Where does Windsurf store MCP servers?

In mcp_config.json, under your home directory: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json on macOS and Linux, or %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json on Windows.

Does Windsurf support a project-specific MCP config like Cursor?

No. Windsurf currently reads from one global mcp_config.json file. There is no per-project equivalent of Cursor's .cursor/mcp.json.

Why don't my MCP tools show up in Windsurf after I add a server?

Click Refresh in the hammer-icon panel in Cascade. If that doesn't pick up the change, fully quit and reopen Windsurf — closing just the settings window doesn't always reload MCP servers.

Is there a limit to how many MCP tools Windsurf can use?

Yes. Cascade caps the combined number of active tools from all connected MCP servers at 100. If you run several large servers, turn off the ones you don't need for the current project.

How to Use MCP in Windsurf

Windsurf reads MCP servers from a mcp_config.json file at ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json (or %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json on Windows). Add the server under a top-level mcpServers key — open it through the hammer icon in Cascade, under Configure → View raw config — then click Refresh in the same panel. Cascade can use the server's tools right away.

Windsurf supports MCP through a single global config file rather than a per-project one. Here is the exact config path, a working example, and how to refresh Cascade after adding a server.