Windsurf · Cascade · ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

Image tools inside the flow, not beside it.

Cascade already reads your codebase and edits across files. Add one MCP server and it can also produce the artwork those files need — no tab switch, no download folder, no forgotten asset.

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~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonpaste and refresh
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imagemcp": {
      "serverUrl": "https://mcp.imagemcpserver.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "x-api-key": "sk-img-gen-your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

If your build wants a command instead: replace the entry with "command": "npx" and "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.imagemcpserver.com/mcp", "--header", "x-api-key:sk-img-gen-…"]. Same tools, one local bridge process.

Eleven tools land in Cascade’s tool list

Each one arrives with its full JSON schema, so Cascade knows the parameters, the enums and which fields are required without you explaining any of it.

generate_image

text-to-image and image-to-image

generate_transparent_image

generate + cut out in one call

edit_image

inpaint, retouch, restyle

remove_background

alpha cutout

upscale_image

2x / 4x / 8x

text_to_svg

real vector paths

compress_image

quality-controlled re-encode

convert_format

six raster formats

multicall

run the above in parallel

get_user_info

credits and plan · free

list_models

live model catalogue · free

Confirm it is live

Refresh the MCP panel, then ask Cascade something only the server can answer:

“Check my image credit balance and list the models I can use.”

Both calls are free. If Cascade returns real numbers and a real model list, the connection is good and you have spent nothing to find out.

Three fixes that cover most failures

Nothing appears in the panel

The JSON is malformed, or the file was created in the wrong directory. Validate it, then confirm the path.

Server shows but tools error

The key is wrong, revoked, or has a stray space. Test it with a direct curl before blaming the client.

Tools appear but never get called

Cascade will not reach for a tool it has no reason to use. Say “generate an image with the imagemcp tools” explicitly the first time.

Windsurf questions

Where is the Windsurf MCP config file?

At ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. You can also reach it from the MCP panel in Windsurf settings, which opens the same file — editing either way is equivalent.

My Windsurf build only accepts command-based servers. What then?

Use the npx mcp-remote form. It spawns a local bridge that speaks stdio to Windsurf and HTTP to the endpoint, which works regardless of what remote transports your build supports.

Do I need to refresh after editing the file?

Yes — use the refresh control in the MCP panel, or restart Windsurf. Servers are read at load, so an edit alone will not register.

Can Cascade run several image operations at once?

Yes, through the multicall tool. It takes a list of tool calls and executes them concurrently, which matters when a single request needs a dozen assets.

What does it cost to try?

Nothing. The free tier is 30 credits a month with no card, and the two account tools — get_user_info and list_models — never deduct credits at all.

Using a different editor?

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