Flowstep MCP for Windsurf
Flowstep's MCP server gives Windsurf's Cascade agent a design tool. Add one block to mcp_config.json, refresh your servers, and sign in with your Flowstep account. Cascade can then generate real UI screens, look at the renders, and edit them as part of the work it is already doing.
{
"mcpServers": {
"flowstep": {
"serverUrl": "https://api.flowstep.ai/mcp"
}
}
}Merge this into the mcpServers object if you already have servers configured, then refresh servers in Windsurf settings.
Signs in with your Flowstep account. No API keys.
Why connect Flowstep to Windsurf
Design inside the flow Cascade is already running
Cascade works across your project in long, multi-step runs. Adding Flowstep means a run can produce the screen and the implementation together, instead of stopping to wait on a design.
One config block, every project
mcp_config.json is global to Windsurf, so Flowstep is available in every workspace you open. Nothing to repeat per repo.
Pin the output to your design system
update-design-guidelines stores your colours, type and component rules on the Flowstep file. Every screen Cascade generates against that file follows them, without you restating the system in each prompt.
How to connect Flowstep to Windsurf
Setup takes about two minutes and there is no API key at any point. Windsurf authenticates against your Flowstep account over OAuth.
Edit mcp_config.json
Open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json and add the flowstep entry. If the file already has an mcpServers object, add the key rather than replacing it.
Refresh servers
In Windsurf settings, refresh the MCP server list. Flowstep appears with its tools once the connection is made.
Sign in with Flowstep
The first Flowstep tool call sends you to the browser to sign in. There is no API key to generate and nothing to paste back into the config file.
Ask Cascade for a screen
Cascade generates it in Flowstep and brings the render back into the conversation, then carries on with the code.
What Windsurf can do once connected
The server exposes 23 tools. Windsurf picks the ones it needs. You describe the outcome, not the tool call.
Generate and edit designs
AI tools that generate and edit screens, plus your messages left.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
ai-generate-screens | Generate brand-new screens from a description. |
ai-edit-screens | Edit one or more existing screens from a description. |
ai-generate-screen-variant | Add a next-step, error or empty state, or platform variant of one existing screen. |
ai-edit-screen-variant | Apply an edit or redesign preset to one existing screen. |
get-plan-details | Get plan, usage, and remaining quota. |
Read and manage screens
How the agent sees and manages screens on the canvas.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
list-screens | List the screens in a file. |
get-screen-image | Get a PNG of a screen in a file. |
get-screen-jsx | Get a screen's JSX and metadata from a file. |
add-screen-jsx | Add a screen's JSX and metadata to a file. |
replace-screen-jsx | Replace an existing screen's JSX and metadata in a file. |
rename-screen | Rename a screen in a file. |
delete-screen | Delete a screen from a file. |
get-chat-history | Get the chat history for a file. |
Manage files
Project housekeeping without switching to the browser.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
list-files | List the files in your account. |
get-file | Get a file in your account. |
create-file | Create a file in your account. |
update-file | Rename a file in your account. |
delete-file | Delete a file from your account. |
Keep output on-brand
Design guidelines are free-form text stored on a file and injected into every generation made against it.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
get-design-guidelines | Get the design guidelines for a file. |
update-design-guidelines | Set or replace the design guidelines for a file. |
delete-design-guidelines | Delete the design guidelines from a file. |
Bring in your own material
Reference images, PRDs, and existing Figma frames.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
upload-attachment | Upload a reference image or document. |
import-figma | Import a Figma frame into a file. |
Windsurf FAQs
Setup, billing and the things people hit on the way in
Using a different client?
Flowstep's MCP server is a standard remote HTTP server, so it works with any MCP client. These are the ones with step-by-step setup written up.
Claude Code
One command, then design from the terminal you already live in.
Set up Claude Code →Cursor
One-click install, then Agent designs and codes in the same repo.
Set up Cursor →Claude
One click in the connector directory, then design without opening an editor.
Set up Claude →Codex
One CLI command, then design from your Codex session.
Set up Codex →
See the full Flowstep MCP overview for the server URL, authentication details and the complete tool list.
MCP guides for design teams
How Flowstep compares to the Figma MCP server, the best MCP servers for design work, and what the Model Context Protocol actually is.
Flowstep MCP vs Figma MCP →
Two design-tool MCP servers, two different jobs — and why running both works.
The best MCP servers for design work →
The servers worth connecting when your agent's job involves an interface.
What is MCP? A designer's guide →
The protocol behind agent tooling, explained without the plumbing.
Design from Windsurf
Free to start. Connect the server, generate your first screen, keep the file.
No credit card required