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How to Use Claude 4 Sonnet Model in Cursor IDE

BlogsClaude 4Cursor IDEAI CodingDevelopment ToolsAbout 2 min

How to Use Claude 4 Sonnet Model in Cursor IDE

Introduction

Cursor IDE has recently integrated support for Anthropic's Claude 4 Sonnet model, offering developers a powerful AI coding assistant with an impressive 120k token context window. This guide will walk you through the setup process, key features, and capabilities of using Claude 4 Sonnet in your development workflow.

Claude 4 Sonnet: Key Capabilities

1. Enhanced Intelligence

  • State-of-the-art coding: Claude 4 Sonnet sets new benchmarks in code generation, understanding, and modification
  • Extended context: 120k token window allows for processing and understanding of large codebases in a single context
  • Hybrid reasoning: Combines fast responses with deep, step-by-step thinking when needed

2. Advanced Features

  • Tool use: Native support for function calling and API interactions
  • Vision capabilities: Can process and understand images, diagrams, and visual data
  • Multi-language support: Proficient in over 20 programming languages
  • Self-correction: Ability to recognize and correct its own mistakes
  • Precise code editing: Makes targeted changes without modifying unrelated code

3. Performance Benchmarks

  • Coding excellence: Top performance on SWE-bench and other programming benchmarks
  • Agent capabilities: Exceptional at complex, multi-step programming tasks
  • Code quality: Produces cleaner, more maintainable code with fewer errors
  • Large-scale navigation: Significantly improved handling of complex codebases

4. Practical Benefits

  • Faster development: Reduces coding time with accurate suggestions and completions
  • Improved accuracy: Lower error rates in code generation and modification
  • Better context understanding: Maintains coherence across long conversations and large files
  • Adaptive behavior: Can adjust response style from concise to detailed as needed

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  1. A Cursor IDE account with usage-based pricing enabled
  2. Access to premium models enabled in your account settings
  3. Cursor IDE version 0.50.x or later

Enabling Claude 4 Sonnet

Step 1: Update Cursor IDE

Make sure you're running the latest version of Cursor IDE (0.50.x or later). You can check for updates in the application menu.

Step 2: Access Model Settings

  1. Open Cursor IDE
  2. Navigate to Settings (⌘ + , on Mac or Ctrl + , on Windows/Linux)
  3. Find and select the Models section

Step 3: Select Claude 4 Sonnet

  1. In the Models section, locate Claude 4 Sonnet in the available models list
  2. If you don't see it, ensure you've enabled premium models in your account settings
  3. Disable Auto-select model to manually choose Claude 4 Sonnet

Step 4: Accessing the Model

After selection, you can find the model selector in the top-right corner of the editor, next to the Agent mode toggle.

Pricing Information (as of May 2025)

Cursor is currently offering a 50% discount on Claude 4 Sonnet usage:

  • Claude 4 Sonnet: 0.5 requests ($0.02)
  • Claude 4 Sonnet Thinking: 0.75 requests ($0.03)

Key Features

1. Extended Context

With a 120k token context window, Claude 4 Sonnet can process and understand significantly more code at once compared to previous models.

2. Tool Calling

Claude 4 Sonnet supports tool calling, allowing for more interactive and dynamic coding assistance.

3. MAX Mode

Enable MAX mode for more comprehensive and detailed responses, though this will consume more tokens.

Best Practices

  1. Be Specific with Prompts: Provide clear, detailed instructions to get the best results
  2. Use the Right Model: For most coding tasks, the standard Claude 4 Sonnet provides an excellent balance of cost and performance
  3. Monitor Usage: Keep an eye on your usage in the Cursor IDE settings to manage costs effectively

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues:

  • Verify your Cursor IDE is up to date
  • Check that you have the necessary permissions enabled in your account
  • Try signing out and back in to refresh your authentication
  • Contact Cursor support if problems persist

Conclusion

Claude 4 Sonnet brings powerful AI assistance to Cursor IDE, with its extended context and advanced capabilities. By following this guide, you can start leveraging this cutting-edge model to enhance your development workflow today.

Note: Features and pricing are subject to change. Please refer to the official Cursor IDE documentation for the most up-to-date information.

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