
How to add Claude Skills MCP Server to Windsurf
Semantic search and progressive loading of Claude Agent Skills for any MCP-compatible AI assistant. Paste the config into ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json and restart Windsurf.
Last updated June 14, 2026 · 392★ · stdio · no auth
Windsurf config for Claude Skills MCP Server
uvx claude-skills-mcp{
"mcpServers": {
"claude-skills-mcp-server": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"claude-skills-mcp"
]
}
}
}Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.
Setup steps
- 1Open Windsurf → Cascade → the hammer/MCP icon → Configure (or edit ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json).
- 2Paste the Claude Skills MCP Server config below.
- 3Fill in placeholder secrets, then save.
- 4Click Refresh in the MCP panel.
- 5Claude Skills MCP Server's tools become available to Cascade.
Before you start
- uv / uvx installed (Astral) to run the package
- Python 3.12
- Internet access on first run to download the backend (~250 MB) and fetch skill sources from GitHub
- An MCP-compatible client such as Cursor
What Claude Skills MCP Server can do in Windsurf
find_helpful_skillsSemantic search for relevant skills based on a task description, using vector embeddings and similarity matching.
read_skill_documentRetrieve specific files (scripts, data, references) from a skill, supporting progressive disclosure of skill content.
list_skillsView the complete inventory of all loaded skills, intended for exploration and debugging.
Security
No API keys required; runs locally over stdio. On first use the lightweight frontend auto-downloads and starts a ~250 MB backend (PyTorch + sentence-transformers) from PyPI in the background, which can take ~60-120 seconds one time. Skills are fetched from public GitHub repositories and cached locally. The README states the server is no longer hosted or maintained.
Claude Skills MCP Server + Windsurf FAQ
Where is the Windsurf config file?
Windsurf reads MCP servers from ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. Paste the Claude Skills MCP Server config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.
Is Claude Skills MCP Server safe to use with Windsurf?
No API keys required; runs locally over stdio. On first use the lightweight frontend auto-downloads and starts a ~250 MB backend (PyTorch + sentence-transformers) from PyPI in the background, which can take ~60-120 seconds one time. Skills are fetched from public GitHub repositories and cached locally. The README states the server is no longer hosted or maintained.
Do I need an API key?
No. The server runs locally and requires no API keys. Skills are fetched from public GitHub repositories and cached locally.
Why is there a delay on first use?
The lightweight frontend (~15 MB) starts in under 5 seconds and immediately exposes the tools, then auto-downloads the ~250 MB backend (with PyTorch and sentence-transformers) in the background, which takes about 60-120 seconds the first time. Subsequent uses are instant.
Which skills are loaded by default?
About 90 skills: Anthropic's official skills (~15) and K-Dense AI's scientific skills (78+). You can also configure additional GitHub repositories or local directories such as ~/.claude/skills.