micsapp Windsurf Core Workflow A
Overview
Primary money-path workflow for Windsurf. This is the most common use case. Windsurf is an AI-powered code editor built by Codeium that uses agentic flows called Cascade to understand and act on your codebase across multiple files simultaneously. Unlike simple autocomplete tools, Windsurf can execute multi-step tasks such as refactoring an entire module, writing tests for existing code, or debugging a chain of errors with full codebase context.
Prerequisites
- Completed
windsurf-install-authsetup - Understanding of Windsurf core concepts
- Valid API credentials configured
Instructions
Step 1: Initialize
Open your project in Windsurf and verify that the AI index has been built for the codebase. The indexing step allows Windsurf to understand the full context of your project rather than treating each file in isolation. Check that your model tier (standard or Pro) is configured to match the complexity of tasks you intend to perform.
// Step 1 implementation
Step 2: Execute
Invoke the Cascade agent with a natural-language instruction describing the task. Be specific about scope — name the files, functions, or patterns involved. Windsurf will plan its approach, make the necessary edits across files, and present a diff for your review. Read the proposed changes carefully before accepting, particularly for refactoring tasks that touch many files.
// Step 2 implementation
Step 3: Finalize
Review and accept the changes proposed by Cascade. Run your test suite to confirm nothing was broken by the edits. If tests fail, provide Windsurf with the error output and ask it to diagnose and fix the issue — the editor retains context about the changes it just made, which makes iterative debugging efficient.
// Step 3 implementation
Output
- Completed Core Workflow A execution
- Multi-file code changes applied by Windsurf Cascade
- Test suite verification confirming no regressions introduced
- Success confirmation or error details if the agent could not complete the task
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Error 1 | Cause | Solution |
| Error 2 | Cause | Solution |
Examples
Complete Workflow
// Complete workflow example
Common Variations
- Variation 1: Description
- Variation 2: Description
Resources
Next Steps
For secondary workflow, see windsurf-core-workflow-b.