Add the Zep Graphiti MCP server to Windsurf
Config last verified Nov 10, 2026
The exact config to run Zep Graphiti in Windsurf — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.
Prerequisites
- Windsurf installed.
- OPENAI_API_KEY — OpenAI key for entity extraction and the default embedder. Other providers use ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, GOOGLE_API_KEY, GROQ_API_KEY, AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY, or VOYAGE_API_KEY.
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": {
"zep": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"OPENAI_API_KEY",
"-e",
"NEO4J_URI",
"-e",
"NEO4J_USER",
"-e",
"NEO4J_PASSWORD",
"zepai/knowledge-graph-mcp:standalone",
"uv",
"run",
"--no-sync",
"main.py",
"--transport",
"stdio",
"--database-provider",
"neo4j"
],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "<OPENAI_API_KEY>",
"NEO4J_URI": "<NEO4J_URI>",
"NEO4J_USER": "<NEO4J_USER>",
"NEO4J_PASSWORD": "<NEO4J_PASSWORD>"
}
}
}
}3. Restart Windsurf and confirm the Zep Graphiti 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.