2 min lesson
Local process, hosted model, billed to the key owner
Connect "Install @cursor/sdk yourself, export CURSOR_API_KEY, and stream one local Agent.send against a throwaway folder" to the decision you would make.
Step 1 of 2
The job: you can create the first SDK run and explain the credential boundary. Start with this check: Credentials are loaded securely. Keep it small enough to check the result yourself instead of taking the summary on trust.
First local @cursor/sdk run
0:28 · narratedRead this demo as text
- npm install at-cursor slash sdk, then one local Agent.create. The key stays in the environment — length only in the log. Agent.send streams status, a tool call, and a finished answer. Local is your process and files; the model is still hosted, and usage bills to whoever owns that key.
Practice next: Install @cursor/sdk yourself, export CURSOR_API_KEY, and stream one local Agent.send against a throwaway folder.
Simulated Cursor 3.12 (macOS, light) — beta educational reconstruction, not the real product.