How to Use Windsurf IDE: The AI Coding Agent That Thinks Ahead (2026)

Windsurf, created by Codeium, takes a fundamentally different approach to AI coding compared to Copilot or Cursor. Instead of waiting for you to ask questions, Windsurf’s Cascade system proactively understands your intent, reads relevant files, runs commands, and makes coordinated changes across your codebase — all while keeping you in control.

This tutorial covers everything from setup to mastering Cascade’s agentic workflow, making the most of Flows, and integrating Windsurf into your daily development.

TL;DR — Quick Start

1. Download from windsurf.com — free tier available
2. Import VS Code settings with one click
3. Open Cascade with Cmd+L — it’s your AI pair programmer
4. Let it work: Cascade reads files, runs commands, and edits code proactively
5. Review changes: Accept or reject each modification

Windsurf vs Cursor vs Copilot

Feature	Windsurf	Cursor	VS Code + Copilot
Approach	Agentic (proactive)	Interactive	Reactive
Multi-file edits	Automatic via Cascade	Composer	Limited
Terminal commands	Runs automatically	Manual	Manual
Context gathering	Proactive file reading	Manual @mentions	Limited
Code completion	Supercomplete	Tab	Line-by-line
Free tier	Yes	Yes	No ($10/mo)
Price (Pro)	$15/mo	$20/mo	$10/mo
VS Code extensions	Full compatibility	Full compatibility	Native

Installation

Step 1: Download Windsurf

Visit windsurf.com and download for Windows, macOS, or Linux.

Step 2: Import VS Code Settings

On first launch, Windsurf offers to import:

• Extensions
• Keybindings
• Settings and themes
• Workspace configurations

Step 3: Choose Your Plan

• Free: Supercomplete autocomplete, limited Cascade credits
• Pro ($15/month): Unlimited Cascade, priority models, more credits
• Enterprise: Team management, SSO, compliance features

Core Feature: Cascade

Cascade is Windsurf’s AI agent — it doesn’t just answer questions, it takes actions.

What Makes Cascade Different

Traditional AI coding assistants wait for you to:

1. Select code
2. Write a prompt
3. Copy-paste the suggestion

Cascade instead:

1. Reads your codebase to understand context
2. Plans a multi-step approach
3. Edits files, creates files, runs terminal commands
4. Shows you exactly what it did for approval

Opening Cascade

• Press Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Windows)
• The Cascade panel opens on the right side
• Type your request in natural language

Example: “Add user authentication”

When you type this, Cascade might:

1. Read your existing project structure and package.json
2. Identify your framework (Express, Next.js, etc.)
3. Install necessary packages (bcrypt, jsonwebtoken)
4. Create auth middleware, routes, and controllers
5. Update your database schema
6. Add environment variables
7. Show you every change for review

Cascade Modes

Write Mode: Cascade can edit files and run commands

• Use for feature implementation, bug fixes, refactoring
• Cascade explains each action before taking it
• You can accept/reject individual changes

Chat Mode: Cascade only answers questions (no edits)

• Use for code explanation, architecture questions, debugging help
• No file modifications or terminal commands

Toggle between modes using the selector at the top of the Cascade panel.

Flows: Multi-Step Awareness

Flows track your development context across multiple interactions. Unlike traditional chat that forgets after each exchange, Flows maintain understanding of:

• What you’ve been working on
• What files you’ve modified
• What commands you’ve run
• What your current objective is

How Flows Work

1. Start a new task in Cascade
2. As you work, Windsurf tracks your actions (file edits, terminal commands, file views)
3. When you ask a follow-up question, Cascade has full context
4. No need to re-explain what you’re doing

Example Flow

You: "Create a REST API for todo items"
Cascade: [Creates routes, controller, model, tests]

You: "Add pagination"
Cascade: [Knows exactly which files to modify, updates the existing routes and controller]

You: "Now add rate limiting"
Cascade: [Understands the full API structure, adds middleware appropriately]

Supercomplete: Smart Autocomplete

Windsurf’s autocomplete goes beyond single-line suggestions:

Features

• Multi-line completions: Suggests entire function bodies
• Context-aware: Reads your codebase patterns
• Smart Tab: Press Tab to accept, Esc to dismiss
• Inline documentation: Suggests doc comments based on function signatures

Tips for Better Completions

• Write descriptive function names
• Add a brief comment before complex logic
• Keep consistent coding patterns
• Type signatures help guide suggestions

Terminal Integration

Cascade can run terminal commands automatically:

Automatic Execution

When implementing a feature, Cascade may:

• Run npm install package-name to add dependencies
• Execute npx prisma migrate for database changes
• Run tests with npm test to verify changes work
• Start dev servers to test functionality

Command Approval

Before running any command, Cascade:

1. Shows the command it wants to execute
2. Explains why it needs to run it
3. Waits for your approval (or auto-runs in trusted mode)

Manual Terminal AI

Use Cmd+K in the terminal to generate commands from natural language:

• “Find all TODO comments in the project” → generates the right grep command
• “Show disk usage of the current directory” → du -sh ./*

Working with Existing Code

Codebase Understanding

Cascade indexes your project for fast, accurate context:

• Understands import relationships
• Knows your coding patterns and conventions
• Identifies relevant files for any task
• Tracks dependencies and configurations

Debugging with Cascade

1. Paste an error message into Cascade
2. It reads the relevant files automatically
3. Identifies the root cause
4. Suggests and implements the fix
5. Runs tests to verify

Code Review

Ask Cascade to review your changes:

• “Review my recent changes for bugs”
• “Are there any security issues in the auth module?”
• “What could go wrong with this database query?”

Advanced Features

Custom Rules

Create a .windsurfrules file in your project root:

Framework: Next.js 15 with App Router
Language: TypeScript with strict mode
Styling: Tailwind CSS
Testing: Jest + React Testing Library
Database: PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM

Conventions:
- Use server components by default
- Client components must be explicitly marked
- All API routes include input validation with Zod
- Error handling follows the project's ErrorBoundary pattern

Multi-File Refactoring

Cascade excels at coordinated changes:

• “Rename the User model to Account across the codebase”
• “Convert all class components to functional components”
• “Add TypeScript types to the utils/ directory”
• “Migrate from Express to Fastify”

Git Integration

Cascade understands your git state:

• “What changed since the last commit?”
• “Help me write a commit message for these changes”
• “Create a PR description summarizing my branch changes”

Practical Workflows

Starting a New Project

1. Open an empty directory
2. Tell Cascade: “Set up a Next.js 15 project with TypeScript, Tailwind, Prisma, and authentication”
3. Cascade creates the entire project scaffold
4. Review and customize as needed

Bug Fixing

1. Paste the error into Cascade
2. Cascade reads relevant files
3. It identifies the root cause
4. Implements the fix
5. Runs tests to confirm

Feature Development

1. Describe the feature in natural language
2. Cascade plans the implementation
3. Creates/modifies files across your project
4. Runs commands to install dependencies
5. Verifies with tests or dev server

Code Migration

1. Describe the migration: “Upgrade from React 18 to React 19”
2. Cascade identifies affected files
3. Makes coordinated changes
4. Updates dependencies
5. Fixes any compatibility issues

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Cmd+L	Open Cascade
Cmd+K	Inline edit / Terminal AI
Tab	Accept completion
Esc	Dismiss suggestion
Cmd+Enter	Send Cascade message
Cmd+Shift+L	Add selection to Cascade

Troubleshooting

Cascade Not Responding

• Check your internet connection
• Verify your account status and credits
• Restart Windsurf (Cmd+Shift+P → “Reload Window”)

Incorrect File Edits

• Reject the change and provide more specific instructions
• Add context: “@file:path/to/relevant/file”
• Update your .windsurfrules for project-specific guidance

Extensions Not Working

• Most VS Code extensions work out of the box
• Some may need reinstallation
• Check Windsurf’s extension marketplace for compatibility

FAQ

Is Windsurf free?

Yes, the free tier includes unlimited Supercomplete autocomplete and limited Cascade credits. The Pro plan at $15/month unlocks unlimited Cascade and priority model access, making it cheaper than Cursor Pro ($20/month).

How does Windsurf compare to Cursor?

Windsurf takes a more agentic approach — Cascade proactively reads files and runs commands rather than waiting for explicit instructions. Cursor gives you more manual control with @mentions and Composer. Both are built on VS Code and support the same extensions.

Can Windsurf use different AI models?

Yes, Windsurf supports multiple models including GPT-4o and Claude. The specific model selection depends on your plan tier. Pro users get access to the latest premium models.

Does Windsurf support my programming language?

Windsurf supports all languages that VS Code supports, with AI features optimized for popular languages including Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, C++, Go, Rust, Ruby, and more.

Is my code private?

Windsurf offers privacy controls. Code is processed to provide AI features but you can configure privacy settings. Enterprise plans include additional security features like SOC 2 compliance and on-premise options. For more insights, check out our guide on Best ChatGPT Alternatives for Coding (2026). For more insights, check out our guide on 35 ChatGPT Prompts for Coding & Programming.

Conclusion

Windsurf’s agentic approach to AI coding represents the next evolution beyond autocomplete and chat-based assistants. Instead of constantly prompting an AI, you describe what you want and Cascade handles the implementation details — reading files, making edits, running commands, and verifying results.

Start with the free plan to experience Cascade’s workflow. The proactive context gathering and multi-file editing capability make it particularly powerful for full-stack development and complex refactoring tasks. If you’re coming from VS Code, the transition is seamless thanks to full extension and settings compatibility.