How to Set Up Windsurf IDE in 2026: Complete Guide

Windsurf is an AI-native IDE built by Codeium, designed from the ground up for agentic coding — see our Cursor vs Windsurf comparison if you are deciding between the two. It’s based on VS Code’s open-source foundation, which means you get a familiar editing experience paired with Cascade — Windsurf’s standout feature that can autonomously browse your codebase, run terminal commands, and make coordinated multi-file edits in a single flow.

This guide walks you through installation, your first project setup, and getting hands-on with every major Windsurf feature.

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Prerequisites

Before you start, you’ll need:

• A computer running macOS (10.15+), Windows (10+), or Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora, or Arch)
• At least 500 MB of free disk space
• An internet connection for downloading, account creation, and AI features
• VS Code installed (optional — only if you want to import your existing setup)

System Requirements

Windsurf is comparable to VS Code in resource usage, plus some overhead for AI features. A machine with 8 GB of RAM and a modern processor handles it comfortably. The AI processing happens server-side, so you don’t need a powerful GPU.

Step 1: Download and Install Windsurf

Visit windsurf.com and download the installer for your operating system. The site detects your platform automatically.

• macOS: Open the .dmg file and drag Windsurf into your Applications folder. On Apple Silicon Macs, Windsurf runs natively — no Rosetta required.
• Windows: Run the .exe installer. Follow the setup wizard, which gives you options to add Windsurf to your PATH and create a desktop shortcut.
• Linux: Download the .deb package (Debian/Ubuntu) or the .AppImage (other distributions). For the AppImage, make it executable: chmod +x Windsurf-*.AppImage.

Installation takes under a minute on most machines.

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Step 2: First Launch and VS Code Import

Launch Windsurf and you’ll be greeted by an onboarding wizard. The first question: would you like to import from VS Code?

If you’re migrating from VS Code, click Import. This brings over:

• Extensions — most of your VS Code extensions work out of the box
• Themes — your color theme and icon pack
• Keybindings — all custom keyboard shortcuts
• Settings — your settings.json preferences
• Snippets — any custom code snippets

If you skip this step, you can import later from Settings (gear icon) > Import from VS Code.

Tip: Close VS Code before importing to avoid file lock issues. If the import partially fails, try running it again with VS Code fully closed.

Step 3: Create Your Account and Choose a Plan

Windsurf prompts you to sign in or create an account. You can authenticate with:

• Google
• GitHub
• Email and password

Windsurf offers several tiers:

• Free tier — includes a generous number of autocomplete suggestions and a limited number of Cascade flow credits per month, enough to evaluate the tool thoroughly
• Pro plan ($15/month) — unlimited autocomplete, significantly more Cascade flow credits, and access to faster models
• Team/Enterprise plans — centralized billing, admin controls, and additional security features

Start with the free tier. You can upgrade anytime from Settings > Subscription. For a full breakdown of each tier, see our Windsurf pricing guide.

Step 4: Open a Project and Let Windsurf Index It

Click File > Open Folder (or use the welcome screen’s Open Folder button) and select a project directory. Windsurf immediately begins indexing your codebase. A progress indicator appears in the bottom status bar.

Indexing lets Windsurf understand your project’s structure, functions, types, and relationships so the AI can provide context-aware suggestions. For most projects, indexing completes in seconds. Very large monorepos may take a minute or two.

To exclude directories from indexing (which speeds things up and reduces noise), create a .windsurfignore file in your project root:

node_modules
dist
build
.next
.git
coverage
vendor
*.min.js

Step 5: Try Supercomplete (Autocomplete)

Open a source file and start writing code. Windsurf’s autocomplete — called Supercomplete — shows inline suggestions in grey ghost text as you type. These go beyond simple next-token prediction; Supercomplete is aware of your recent edits and can anticipate your next action.

Key shortcuts for autocomplete:

Action	Mac	Windows/Linux
Accept suggestion	Tab	Tab
Dismiss suggestion	Esc	Esc
Accept word by word	Cmd+Right Arrow	Ctrl+Right Arrow
Trigger manually	Alt+\	Alt+\

Try this: write a function signature, add a comment describing the logic, and pause. Supercomplete will suggest the implementation based on your comment and the patterns in your codebase.

Step 6: Try Cascade — The Core of Windsurf

Cascade is what sets Windsurf apart from other AI coding tools. Press Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux) to open the Cascade panel.

Cascade operates in two modes:

Write Mode

In Write mode, Cascade can create and edit files across your project. It reads your codebase, forms a plan, and executes multi-file changes. You review each change before it’s applied.

Try these prompts:

• “Add input validation to all the API route handlers in this project”
• “Create a new React component for a user profile card, including styles and tests”
• “Refactor the database queries in src/services/ to use parameterized queries”

Chat Mode

In Chat mode, Cascade answers questions without making changes. Use it for understanding code, debugging, and brainstorming:

• “Explain the authentication flow in this project”
• “What would happen if the database connection times out in this function?”
• “Suggest a better approach for caching in @api/products.ts”

How Cascade Flows Work

When you give Cascade a Write-mode prompt, it follows a structured flow:

1. Reads relevant files across your project to understand context
2. Plans the changes, showing you a step-by-step outline
3. Executes the changes, presenting diffs for each file
4. Iterates if errors occur — it can read terminal output and adjust

You maintain control throughout. Each proposed change shows a clear diff you can accept, reject, or ask Cascade to revise.

Step 7: Use the Terminal Integration

Windsurf’s AI is deeply connected to your integrated terminal. Open the terminal with Ctrl+` and run your dev server, test suite, or build command.

If something fails, ask Cascade:

• “Why did that test fail?”
• “Fix the TypeScript compilation errors in the terminal”
• “The dev server crashed — what went wrong?”

Cascade reads the terminal output directly and provides targeted answers. This is especially powerful for debugging build errors, test failures, and runtime exceptions.

You can also ask Cascade to run commands for you. In Write mode, Cascade can execute terminal commands as part of its flow — for example, installing a dependency before creating a file that imports it.

Step 8: Use the Command Palette and Key Shortcuts

Like VS Code, Windsurf has a Command Palette. Press Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) to access all available commands.

Essential Windsurf-specific shortcuts:

Action	Mac	Windows/Linux
Open Cascade	Cmd+L	Ctrl+L
Inline edit (Cmd+K style)	Cmd+K	Ctrl+K
Toggle terminal	Ctrl+`	Ctrl+`
Open Command Palette	Cmd+Shift+P	Ctrl+Shift+P
Open settings	Cmd+,	Ctrl+,
Quick file open	Cmd+P	Ctrl+P

Step 9: Configure Windsurf Settings

Click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner to open Settings. Key settings to review:

AI Model Selection

Under the AI settings, you can choose which models power Cascade and autocomplete. Windsurf supports multiple models, and Pro users get access to faster, more capable options.

Autocomplete Preferences

Configure how aggressively Supercomplete suggests code:

• Toggle multi-line suggestions on or off
• Adjust the suggestion delay
• Enable or disable suggestions in specific contexts (comments, strings)

Privacy and Telemetry

Review the privacy settings to understand what data is sent to Codeium’s servers. You can disable telemetry if needed. Enterprise plans offer options to keep code entirely on-premises.

Keybinding Customization

If you’re used to a different IDE’s shortcuts, Windsurf lets you install keybinding presets for Vim, Emacs, Sublime Text, IntelliJ, and others from the Extensions marketplace.

Step 10: Set Up Project-Level AI Instructions

Create a .windsurfrules file in your project root to give Cascade standing instructions about your codebase:

This is a Python FastAPI project with SQLAlchemy and Alembic.
Use type hints everywhere.
Follow PEP 8 conventions.
Write docstrings in Google style.
Tests use pytest with fixtures defined in conftest.py.
Error responses should use the standard ErrorResponse model.

Cascade reads this file at the start of every flow and applies these conventions to all suggestions and edits within the project.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Extensions not loading or crashing? Windsurf supports most VS Code extensions via the Open VSX registry. However, some extensions that rely on VS Code-proprietary APIs (especially Microsoft-published extensions like Live Share) may not work. Check the Extensions panel for warnings. Search for alternative extensions if needed.

Cascade not responding or timing out? Verify your internet connection — Cascade requires cloud connectivity. Also check that you haven’t exhausted your free-tier flow credits for the month. View your usage in Settings > Subscription. If the problem persists, try restarting Windsurf.

High memory usage? Exclude large directories from indexing with a .windsurfignore file. Close workspace folders you aren’t actively using. If memory use stays high, restart the application.

VS Code import was incomplete? Run the import again from Settings > Import from VS Code with VS Code completely closed. Some extensions may need to be reinstalled manually from the Extensions panel.

Autocomplete not triggering? Check that Supercomplete is enabled in Settings. Also verify that the file type is supported — Windsurf provides the best suggestions for popular programming languages (JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, Rust, C/C++, etc.).

Cascade making changes you didn’t expect? Always review the diff before accepting. You can ask Cascade to revise its plan or undo changes. For more control, use Chat mode to discuss the approach before switching to Write mode for execution.

Keyboard shortcuts conflicting with OS shortcuts? On macOS, Cmd+L may conflict with the browser address bar if you’re using Windsurf’s web-based preview. Remap conflicting shortcuts in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts.

Next Steps

You’re set up with Windsurf and ready to explore agentic coding. Keep going with these resources:

• Read our full Windsurf review for a deep dive into Cascade, performance, and pricing
• Compare your options in our Windsurf vs Cursor comparison
• Check Windsurf pricing to decide if Pro is worth upgrading to
• Learn about the AI coding landscape in our best AI coding tools roundup

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