How do you use Windsurf for full-stack apps in 2026?
Quick Answer: As of April 2026, Windsurf (Codeium) supports full-stack development through Cascade, an agentic editor mode that reads the entire repo, runs tests, and applies multi-file edits across frontend, backend, and infrastructure code. Connect a database via the built-in MCP integrations and use rules files to encode framework conventions.
Using Windsurf for Full-Stack Apps
Windsurf is the AI-first IDE from Codeium. As of April 2026, it competes directly with Cursor and Claude Code for full-stack development.
Step 1 — Open the Repo and Index
Open the project root in Windsurf. The first time, Windsurf indexes the codebase locally. Indexing covers source files, tests, and configuration; the index is persisted in the workspace settings.
Step 2 — Use Cascade for Multi-File Edits
Cascade is the agentic mode. Open the Cascade panel and describe the change in plain language (e.g., "add a /users API endpoint with Postgres backing and a React detail page"). Cascade:
- Lists planned files to modify
- Generates frontend (React component, route), backend (Express handler, validation), and migration (SQL) edits in one pass
- Runs the test suite if requested
- Surfaces inline diffs for review
Step 3 — Connect Tools via MCP
Windsurf supports MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for database queries, browser inspection, and shell command execution. Common MCP servers configured for full-stack work:
- Postgres MCP — Run SQL against a dev database
- Browser MCP — Inspect rendered DOM and console output
- Filesystem MCP — Read/write outside the indexed workspace
Step 4 — Encode Conventions
Add a .windsurfrules file in the repo root with framework conventions (e.g., "Use Drizzle ORM for database access", "All routes return JSON envelopes with data and error keys"). Cascade reads this file on every session, reducing rework.
Cost
Windsurf Pro is $15/user/month with usage limits. Higher tiers add unlimited fast usage and team admin features.