Cursor shows an authentication error:

Error: Authentication failed. Please log in again.

Here is how to fix it.

Fix 1: Re-login

The simplest fix:

1. Open Cursor
2. Click your avatar in top right
3. Select “Log Out”
4. Log back in with your credentials

Fix 2: Check license status

# Check license via API
curl https://api.cursor.sh/license \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CURSOR_TOKEN"

Free tier has limits. Check at cursor.sh/account.

Fix 3: Clear Cursor cache

# macOS
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/Cache
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/GPUCache

# Linux
rm -rf ~/.config/Cursor/Cache
rm -rf ~/.config/Cursor/GPUCache

# Windows
rm -rf %APPDATA%/Cursor/Cache
rm -rf %APPDATA%/Cursor/GPUCache

Restart Cursor after clearing cache.

Fix 4: Update Cursor

Older versions may have auth bugs:

1. Check for updates: Cursor menu > Check for Updates
2. Download latest from cursor.sh
3. Install and restart

Fix 5: Check network

Firewall may block auth servers:

# Test connection
ping api.cursor.sh

# Check if port 443 is open
curl -I https://api.cursor.sh

Fix 6: Reset auth tokens

Delete stored tokens:

# macOS
rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/User/globalStorage/storage.json

# Linux
rm ~/.config/Cursor/User/globalStorage/storage.json

Restart Cursor and log in again.

Still not working?

1. Check cursor.sh status — Service may be down
2. Contact support — support@cursor.sh
3. Try different network — Some ISPs block auth servers
4. Use VS Code as fallback — While fixing Cursor

FAQ

Why does Cursor keep asking me to log in?

This usually happens when your session expires or your authentication token is corrupted. Log out completely, clear the cache, and log back in. If it keeps happening, your license may have expired.

Can I use Cursor without a subscription?

Cursor has a free tier with limited AI completions. For full access, you need a Pro subscription ($20/month) or higher. Check your account status at cursor.sh/account.

How do I check if Cursor is down?

Visit cursor.sh/status to check the service status. You can also check Twitter/X for @cursor_sh for outage announcements.

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