Windsurf Common Errors

Overview

Quick reference for the most common Windsurf IDE errors and their solutions. Covers Cascade failures, Supercomplete issues, indexing problems, and extension conflicts.

Prerequisites

• Windsurf installed and previously working
• Access to Windsurf settings and logs

Reproduce the issue with a harmless workspace before changing shared configuration or collecting diagnostic data.

Authentication

The public status page requires no authentication. Account, organization, and MCP diagnostics use the operator's existing Devin Desktop session plus provider-specific OAuth or environment-backed credentials; redact all values from logs and support bundles.

Tool Use

• Use Read to inspect only the repository files and configuration needed for the request.
• Use Grep to locate relevant settings, rules, logs, or code without broad collection.
• Use only the command-scoped Bash entries declared in frontmatter, with non-destructive checks before mutations.

Instructions

Error 1: Cascade Not Responding

Symptoms: Cascade panel shows spinner indefinitely, no response to prompts.

Solutions:

1. Check internet connection -- Cascade requires cloud access
2. Check Windsurf status: https://status.windsurf.com
3. Check the usage meter and account state in Devin Desktop
4. Restart Cascade: Command Palette > "Cascade: Restart"
5. Restart Windsurf: Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P > "Reload Window"

Error 2: Supercomplete Not Showing Suggestions

Symptoms: No ghost text appears while typing.

Solutions:

1. Check if disabled: Click Windsurf widget (status bar) > verify autocomplete is ON
2. Check file type: Supercomplete may be disabled for certain languages
3. Check .codeiumignore: Current file might be excluded from indexing
4. Ensure not conflicting: Disable GitHub Copilot or TabNine if installed

// Verify in settings.json
{
  "editor.inlineSuggest.enabled": true,
  "codeium.autocomplete.enable": true
}

Error 3: Indexing Stuck or Slow

Symptoms: Status bar shows "Indexing..." for extended periods, Cascade lacks context.

Solutions:

1. Compare workspace file count and available memory with the current indexing guidance
2. Create or update .codeiumignore:

node_modules/
.git/
dist/
build/
.next/
coverage/
vendor/
__pycache__/
*.min.js
*.bundle.js
*.map

1. Open a subdirectory instead of monorepo root
2. Use the current indexing controls in Devin Desktop settings; preserve diagnostics before resetting

Error 4: Extension Conflicts

Symptoms: Duplicate suggestions, slow editor, features not working.

Known conflicts:

GitHub Copilot — conflicts with Supercomplete (disable one)
TabNine — conflicts with Supercomplete
Cody (Sourcegraph) — conflicts with Cascade
IntelliCode — may interfere with completions

Fix: Disable conflicting extensions:

Extensions sidebar > Search "copilot" > Disable

Error 5: Cascade Writes to Wrong Files

Symptoms: Cascade modifies files you didn't intend.

Solutions:

1. Be specific in prompts: name exact file paths
2. Add constraints: "Don't modify any files except src/services/auth.ts"
3. Use .codeiumignore to exclude sensitive directories from Cascade context
4. Review diffs before accepting -- use the Revert button per step
5. Always commit before Cascade sessions for safe rollback

Error 6: "Model not available" or Quota Exhausted

Symptoms: The usage meter shows exhausted daily or weekly quota, or a selected model is unavailable.

Solutions:

• Check the displayed daily and weekly reset times.
• Use a currently available free or lower-cost SWE-family model for routine work.
• On eligible paid plans, use extra usage only within an approved spending limit.
• Confirm the current plan at windsurf.com/subscription/manage-plan.

Error 7: MCP Server Not Connecting

Symptoms: MCP tools not appearing in Cascade, "server disconnected" errors.

Solutions:

1. Verify MCP is enabled: Settings > Cascade > MCP > Enable
2. Check config file: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
3. Verify command exists: Run the MCP command manually in terminal
4. Check environment variables: MCP config supports ${VAR} interpolation
5. Restart: Command Palette > "Cascade: Restart MCP Servers"

Error 8: Cascade Loses Context Mid-Conversation

Symptoms: Cascade forgets what it was doing, makes contradictory changes.

Solutions:

1. Keep conversations focused: one task per Cascade session
2. Start a new conversation for new tasks (Cmd/Ctrl+L, then + icon)
3. Use @ mentions to re-inject context: @src/services/auth.ts
4. Convert key decisions to Memories: "Remember that we're using JWT, not sessions"
5. For long tasks, use Workflows instead of multi-turn conversations

Output

Return the observed symptom, likely cause, evidence gathered, smallest corrective action, and a verification step. If the issue remains unresolved, include a sanitized reproduction and the exact support channel or documentation page to use next.

Error Handling

Issue	Quick Fix	Root Cause
No AI features	Check auth in status bar	Token expired, re-sign-in
Cascade slow	Add .codeiumignore	Indexing too many files
Wrong suggestions	Update .devin/rules/project.md	Missing project context
Preview broken	Close and re-open Preview	Dev server disconnected
Terminal errors	Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+.	Auto-debug via Cascade

Examples

Quick Health Check

# Check if Windsurf is installed
windsurf --version

# Check Codeium auth state
ls ~/.codeium/

Reset Everything

Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P):
1. Download diagnostics, then use the current indexing reset control.
2. "Cascade: Restart"
3. "Developer: Reload Window"

Resources

• Focused first-party references
• Windsurf Status Page
• Windsurf GitHub Issues
• Windsurf Documentation

Related Skill

Continue with windsurf-debug-bundle when the quick fixes do not resolve the issue and support-ready evidence must be collected safely.