How do I add an MCP server to Windsurf?

1. Open the Cascade panel 2. Choose the plugins icon, then Configure 3. Add the server under mcpServers and refresh

Can Windsurf run a local MCP server?

Yes. It can start a local process and talk to it over stdio, so packaged servers work without any hosting.

Which parts of the protocol does Windsurf not support?

It does not implement resources, prompts, sampling or elicitation. A server whose value is mostly in those features will feel incomplete here.

Does Windsurf need restarting after adding a server?

No, it picks up the change without a restart.

When was this setup information last checked?

These details were verified on 2026-07-15. Clients change their configuration format from time to time, so check the official documentation if something does not work.

Windsurf

Agentic IDE from Codeium. Servers are configured for the Cascade agent in a single JSON file.

IDE verified 2026-07-15

How to add a server to Windsurf

Open the Cascade panel
Choose the plugins icon, then Configure
Add the server under mcpServers and refresh

Where the configuration lives

Global	~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

Global

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

Local server configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "{{name}}": {
      "command": "{{command}}",
      "args": {{args}}{{envBlock}}
    }
  }
}

Hosted server configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "{{name}}": {
      "serverUrl": "{{url}}"
    }
  }
}

Placeholders such as {{name}}, {{command}}, {{args}} and {{url}} are filled from each server's package or endpoint data.

Protocol support

Support is uneven across clients. A server that only exposes prompts is of no use in a client that does not implement them.

Transports
Transport	Supported
stdio	Yes
Streamable HTTP	Yes
SSE	Yes

Features
Feature	Supported
Tools	Yes
Resources	No
Prompts	No
Sampling	No
Roots	No
Elicitation	No
OAuth	Yes

Official Windsurf MCP documentation

Frequently asked questions

How do I add an MCP server to Windsurf?: 1. Open the Cascade panel 2. Choose the plugins icon, then Configure 3. Add the server under mcpServers and refresh
Where is the Windsurf MCP configuration file?: global: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
Can Windsurf run a local MCP server?: Yes. It can start a local process and talk to it over stdio, so packaged servers work without any hosting.
Which parts of the protocol does Windsurf not support?: It does not implement resources, prompts, sampling or elicitation. A server whose value is mostly in those features will feel incomplete here.
Does Windsurf need restarting after adding a server?: No, it picks up the change without a restart.
When was this setup information last checked?: These details were verified on 2026-07-15. Clients change their configuration format from time to time, so check the official documentation if something does not work.

Other clients

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