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Overview

Configure Deepcon MCP in Windsurf (Codeium’s agentic IDE) through the MCP configuration file. Windsurf uses a similar setup to Cursor but with its own config file.

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Installation Methods

  • Project-Level Configuration
  • Global Configuration

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Project-Level Configuration

Recommended for team projects
1

Create Configuration Directory

Create the .windsurf directory in your project root:
mkdir -p .windsurf
2

Create Configuration File

Create mcp_config.json in the .windsurf directory:
.windsurf/mcp_config.json
3

Add Configuration

Add the following to mcp_config.json:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "deepcon": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "deepcon-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DEEPCON_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
4

Add Your API Key

Replace your-api-key-here with your actual API key
5

Restart Windsurf

Completely restart Windsurf IDE
This configuration only applies to the current project and can be shared with your team via version control.
Replace your-api-key-here with your actual API key from the dashboard

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Verify Connection

After configuration, verify the setup:
1

Restart Windsurf

Completely quit and restart Windsurf IDE
2

Open Cascade

Open the Windsurf AI assistant (Cascade)
3

Check MCP Status

Look for MCP server indicators in the status bar
4

Check Available Tools

Verify Deepcon tools are available:
  • search_documentation
5

Test Search

Try asking: “Use Deepcon to search Next.js documentation for API routes”

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Team Setup

For team collaboration, commit the project-level configuration:
Terminal
git add .windsurf/mcp_config.json
git commit -m "Add Deepcon MCP configuration for Windsurf"
git push
Security Note: When sharing config files, use environment variables for API keys instead of hardcoding them.

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Using Environment Variables

For team setups, reference an environment variable:
.windsurf/mcp_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "deepcon": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "deepcon-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DEEPCON_API_KEY": "${DEEPCON_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}
Then each team member sets their own API key:
.env or shell profile
export DEEPCON_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

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Troubleshooting

Solution: Ensure Node.js is installed and accessibleCheck Node.js version (need 19+):
node --version
Verify npx is available:
npx --version
Make sure Windsurf can access Node.js:
which node
which npx
Solution: Verify your API key is correct
  1. Check the API key in mcp_config.json
  2. Ensure no extra spaces or quotes
  3. Get a fresh key from dashboard
  4. Restart Windsurf after updating
Solution: Check file location and namingWindsurf uses mcp_config.json (with underscore), not mcp.jsonVerify the file exists:
# For project-level
ls -la .windsurf/mcp_config.json

# For global
ls -la ~/.windsurf/mcp_config.json
Ensure proper permissions:
chmod 644 .windsurf/mcp_config.json
Solution: Validate your JSON configurationUse a JSON validator:
# On macOS/Linux with jq
cat .windsurf/mcp_config.json | jq .
Or use jsonlint.comCommon mistakes:
  • Missing commas between entries
  • Trailing commas at the end
  • Unescaped quotes in strings
Solution: Fully restart Windsurf
  1. Close all Windsurf windows
  2. Quit the application completely
  3. Restart Windsurf
  4. Reopen your project

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Windsurf-Specific Features

Windsurf’s Cascade AI assistant can use Deepcon tools in unique ways:

Contextual Documentation

Cascade can automatically search relevant documentation based on your code context

Flow Integration

Use Deepcon searches as part of multi-step coding flows

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Next Steps

Search Documentation

Learn how to use the search tool

Best Practices

Tips for effective searches

Examples

Real-world usage examples