micsapp Windsurf Architecture Variants
Overview
Workspace and project architectures for Windsurf AI IDE. How you structure your workspace directly impacts Cascade's effectiveness -- large monorepos, multi-project setups, and team configurations each require different approaches.
Prerequisites
- Windsurf installed
- Understanding of Cascade's workspace indexing
- Git workflow established
Instructions
Step 1: Single Project Workspace (Simple)
Best for: Individual developers, single-service projects.
my-project/
├── .windsurfignore # Exclude build artifacts
├── src/
├── tests/
├── package.json
└── README.md
Cascade indexes the entire workspace. Keep it focused on one project for best AI context.
Step 2: Focused Monorepo Windows (Moderate)
Best for: Teams with monorepo, multiple services.
# DON'T: open the entire monorepo root in Windsurf
# Cascade will index thousands of files, slow context
# DO: open individual service directories
code packages/api/ # One Windsurf window for API
code packages/frontend/ # Another window for frontend
# .windsurfignore at monorepo root (if you must open root)
packages/*/node_modules/
packages/*/dist/
packages/*/coverage/
**/build/
**/generated/
Step 3: Multi-Window Team Workflow (Scale)
Best for: Large teams, microservices, shared codebase.
Developer A: Windsurf -> services/auth/ (auth service)
Developer B: Windsurf -> services/payments/ (payments service)
Developer C: Windsurf -> shared/libs/ (shared libraries)
# Each developer gets focused Cascade context
# Shared libraries in a separate workspace
Team conventions:
1. One Windsurf window per service/package
2. Use .windsurfignore in every package
3. Cascade tasks scoped to current workspace only
4. Cross-service changes: open both workspaces
5. Tag cascade commits: git commit -m "[cascade] description"
Decision Matrix
| Factor | Single Project | Focused Monorepo | Multi-Window Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team Size | 1-2 | 3-10 | 10+ |
| Codebase | < 10K files | 10K-100K files | 100K+ files |
| Cascade Speed | Fast | Moderate | Fast (per window) |
| Setup | None | .windsurfignore | Per-service windows |
Error Handling
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cascade is slow | Too many files indexed | Open smaller workspace, add .windsurfignore |
| Wrong file context | Monorepo root open | Open specific service directory |
| Conflicting edits | Multiple devs, same files | Use feature branches per Cascade session |
Examples
Optimized .windsurfignore
node_modules/
dist/
build/
.next/
coverage/
*.min.js
*.map
__pycache__/
.venv/
*.log
Resources
Output
- Configuration files or code changes applied to the project
- Validation report confirming correct implementation
- Summary of changes made and their rationale