# Windsurf Data Handling

> Control what code and data Windsurf AI can access and process in your Use when this capability is needed.

- Skill: `tomevault-io/windsurf-data-handling` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/windsurf-data-handling`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/windsurf-data-handling/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/windsurf-data-handling

---

# Windsurf Data Handling

## Overview
Control what code and data Windsurf's AI (Cascade, Supercomplete) can access. Covers file exclusion patterns, telemetry controls, Codeium's data processing model, and compliance configuration for regulated environments.

## Prerequisites
- Windsurf IDE installed
- Understanding of Codeium's data processing model
- Identified sensitive files and directories in workspace

## Instructions

### Step 1: Understand Codeium's Data Model

```yaml
# What happens with your code in Windsurf
data_flow:
  indexed_locally:
    what: "File contents, structure, dependencies"
    where: "Local machine only"
    purpose: "Supercomplete context, Cascade awareness"
    retention: "Persists until re-indexed"

  sent_to_cloud:
    what: "Cascade prompts, code snippets around cursor"
    where: "Codeium cloud (or self-hosted for Enterprise)"
    purpose: "AI model inference"
    retention: "Zero-data retention for ALL paid plans"

  never_processed:
    what: "Files in .codeiumignore, .gitignore, node_modules"
    where: "N/A"
    purpose: "N/A"

  compliance:
    certifications: ["SOC 2 Type II", "FedRAMP High"]
    hipaa: "BAA available for Enterprise customers"
    data_retention: "Zero for paid plans, configurable for Enterprise"
    deployment: "Cloud, Hybrid, or Self-Hosted options"
```

### Step 2: Configure .codeiumignore for Data Protection

```gitignore
# .codeiumignore — files Windsurf AI will NEVER see or index
# Uses gitignore syntax. Default: .gitignore and node_modules excluded.

# ===== SECRETS =====
.env
.env.*
.env.local
credentials.json
serviceAccountKey.json
*.pem
*.key
*.p12
*.pfx
.aws/
.gcloud/
.azure/
vault-config.*

# ===== CUSTOMER DATA =====
data/customers/
data/exports/
data/backups/
*.sql
*.sql.gz
*.dump
fixtures/production-*

# ===== INFRASTRUCTURE SECRETS =====
terraform.tfstate
terraform.tfstate.backup
*.tfvars
*.auto.tfvars
ansible/vault*

# ===== COMPLIANCE BOUNDARIES =====
# PCI zone — credit card processing code
src/pci/

# HIPAA zone — health data processing
src/hipaa/

# Financial data
reports/financial/
```

### Step 3: Disable Telemetry (Regulated Environments)

```json
// settings.json — maximum privacy configuration
{
  "codeium.enableTelemetry": false,
  "codeium.enableSnippetTelemetry": false,
  "telemetry.telemetryLevel": "off",
  "update.showReleaseNotes": false
}
```

### Step 4: Configure Autocomplete Data Boundaries

```json
// Disable Supercomplete for sensitive file types
{
  "codeium.autocomplete.languages": {
    "plaintext": false,
    "env": false,
    "dotenv": false,
    "properties": false,
    "ini": false,
    "yaml": false,
    "json": false
  }
}
```

**Rationale:** YAML and JSON files often contain configuration with secrets. Disabling Supercomplete for these types prevents the AI from seeing or suggesting content based on config files.

### Step 5: Safe Cascade Usage with Sensitive Code

```markdown
## Rules for using Cascade in regulated codebases

1. NEVER paste secrets into Cascade chat
   - BAD: "My API key is sk-abc123, why isn't it working?"
   - GOOD: "I'm getting auth errors. The key is set in .env as API_KEY."

2. NEVER ask Cascade to read excluded files
   - BAD: "Read .env and tell me what's configured"
   - GOOD: "What environment variables does src/config.ts expect?"

3. Use .windsurfrules to enforce safety patterns
   - "Always use process.env for secrets, never hardcode"
   - "Never log PII fields: email, phone, ssn, creditCard"

4. Mark compliance boundaries in .windsurfrules
   - "Files in src/pci/ handle credit card data — extra review required"
   - "Files in src/hipaa/ handle health data — never log patient info"
```

### Step 6: Enterprise Self-Hosted Deployment

For maximum data control:

```yaml
# Enterprise deployment options
deployment_modes:
  cloud:
    data_flow: "Code snippets → Codeium cloud → AI response"
    retention: "Zero-data retention (default for paid plans)"
    suitable_for: "Most teams"

  hybrid:
    data_flow: "Code stays on-prem, only prompts sent to cloud"
    retention: "Configurable"
    suitable_for: "Teams with data residency requirements"

  self_hosted:
    data_flow: "Everything on-prem or in your cloud"
    retention: "You control"
    suitable_for: "Highly regulated (finance, healthcare, government)"
    requires: "Enterprise plan + infrastructure team"
```

## Data Privacy Audit Checklist

- [ ] `.codeiumignore` covers all secret files and customer data
- [ ] Telemetry disabled (if required by policy)
- [ ] Autocomplete disabled for secret-containing file types
- [ ] `.windsurfrules` includes data handling coding standards
- [ ] Team trained: never paste secrets into Cascade
- [ ] Enterprise: deployment mode matches compliance requirements
- [ ] Enterprise: SSO configured, personal accounts blocked
- [ ] Regular audit: verify no new sensitive files outside ignore patterns

## Error Handling
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|-------|-------|----------|
| AI suggests hardcoded secrets | Secret was in indexed file | Add to `.codeiumignore`, rotate secret |
| PII appears in AI suggestions | Customer data in indexed directory | Exclude data directories |
| Telemetry still sending | Setting not applied | Verify in Settings UI, restart Windsurf |
| Compliance audit finding | Missing ignore patterns | Audit with `find` for exposed file types |

## Examples

### Quick Privacy Audit
```bash
set -euo pipefail
echo "=== Windsurf Data Privacy Audit ==="
echo "Has .codeiumignore: $([ -f .codeiumignore ] && echo 'YES' || echo 'NO')"
echo "Potential exposed secrets:"
find . -type f \
  -not -path '*/node_modules/*' -not -path '*/.git/*' \
  \( -name '*.env*' -o -name '*.key' -o -name '*.pem' -o -name 'credentials*' \) \
  2>/dev/null | while read f; do
    grep -q "$(basename "$f")" .codeiumignore 2>/dev/null && echo "  $f: PROTECTED" || echo "  $f: EXPOSED"
  done
```

## Resources
- [Codeium Privacy Policy](https://codeium.com/privacy-policy)
- [Windsurf Security](https://windsurf.com/security)
- [Windsurf Ignore Docs](https://docs.windsurf.com/context-awareness/windsurf-ignore)

## Next Steps
For enterprise access controls, see `windsurf-enterprise-rbac`.

---
> Source: [flight505/skill-forge](https://github.com/flight505/skill-forge) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).
<!-- tomevault:4.0:skill_md:2026-05-23 -->