How to Fix 'Request Blocked' Error in Cursor AI (2026)

How to Fix "Request Blocked" Error in Cursor AI in 2026

The "Request Blocked" error in Cursor AI is one of the most common and frustrating issues developers encounter. It appears when Cursor's backend rejects your request to an AI model, and it can happen for a variety of reasons: network restrictions, rate limiting, account issues, or content filtering.

This guide walks through every known cause and fix, ordered from most common to least common.

What Does "Request Blocked" Mean?

When you see "Request Blocked" in Cursor, it means the request from your editor to Cursor's AI backend was intercepted and rejected before it reached the model. This is different from a model error or a timeout.

Common error messages:
- "Request blocked"
- "Request blocked by the server"
- "Your request has been blocked"
- "Request was blocked due to policy"
- "Too many requests, please try again later"

The cause falls into one of these categories:

Category	Likelihood	Fix Difficulty
Rate limiting	Very Common	Easy (wait)
VPN/Proxy interference	Common	Easy
Corporate firewall/proxy	Common	Medium
Account/billing issue	Moderate	Easy
Content policy filter	Moderate	Easy
DNS/Network issue	Less Common	Medium
Cursor version bug	Rare	Easy
Regional restriction	Rare	Medium

Fix 1: Check If You Have Hit Rate Limits

This is the most common cause. Cursor imposes rate limits based on your plan.

Free plan limits:

• Limited number of premium model requests per day
• Limited number of fast requests per month
• Slower model fallbacks after limits are hit

Pro plan limits:

• 500 fast premium requests per month (varies by model)
• Unlimited slow requests
• Rate limits still apply to prevent abuse

How to check:

1. Open Cursor Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P > "Cursor Settings")
2. Navigate to the "Usage" or "Subscription" tab
3. Check your remaining requests

Fix:

If rate limited:
  Option A: Wait for the limit to reset (usually resets monthly)
  Option B: Upgrade your plan for higher limits
  Option C: Switch to a slower model that has higher limits
  Option D: Use your own API key (Settings > Models > Add API Key)

To use your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key:

1. Go to Cursor Settings > Models
2. Click "Add API Key"
3. Enter your OpenAI or Anthropic API key
4. Select which model to use with your key

This bypasses Cursor's rate limits entirely since you are paying for tokens directly.

Fix 2: Disable VPN or Proxy

VPNs and proxy servers are a very common cause of "Request Blocked" errors. Cursor's backend may reject requests from known VPN IP ranges for abuse prevention.

Steps:

1. Disconnect from your VPN
2. Restart Cursor (fully quit and reopen)
3. Try your request again

If you must use a VPN for work:

Options:
- Use split tunneling to route Cursor traffic outside the VPN
- Whitelist Cursor's domains in your VPN configuration:
  - api2.cursor.sh
  - api.cursor.sh
  - cursor.sh
  - *.cursor.sh

On macOS, check for proxy settings:

# Check current proxy configuration
networksetup -getwebproxy Wi-Fi
networksetup -getsecurewebproxy Wi-Fi

# If a proxy is set and causing issues, you may need to
# configure it to allow Cursor's domains

Fix 3: Corporate Firewall or Network Restrictions

If you are on a corporate network, IT firewalls may be blocking Cursor's API calls.

Domains that need to be whitelisted:

api2.cursor.sh
api.cursor.sh
cursor.sh
*.cursor.sh
api.openai.com
api.anthropic.com
generativelanguage.googleapis.com

Ports:

• 443 (HTTPS)

How to test if it is a network issue:

# Test connectivity to Cursor's API
curl -v https://api2.cursor.sh

# If this fails but works on your phone's hotspot,
# it is a network/firewall issue

# Test DNS resolution
nslookup api2.cursor.sh

Workaround if you cannot change firewall rules:

1. Switch to a mobile hotspot temporarily
2. If the request works on the hotspot, the issue is confirmed as a firewall problem
3. Contact your IT department with the list of domains above

Fix 4: Fix Account or Billing Issues

Your account may be in a blocked state due to billing problems.

Check these:

1. Go to cursor.com/settings in your browser
2. Verify your subscription is active
3. Check if your payment method is valid and not expired
4. Look for any account warnings or notifications

Common account issues:
- Expired credit card on file
- Free trial ended
- Account flagged for ToS violation
- Email not verified
- Multiple accounts from same device

Fix:

• Update your payment method
• Verify your email if prompted
• Contact Cursor support at support@cursor.com if your account was flagged

Fix 5: Content Policy Trigger

Cursor uses content filters to block certain types of requests. If your code or prompt contains content that triggers the safety filter, the request will be blocked.

Common triggers:

• Code that handles sensitive data (passwords, SSNs) may trip filters
• Security-related code (exploit testing, penetration testing)
• Prompts that reference restricted topics

Fix:

• Rephrase your request to be more specific and technical
• Remove any ambiguous language that could be misinterpreted
• Focus on the technical problem rather than the broader context

# Instead of:
"Help me hack into this system"

# Try:
"Help me write authentication middleware for an Express.js app
that validates JWT tokens and handles expired sessions"

Fix 6: Update Cursor to the Latest Version

Older versions of Cursor may have bugs that cause false "Request Blocked" errors.

To update Cursor:
1. Open Cursor
2. Click Help > Check for Updates (or Cursor > Check for Updates on macOS)
3. Install the update and restart

Alternatively:
- Download the latest version from cursor.com
- Install it over your existing installation

Check your current version:

Help > About
or
Cursor > About Cursor (macOS)

Fix 7: Clear Cursor Cache and Reset

Sometimes corrupted local data can cause persistent blocks.

On macOS:

# Close Cursor completely first

# Clear Cursor cache
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/Cache
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/CachedData
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/Code\ Cache

# Restart Cursor

On Windows:

# Close Cursor completely first

# Clear Cursor cache
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:APPDATA\Cursor\Cache"
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:APPDATA\Cursor\CachedData"
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:APPDATA\Cursor\Code Cache"

# Restart Cursor

On Linux:

# Close Cursor completely first

# Clear Cursor cache
rm -rf ~/.config/Cursor/Cache
rm -rf ~/.config/Cursor/CachedData
rm -rf ~/.config/Cursor/Code\ Cache

# Restart Cursor

Fix 8: DNS Resolution Issues

If your DNS is not resolving Cursor's domains correctly, requests will fail.

Try switching to a public DNS:

# macOS: Switch to Google DNS
sudo networksetup -setdnsservers Wi-Fi 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4

# Or Cloudflare DNS
sudo networksetup -setdnsservers Wi-Fi 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1

# Flush DNS cache
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

# Windows: Flush DNS
ipconfig /flushdns

Fix 9: Check for Regional Restrictions

Cursor's services may be restricted or limited in certain regions. If you are in a region with restricted access:

1. Check the Cursor status page for any regional outages
2. Try connecting through a different network
3. Contact Cursor support for region-specific guidance

Troubleshooting Decision Tree

Follow this order for the fastest resolution:

Step 1: Are you rate limited? -> Check usage in settings
  Yes -> Wait, upgrade plan, or use own API key
  No  -> Continue

Step 2: Using a VPN? -> Disconnect it
  Fixed -> Done
  Still broken -> Continue

Step 3: Corporate network? -> Test on mobile hotspot
  Works on hotspot -> Contact IT to whitelist domains
  Fails on hotspot too -> Continue

Step 4: Account OK? -> Check cursor.com/settings
  Issue found -> Fix billing/verification
  Account fine -> Continue

Step 5: Cursor up to date? -> Check for updates
  Outdated -> Update and retry
  Latest version -> Continue

Step 6: Clear cache and restart
  Fixed -> Done
  Still broken -> Continue

Step 7: Try different DNS (8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1)
  Fixed -> Done
  Still broken -> Contact Cursor support

When to Contact Support

If none of the above fixes work, contact Cursor support with:

• Your Cursor version number
• Your operating system
• The exact error message (screenshot)
• Whether it happens on all requests or specific ones
• Whether it works on a different network
• Your account email

Email: support@cursor.com or use the in-app feedback tool.

Wrapping Up

The "Request Blocked" error in Cursor is almost always caused by rate limiting, VPN interference, or network restrictions. Work through the fixes in order, and you will resolve it in most cases within minutes.

For developers building AI-powered applications who want reliable API access without the friction of rate limits and content filters, Hypereal AI offers a developer-friendly platform with transparent pricing, generous rate limits, and access to dozens of AI models for image generation, video creation, and more.