Add the Brave Search MCP server to Windsurf

Config last verified Jun 1, 2026

The exact config to run Brave Search in Windsurf — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.

Prerequisites

Windsurf installed.
BRAVE_API_KEY — API key for the Brave Search API.

Setup

1. Open `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`

On Windows the file lives at %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json.

2. Add this configuration

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server",
        "--transport",
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "<BRAVE_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Windsurf and confirm the Brave Search tools load.

Gotchas

Windsurf's Cascade reads MCP servers from an "mcpServers" object in ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. Unlike most clients, remote servers are configured with the "serverUrl" field rather than "url", so a config that uses "url" silently fails to connect. Native remote transport is supported without an OAuth flow.

← Back to the Brave Search MCP server