Windsurf Cheat Sheet

Codeium's agentic IDE. AI pair programmer with flows, memory, and deep codebase understanding.

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Installation

1. Download from https://codeium.com/windsurf 2. Install (available for macOS, Windows, Linux) 3. Sign in with Codeium account (free) 4. Start coding with built-in AI

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Core Features

Cascade (AI Chat)

Multi-turn conversation with codebase context. Open: Cmd+Shift+Space (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+Space (Win/Linux)

> Explain the authentication flow
> Add rate limiting to the API
> Write tests for UserService

Autocomplete (Tab)

Inline code suggestions as you type.

• Tab — Accept suggestion
• Escape — Reject
• Works across all languages

Flows (Workflows)

Reusable AI workflows for common tasks. Open Flows: Cmd+Shift+F (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+F (Win/Linux)

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Cmd+Shift+Space / Ctrl+Shift+Space	Open Cascade (Chat)
Cmd+Shift+F / Ctrl+Shift+F	Open Flows
Cmd+Shift+L / Ctrl+Shift+L	New Chat
Tab	Accept autocomplete
Escape	Cancel/Reject
Cmd+K / Ctrl+K	Inline command

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Cascade Commands

Context References

Command	Description
@file	Reference specific file
@folder	Reference folder
@symbol	Reference function/class
@terminal	Reference terminal output
@web	Search web (requires internet)

Examples

> @file:auth.ts Explain this middleware
> @folder:components List all React components
> @symbol:UserService Show all methods
> @terminal Why did the build fail?
> @web Latest TypeScript 5.4 features

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Flows (Pre-built Workflows)

Windsurf includes flows for common tasks:

Built-in Flows

Flow	Description
Review Code	Code review with suggestions
Write Tests	Generate unit tests
Fix Errors	Debug and fix errors
Refactor	Refactor code for quality
Explain Code	Explain complex code
Document	Add JSDoc/docstrings
Optimize	Performance optimization

Use a Flow

1. Open Flows (Cmd+Shift+F) 2. Select flow 3. Follow prompts 4. Review changes

Custom Flows

Create .windsurf/flows/ in project root:

# .windsurf/flows/add-api-endpoint.yaml
name: Add API Endpoint
description: Add new REST API endpoint with validation
steps:
  - prompt: "What is the endpoint name?"
    variable: endpoint_name
  - prompt: "What HTTP method? (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)"
    variable: http_method
  - action: generate
    template: |
      Create a {{http_method}} endpoint at /api/{{endpoint_name}}
      - Add request validation
      - Add error handling
      - Add tests

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Inline Commands (Cmd+K / Ctrl+K)

Quick inline edits:

1. Select code 2. Press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Win/Linux) 3. Enter command 4. Accept/Reject

Common Commands

/fix - Fix selected code
/explain - Explain selected code
/test - Write tests for selected code
/refactor - Refactor selected code
/document - Add documentation
/optimize - Optimize performance

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Memory System

Windsurf remembers context across sessions.

What's Remembered

• Previous conversations
• Code changes
• Project structure
• User preferences

Manage Memory

• Clear Memory: Settings → Windsurf → Clear Memory
• Privacy Mode: Settings → Windsurf → Privacy Mode

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Settings

Windsurf Settings

Setting	Description
Windsurf: Enable Autocomplete	Toggle autocomplete on/off
Windsurf: Temperature	Creativity (0-1)
Windsurf: Max Tokens	Response length
Windsurf: Context Window	Token limit for context
Windsurf: Privacy Mode	Disable cloud sync/memory
Windsurf: Auto-Apply Low-Risk Edits	Auto-accept simple edits

Model Configuration

Windsurf uses Codeium's proprietary models:

• Windsurf-Large — Best quality
• Windsurf-Fast — Fast responses
• Windsurf-Balanced — Default (balanced speed/quality)

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Project Configuration (.windsurfrules)

Create .windsurfrules in project root:

# .windsurfrules
Code Style
Use TypeScript strict mode
Prefer functional programming patterns
Use async/await over promises
Follow Prettier formatting

Testing
Use Jest for unit tests
Use Testing Library for React
Aim for 80%+ coverage
Test edge cases

Commit Messages
Format: <type>(<scope>): <description>
Types: feat, fix, docs, refactor, test
Max 72 characters

Forbidden Actions
Never modify package.json without asking
Never delete tests
Never disable linting rules
Always add error handling

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Examples

Code Generation

Cascade:
> Create a REST API for user management with:
> - GET /users (list all)
> - GET /users/:id (get one)
> - POST /users (create)
> - PUT /users/:id (update)
> - DELETE /users/:id (delete)
> Add validation and error handling

Refactoring

Cascade:
> @file:LegacyComponent.tsx Refactor this to:
> 1. Use functional components
> 2. Add TypeScript types
> 3. Extract custom hooks
> 4. Add error boundaries

Testing

Flow: Write Tests
> Select file: UserService.ts
> Generate tests with 90% coverage
> Include edge cases and error scenarios

Bug Fixing

Cascade:
> @terminal The build is failing with this error
> Find the root cause and fix it

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Tips & Best Practices

Cascade (Chat)

• Start conversations with clear goals
• Use @file and @folder to provide context
• Reference errors with @terminal
• Ask follow-up questions for clarification

Autocomplete

• Wait 100-200ms for suggestions
• Use Tab for quick acceptance
• Reject bad suggestions with Escape

Flows

• Use built-in flows for common tasks
• Create custom flows for repetitive work
• Test flows before relying on them

Memory

• Clear memory when switching projects
• Use privacy mode for sensitive code
• Review what Windsurf remembers in settings

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Pricing

Free (Forever)

• Unlimited autocomplete
• Unlimited Cascade chat
• All built-in flows
• No credit card required

Pro ($10/month)

• Priority access
• Faster responses
• Early access to new features
• Advanced flows

Teams ($12/user/month)

• Everything in Pro
• Team workspaces
• Shared flows
• Admin controls
• Usage analytics

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Troubleshooting

Autocomplete Not Working

• Check Windsurf: Enable Autocomplete setting
• Reload window (Cmd+R / Ctrl+R)
• Check internet connection

Cascade Responses Slow

• Switch to Windsurf-Fast model (Settings)
• Reduce context size (avoid large folders)
• Check internet connection

Flows Not Running

• Check flow syntax in .windsurf/flows/
• Reload window to refresh flows
• Check logs: Help → Toggle Developer Tools

Memory Issues

• Clear memory: Settings → Clear Memory
• Check storage: Settings → Storage Usage
• Use privacy mode to disable memory

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Advanced Features

Terminal Integration

> @terminal Run the dev server
> @terminal Install dependencies with npm
> @terminal What's the error from the last command?

Multi-File Edits

> Refactor authentication across all files:
> 1. Extract to AuthService
> 2. Update all components to use AuthService
> 3. Update tests

Documentation Generation

Flow: Document
> Select folder: src/api/
> Generate JSDoc for all functions

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Extensions

Windsurf supports VS Code extensions:

Recommended

• Prettier — Code formatting
• ESLint — Linting
• GitLens — Git integration
• Error Lens — Inline errors
• Tailwind IntelliSense — Tailwind support

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Resources

• Official Site: https://codeium.com/windsurf
• Documentation: https://codeium.com/windsurf/docs
• Discord: https://discord.gg/codeium
• Changelog: https://codeium.com/windsurf/changelog
• Flows Repo: https://github.com/codeium/windsurf-flows