Integration guides
Cursor
An AI-native code editor with built-in support for OpenAI-compatible services; enter the address and key to swap the default model for XylemNode's.
- 01
Open model settings
Open Cursor settings and go to the Models tab. To avoid clashing with the built-in models, first turn off the ones enabled by default.
- 02
Add a custom model
In the model list, click 'Add model' and enter the model name you want by hand (e.g. gpt-5.6-sol); it must match an available model in the console.
- 03
Override the Base URL and add the key
Find the OpenAI API Key section, tick 'Override OpenAI Base URL', and enter the address and key. It uses the OpenAI-compatible format, so the address needs /v1; click Verify once, then save when it passes.
Base URL: https://api.xylemnode.com/v1 API Key: sk-your-key Model: gpt-5.6-sol - 04
Pick a model and test
After saving, start a new chat, select the gpt-5.6-sol you just added from the model dropdown, and send a message to confirm.
Limits of the native method
With the built-in Base URL override, Cursor only opens up chat completions; features that rely on its own models — Agent, Edit, Tab — can't use a custom model. That's Cursor's BYOK limitation. To wire more scenarios to a custom model, see cursor-byok below.
Alternative: cursor-byok (for existing users)
Before Cursor's native support matured, the community often used the third-party tool cursor-byok to bridge their own model API into Cursor. It's a third-party tool, so follow its own docs for exact steps — the outline below is approximate. If you already use it, configure as shown; new users should try the native method above first.
Site / download- 01
Download and launch
Download the package for your OS from cursor-byok's GitHub Releases, unzip and launch it.
- 02
Enter the upstream config
In its config, point the upstream at XylemNode: use the OpenAI-compatible endpoint (with /v1), then enter the key and model name.
Base URL: https://api.xylemnode.com/v1 API Key: sk-your-key Model ID: gpt-5.6-sol - 03
Connect to Cursor and restart
Follow the tool's instructions to connect it to Cursor, then fully quit and reopen Cursor so the config takes effect.
- 04
Pick a model and test
In Cursor's model list, select the model connected via cursor-byok and send a message to confirm.
Common questions
The endpoint and key are set in Cursor, but the model is ignored or the agent reports BAD_MODEL_NAME
Three things to check. First, pasting the key and switching on "Use OpenAI API key" are two separate actions, and the base URL override only applies while the key is active — pasting without enabling is the usual cause. Second, once the override is on, Cursor's built-in models are routed through it too, so switch the override off to go back to them. Third, a custom model works in the main agent pane but is silently ignored by subagents; that is a current Cursor limitation, not a mistake in your config.
Cursor says a custom model already exists, or refuses to add it
The name collides with the internal ID of one of Cursor's built-in models, so it is treated as a duplicate and reported as already available. Enter the full identifier from the console (gpt-5.6-sol, for instance) rather than a short name that might match a built-in ID.