Cascade MCP Integration

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a protocol that enables LLMs to access custom tools and services. An MCP client (Cascade, in this case) can make requests to MCP servers to access tools that they provide. Cascade now natively integrates with MCP, allowing you to bring your own selection of MCP servers for Cascade to use. See the official MCP docs for more information.

Enterprise users must manually turn this on via settings

Adding a new MCP

New MCPs can be added from the MCP Marketplace, which you access by clicking on the MCPs icon in the top right menu in the Cascade panel, or from the Windsurf Settings > Cascade > MCP Servers section. If you cannot find your desired MCP, you can add it manually by editing the raw mcp_config.json file. Official MCPs will show up with a blue checkmark, indicating that they are made by the parent service company. When you click on a MCP, simply click Install to expose the server and its tools to Cascade. Windsurf supports three transport types for MCP servers: stdio, Streamable HTTP, and SSE. Windsurf also supports OAuth for each transport type. For http servers, the URL should reflect that of the endpoint and resemble https://<your-server-url>/mcp.

Configuring MCP tools

Each MCP has a certain number of tools it has access to. Cascade has a limit of 100 total tools that it has access to at any given time. On each MCP settings page, you can toggle the tools that you wish to enable. To open settings for a MCP, click on the MCPs icon in the top right menu in the Cascade panel, and click on the desired MCP.

mcp_config.json

The ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json file is a JSON file that contains a list of servers that Cascade can connect to. Here’s an example configuration, which sets up a single server for GitHub:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Be sure to provide the required arguments and environment variables for the servers that you want to use. See the official MCP server reference repository or OpenTools for some example servers.

Popular MCP Server Examples

Below are configuration examples for some commonly used MCP servers. These can be added to your mcp_config.json file.

GitHub

Repository management, file operations, and GitHub API integration.

The GitHub MCP server provides tools for repository management, file operations, issue tracking, and pull request management.Using npx:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Docker:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run", "-i", "--rm",
        "-e", "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

To create a personal access token, visit GitHub Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens.

Slack

Channel management and messaging capabilities for Slack workspaces.

The Slack MCP server enables channel management, messaging, and workspace interactions.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-slack"],
      "env": {
        "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "<YOUR_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN>",
        "SLACK_TEAM_ID": "<YOUR_SLACK_TEAM_ID>"
      }
    }
  }
}

To set up a Slack bot token:

Create a Slack App at api.slack.com/apps
Add the required OAuth scopes (e.g., channels:read, chat:write, users:read)
Install the app to your workspace and copy the Bot User OAuth Token

PostgreSQL

Read-only database access with schema inspection capabilities.

The PostgreSQL MCP server provides read-only access to PostgreSQL databases, including schema inspection and query execution.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
      "env": {
        "POSTGRES_CONNECTION_STRING": "postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/database"
      }
    }
  }
}

The PostgreSQL server provides read-only access by default for safety. Ensure your connection string uses appropriate credentials with limited permissions.

Filesystem

Secure file operations with configurable access controls.

The Filesystem MCP server provides secure access to local files and directories with configurable access controls.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/allowed/directory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

You can specify multiple allowed directories by adding additional path arguments. Only files within these directories will be accessible.

Brave Search

Web and local search using Brave's Search API.

The Brave Search MCP server enables web search capabilities using Brave’s Search API.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-brave-search"],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "<YOUR_BRAVE_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

To get a Brave API key, sign up at brave.com/search/api.

Memory

Knowledge graph-based persistent memory system.

The Memory MCP server provides a persistent memory system using a knowledge graph, allowing Cascade to remember information across sessions.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory"]
    }
  }
}

The memory server stores data locally and persists across sessions, making it useful for maintaining context about projects, preferences, and learned information.

Remote HTTP MCPs

It’s important to note that for remote HTTP MCPs, the configuration is slightly different and requires a serverUrl or url field. Here’s an example configuration for an HTTP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "remote-http-mcp": {
      "serverUrl": "<your-server-url>/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "API_KEY": "value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Config Interpolation

The ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json file handles interpolation of environment variables in these fields: command, args, env, serverUrl, url, and headers. Here’s an example configuration, which uses an AUTH_TOKEN environment variable in headers.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "remote-http-mcp": {
      "serverUrl": "<your-server-url>/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "API_KEY": "Bearer ${env:AUTH_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Admin Controls (Teams & Enterprises)

Team admins can toggle MCP access for their team, as well as whitelist approved MCP servers for their team to use:

MCP Team Settings

Configurable MCP settings for your team.

The above link will only work if you have admin privileges for your team.

By default, users within a team will be able to configure their own MCP servers. However, once you whitelist even a single MCP server, all non-whitelisted servers will be blocked for your team.

The Server ID in the whitelist must match the key name case sensitive used in the user’s mcp_config.json.

How Server Matching Works

When you whitelist an MCP server, the system uses regex pattern matching with the following rules:

Full String Matching: All patterns are automatically anchored (wrapped with ^(?:pattern)$) to prevent partial matches
Command Field: Must match exactly or according to your regex pattern
Arguments Array: Each argument is matched individually against its corresponding pattern
Array Length: The number of arguments must match exactly between whitelist and user config
Special Characters: Characters like $, ., [, ], (, ) have special regex meaning and should be escaped with \ if you want literal matching

Configuration Options

Option 1: Plugin Store Default (Recommended)

Leave the Server Config (JSON) field empty to allow the default configuration from the Windsurf MCP Plugin Store.

Admin Whitelist Configuration:

Server ID: github-mcp-server
Server Config (JSON): (leave empty)

{}

Matching User Config (mcp_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

This allows users to install the GitHub MCP server with any valid configuration, as long as the server ID matches the plugin store entry.

Option 2: Exact Match Configuration

Provide the exact configuration that users must use. Users must match this configuration exactly.

Admin Whitelist Configuration:

Server ID: github-mcp-server
Server Config (JSON):

{
  "command": "docker",
  "args": [
    "run",
    "-i",
    "--rm",
    "-e",
    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
    "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
  ],
  "env": {
    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": ""
  }
}

Matching User Config (mcp_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Users must use this exact configuration - any deviation in command or args will be blocked. The env section can have different values.

Option 3: Flexible Regex Patterns

Use regex patterns to allow variations in user configurations while maintaining security controls.

Admin Whitelist Configuration:

Server ID: python-mcp-server
Server Config (JSON):

{
  "command": "python3",
  "args": ["/.*\\.py", "--port", "[0-9]+"]
}

Matching User Config (mcp_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "python-mcp-server": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/home/user/my_server.py", "--port", "8080"],
      "env": {
        "PYTHONPATH": "/home/user/mcp"
      }
    }
  }
}

This example allows users flexibility while maintaining security:

The regex /.*\\.py matches any Python file path like /home/user/my_server.py
The regex [0-9]+ matches any numeric port like 8080 or 3000
Users can customize file paths and ports while admins ensure only Python scripts are executed

Common Regex Patterns

Pattern	Matches	Example
`.*`	Any string	`/home/user/script.py`
`[0-9]+`	Any number	`8080`, `3000`
`[a-zA-Z0-9_]+`	Alphanumeric + underscore	`api_key_123`
`\\$HOME`	Literal `$HOME`	`$HOME` (not expanded)
`\\.py`	Literal `.py`	`script.py`
`\\[cli\\]`	Literal `[cli]`	`mcp[cli]`

Notes

Admin Configuration Guidelines

Environment Variables: The env section is not regex-matched and can be configured freely by users
Disabled Tools: The disabledTools array is handled separately and not part of whitelist matching
Case Sensitivity: All matching is case-sensitive
Error Handling: Invalid regex patterns will be logged and result in access denial
Testing: Test your regex patterns carefully - overly restrictive patterns may block legitimate use cases

Troubleshooting

If users report that their MCP servers aren’t working after whitelisting:

Check Exact Matching: Ensure the whitelist pattern exactly matches the user’s configuration
Verify Regex Escaping: Special characters may need escaping (e.g., \. for literal dots)
Review Logs: Invalid regex patterns are logged with warnings
Test Patterns: Use a regex tester to verify your patterns work as expected

Remember: Once you whitelist any server, all other servers are automatically blocked for your team members.

General Information

Since MCP tool calls can invoke code written by arbitrary server implementers, we do not assume liability for MCP tool call failures. To reiterate:
We currently support an MCP server’s tools, resources, and prompts.

Editor

Cascade

Accounts

Context Awareness

Troubleshooting

Security

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Adding a new MCP

Configuring MCP tools

mcp_config.json

Popular MCP Server Examples

Remote HTTP MCPs

Config Interpolation

Admin Controls (Teams & Enterprises)

MCP Team Settings

How Server Matching Works

Configuration Options

Common Regex Patterns

Notes

Admin Configuration Guidelines

Troubleshooting

General Information

Editor

Cascade

Accounts

Context Awareness

Troubleshooting

Security

​Adding a new MCP

​Configuring MCP tools

​mcp_config.json

​Popular MCP Server Examples

​Remote HTTP MCPs

​Config Interpolation

​Admin Controls (Teams & Enterprises)

MCP Team Settings

​How Server Matching Works

​Configuration Options

​Common Regex Patterns

​Notes

​Admin Configuration Guidelines

​Troubleshooting

​General Information

Adding a new MCP

Configuring MCP tools

mcp_config.json

Popular MCP Server Examples

Remote HTTP MCPs

Config Interpolation

Admin Controls (Teams & Enterprises)

How Server Matching Works

Configuration Options

Common Regex Patterns

Notes

Admin Configuration Guidelines

Troubleshooting

General Information