Human-in-the-loop for Windsurf
Windsurf's Cascade agent chains many steps together, so one unchecked assumption can propagate across a whole flow. Add Orako to mcp_config.json and Cascade can stop at the decision point, ask the right person, and thread their answer back into the run.
Connect Orako to Windsurf
- 01
Merge the snippet below into ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json (Windsurf also has a UI under Cascade's MCP panel).
- 02
Approve access in the browser, auto-prompted on first use. Cascade picks up the
asktool with the rest of its MCP tools. - 03
Human-only decisions are routed through Orako before the flow continues.
{
"mcpServers": {
"orako": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://app.orako.io/mcp"]
}
}
}Uses the generic mcp-remote proxy (not an Orako binary) to bridge Windsurf's stdio-only servers to Orako's remote endpoint; newer Windsurf builds may offer a native serverUrl field, prefer it if yours does. Windsurf caps active MCP tools at 100 across all servers, and Orako stays lean on purpose: 8 core tools, so it fits alongside your other servers.
New to MCP in Windsurf? See Windsurf’s docs.
What Windsurf can ask
Windsurf's Cascade, with a human in the loop.
Data-flow intent before wiring
Cascade is about to connect a form to a queue and the retention rule is unclear. It asks the data owner first, so the whole downstream flow is built on the right assumption.
Permission rules mid-implementation
Who can see archived projects? Cascade asks the person who owns permissions and encodes the real rule instead of the plausible one.
Long flows that shouldn't stall
A question fires, the flow keeps building the parts that don't depend on it, and the reply slots in when it arrives.
Windsurf + Orako, answered
Does Windsurf support MCP natively?
Yes. Cascade connects to local and remote MCP servers configured in ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json, using stdio, Streamable HTTP, or SSE transports. Orako connects through the generic mcp-remote proxy, which bridges Windsurf's stdio-only servers to Orako's remote endpoint: no Orako binary, no token to configure.
Will Orako eat into Windsurf's 100-tool limit?
Barely. Windsurf loads at most 100 MCP tools at once across all servers. Orako exposes a deliberately small 8-tool core loop (search, ask, follow up, close), so it leaves room for the rest of your stack.
Do my teammates need this agent installed to answer?
No. Only the developer running the agent connects Orako. The people answering receive each question in Slack, Discord, or the Orako dashboard and reply in the thread. They never touch an editor, a terminal, or an MCP config.
What happens to the answers?
Every resolved conversation becomes searchable team history with its authors, date, tags and full context. Agents call search_history before asking, so a question your team already answered can be reused instead of pinging anyone again.
Put a human in the loop for Windsurf
Give Windsurf the one thing it can’t generate: the answer only your team knows.