Connect the hosted CitationBench MCP server to Windsurf by editing mcp_config.json. Two-minute install lets Cascade run keyword, content, and outreach tools.

Connect the CitationBench MCP server to Windsurf. Two minutes.

Prerequisites

Windsurf installed (codeium.com/windsurf)
A CitationBench API key — or just connect in demo mode without one
A workspace ID

Step 1 — Find the Windsurf MCP config

Location: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

Create the file if it doesn't exist.

Step 2 — Add the CitationBench server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "citationbench": {
      "serverUrl": "https://mcp.citationbench.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer sk_live_***",
        "X-Workspace-Id": "ws_***"
      }
    }
  }
}

For demo mode, omit the headers.

Step 3 — Restart Windsurf

Quit and reopen. Open the Cascade panel (the AI chat).

Step 4 — First tool call

Research keywords for project management software (fast depth, 50 results).

Cascade calls research.keyword.research and renders the result.

Approval mode

Windsurf surfaces approval prompts for tool calls. Workspace-level approval policies also apply server-side.

Debugging

Verify the JSON syntax
Verify the API key at https://app.citationbench.com/api-keys
Try demo mode (omit headers)
Check Windsurf's MCP server status panel

What to try next

Catalog
Setup — Claude Code (similar developer experience)
Playbook · Build an SEO agent in Claude Code — patterns translate
Quickstart — MCP

Setup the CitationBench MCP server in Windsurf