPN, or firewall
On managed networks this is one of the most common reasons AI stops working while the editor stays fine. A corporate proxy, VPN, or firewall can block or intercept the connection to Cursor’s backend, producing connection failures and timeouts even though your browser works because it is configured for the proxy and Cursor is not. Test on a personal network or hotspot to confirm. If that fixes it, your network administrator may need to allow Cursor’s backend, or you may need to configure proxy settings for the app.
Privacy mode and configuration
Cursor offers a privacy mode that changes how your code is handled, and certain configuration choices can interact with which features are available. If behavior changed right after you toggled a setting, revisit your account and editor settings to confirm nothing is restricting requests. This is worth a look when features that worked yesterday suddenly do not and the status page is clear.
Extensions
Because Cursor is a VS Code fork, it runs extensions, and a misbehaving extension can slow the app, conflict with Cursor’s own features, or cause crashes. If the editor is unstable or unusually slow, try launching with extensions disabled to see whether one is the cause, then re-enable them one at a time to find the offender.
Usage, credits, and rate limits
Cursor meters AI requests, and plans include monthly limits on model usage. When you reach a limit, AI requests stop even though the editor and your connection are perfectly fine, which is easy to misread as an outage. Rapid repeated requests can also hit rate limits temporarily. Check your usage in your account, and if you are near or past your allowance, that is the explanation. Slowing down or upgrading your plan resolves it.
Billing and seat issues
If a payment failed or a team seat was removed or unassigned, AI features can be cut off while the editor keeps working. A lapsed subscription or an unassigned seat is a quiet failure mode that looks like a technical bug. Confirm your billing is current and that your account holds an active seat.
Region and an upstream model-provider outage
Cursor relies on upstream large language model providers behind the scenes, so a wider provider outage can degrade Cursor even when Cursor’s own systems are up. In that situation specific models may be slow or unavailable while the rest of the app works. Trying a different available model can be a useful workaround. Network conditions also vary by region, so high latency from your location can make completions feel slow even with no incident anywhere.
Common Cursor errors and what they mean
- “Connection failed”: Cursor cannot reach its backend. Suspect your connection, a VPN or proxy, a firewall, or a backend outage.
- Requests timing out: the request reached the backend but did not return in time, often during high demand, on a slow connection, or with a very large request.
- Sign-in or authentication errors, or a login loop: the auth handoff did not complete. Sign out fully and sign back in, and check for a browser extension blocking the redirect.
- Usage limit reached: you have hit your plan’s monthly request allowance. AI pauses until the period resets or you change plans.
- Rate limit messages: too many requests in a short window. Wait briefly and try again.
- Indexing stuck or not complete: your codebase index has not finished, so AI answers are less aware of your project. Let it finish or re-trigger it.
- Model unavailable or degraded: a specific model is having trouble, often due to an upstream provider issue. Try another available model.
When it is a real outage: what to do
If you have restarted, confirmed your connection, checked your usage, and ruled out a proxy or VPN, and AI features still will not work, it is probably a genuine incident. Open the live Cursor status to confirm whether the backend or a particular feature is affected. During a confirmed outage the best approach is patience: wait a few minutes, then check back, since repeatedly retrying will not speed up recovery and can make queuing worse. In the meantime you can keep editing normally because the editor works offline, fall back to manual coding, or use a different available model if only one is degraded. Once the status page returns to healthy, your completions and the agent should resume on their own.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I sign in to Cursor?
Cursor sign-in opens a browser to complete the login and then hands control back to the desktop app, so a blocked redirect, multiple accounts, or an expired session can leave you stuck in a login loop. Sign out fully, quit and reopen the app, then sign in again, and make sure you are using the account that holds your subscription. A browser extension that blocks redirects or pop-ups is a common cause, so try disabling those during login.
Why does the editor work but Cursor's AI features don't?
Cursor is a VS Code fork, so editing, search, and extensions run locally and keep working offline, but AI features need to reach Cursor's model backend over the internet. When you can type and open files normally but completions stall or the agent fails, the problem is the connection to the backend, your account, or your usage limits rather than the editor itself. Check your connection and the live status page to narrow it down.
Does a model provider outage affect Cursor even when Cursor is up?
Yes. Cursor routes AI requests to upstream large language model providers, so if one of those providers has an outage, specific models can be slow or unavailable while the rest of Cursor works fine. In that case trying a different available model is often a useful workaround. Cursor's own status being healthy does not rule out an upstream issue.
Why did Cursor's AI stop working partway through the month?
Cursor meters AI usage and plans include monthly limits, so reaching your allowance pauses AI requests even though the editor and your connection are fine. This is easy to mistake for an outage because nothing else changes. Check your usage in your account, and if you are near or past the limit, the answer is to wait for the period to reset, slow down, or change your plan.
How do I check if Cursor is down?
Look at an independent live status page rather than guessing, since Cursor's editor can keep working while only the AI backend is affected. The Cursor status page at /status/cursor/ shows whether the backend and AI features are degraded right now. If many users report timeouts or connection failures at the same time, it is an outage and waiting is the right move.
Why is Cursor slow or timing out on a work or school network?
Corporate proxies, VPNs, and firewalls on managed networks often block or intercept the connection to Cursor's backend, which causes connection failures and timeouts while the editor stays fine and your browser still works. Test on a personal connection or phone hotspot to confirm the network is the cause. If that fixes it, your administrator may need to allow Cursor's backend or you may need to configure the app's proxy settings.