Install — Claude Code, Cursor, or Windsurf

Install — Claude Code, Cursor, or Windsurf

Run the Worthless proxy locally, then point your editor’s SDK at it.

[!NOTE] Worthless includes both an HTTP proxy and an MCP server. Your editor talks to AI providers through the proxy via BASE_URL. The MCP server (worthless mcp) exposes lock, scan, status, and spend tools for agent-driven workflows (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf).

Prerequisites

git clone https://github.com/shacharm2/worthless && cd worthless
uv pip install -e .
worthless lock          # protect your .env keys

Claude Code

Option A — use wrap (recommended):

worthless wrap claude    # starts proxy, injects BASE_URL, launches Claude Code

Option B — run the proxy separately:

worthless up -d          # start proxy in background on port 8787
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8787
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8787
claude                   # SDK calls route through the proxy

Cursor

Start the proxy, then configure Cursor’s environment:

worthless up -d

In Cursor settings, add:

OPENAI_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8787

Or use worthless wrap cursor if Cursor supports being launched from the command line.

Windsurf

Start the proxy, then configure Windsurf’s environment:

worthless up -d

In Windsurf settings, add:

OPENAI_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8787

How it works

1. worthless lock splits your API key and replaces .env with shard-A (format-preserving, looks like a real key)
2. worthless up (or wrap) starts a local HTTP proxy on port 8787
3. Your editor’s SDK calls hit localhost:8787 instead of the provider directly
4. The proxy reconstructs the real key in memory, makes the upstream call, and zeros the key

Your editor works identically. Your key is never stored in plaintext.

[!NOTE] Planned: Cloud proxy. A hosted proxy that eliminates the need to run locally is planned. See the roadmap for timeline.