An unattended Cursor CLI run needs the agent to fetch a documentation page from the web. What happens when no web fetch permission entry covers that domain?

The principle — Web access through the fetch tool is governed by permission entries, rather than being open by default.

Why the key is correct — Without an allowlist entry, each fetch prompts for approval. In an interactive session that is a small interruption; in an unattended run nobody answers, so the job waits. Adding the domain to the allow list is what lets the fetch proceed unattended.

Why the others are wrong — The agent does not reach the web freely, and assuming it does is the belief that causes the stall. Nor is an unlisted fetch dropped quietly, because a prompt is raised rather than a page skipped. And approving one fetch does not write that domain into the allowlist by itself.

Remember this — Allowlist the domains an unattended run needs before the run, rather than during it.

Sources — Cursor's CLI Permissions documentation.