Add the TiDB MCP server to Windsurf

Config last verified Jun 1, 2026

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

Prerequisites

Windsurf installed.
TIDB_HOST — Hostname of your TiDB server or TiDB Cloud cluster.
TIDB_PORT — Port of the TiDB server, typically 4000.
TIDB_USERNAME — TiDB username used to authenticate.
TIDB_PASSWORD — Password for the TiDB user.
TIDB_DATABASE — Default database to connect to.

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": {
    "tidb": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "pytidb[mcp]",
        "tidb-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TIDB_HOST": "<TIDB_HOST>",
        "TIDB_PORT": "<TIDB_PORT>",
        "TIDB_USERNAME": "<TIDB_USERNAME>",
        "TIDB_PASSWORD": "<TIDB_PASSWORD>",
        "TIDB_DATABASE": "<TIDB_DATABASE>"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Windsurf and confirm the TiDB 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.

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