Windsurf stores MCP servers at ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. The easiest way to reach it is the MCPs icon at the top right of the Cascade panel, then Manage MCPs, then the option to view the raw config. It uses the mcpServers key, the same shape Cursor and Claude Desktop use.
Connect the Reddit MCP to Windsurf
Windsurf's Cascade reads MCP servers from mcp_config.json. Add the redditapis-mcp block, hit Refresh in the MCPs panel, and Cascade can search subreddits, read threads, and look up users with live Reddit tools.
Written by Emma, developer relations at Redditapis. The server is the published redditapis-mcp package, so every field below is verified against the live package and Windsurf's own docs.
How do you add the Reddit MCP to Windsurf?
Open the MCPs panel in Cascade (the icon at the top right), choose Manage MCPs, and edit the raw config at ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. Add the redditapis-mcp server under the mcpServers key with your REDDITAPIS_KEY, then click Refresh in the panel. Cascade then lists 11 read-only Reddit tools it can call in a conversation.
Set up the Reddit MCP in Windsurf
Windsurf keeps its MCP servers in one JSON file that Cascade reads. You can edit it from the Manage MCPs panel or open the file directly. After a change, use the panel's Refresh instead of restarting the editor.
Method: Config fileConfig:
~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonKey: mcpServersThe server (same for every client)
$ npx -y redditapis-mcp@latest~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
// ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"reddit": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "redditapis-mcp@latest"],
"env": { "REDDITAPIS_KEY": "YOUR_KEY" }
}
}
}1
Open Manage MCPs
In the Cascade panel, click the MCPs icon at the top right, then Manage MCPs. Choose the option to view the raw config to open mcp_config.json.
2
Add the server block
Paste the mcpServers entry and set REDDITAPIS_KEY to your key. The command and args are the standard stdio launch for redditapis-mcp.
3
Refresh the panel
Back in the MCPs panel, click Refresh. Windsurf reloads its servers from the file, so you do not have to restart the whole editor.
4
Use it in Cascade
Ask Cascade to pull posts or comments from a subreddit; it calls the reddit tools and works from the live response.
Confirm it connected
The Cascade MCPs panel shows reddit with its 11 tools after a Refresh. Settings, Cascade, MCP Servers is the same list in another place. A server that fails to load usually has an invalid JSON entry or a missing key.
The 11 Reddit tools Windsurf gets
The published server is read-only, so these tools read Reddit and never write. Votes, comments, and DMs stay REST write endpoints your agent calls directly, kept off the tool surface so a model cannot trigger a write by picking a tool. Your key, REDDITAPIS_KEY, authenticates every call.
reddit_searchreddit_subreddit_postsreddit_subreddit_topreddit_postreddit_post_commentsreddit_search_commentsreddit_search_communitiesreddit_search_mediareddit_search_usersreddit_user_profilereddit_user_commentsSame server, a different client?
The redditapis-mcp server runs the same way everywhere; only the config file and key differ per client. Setup for the others:
- Reddit MCP for Claude Desktop , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Claude Code , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Cursor , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for VS Code , servers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Kilo Code , mcp in JSONC
- Reddit MCP for OpenClaw , mcp.servers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Hermes , mcp_servers in YAML
- Reddit MCP server overview , the server, tools, and pricing
- Reddit API for AI agents , tool use, MCP, and RAG on Reddit
By the numbers
Reddit MCP access, by the numbers
Every Redditapis figure resolves to our published per-call rates; every external figure is a primary US source.
Redditapis bills reads at $0.002 per call, votes at $0.005, writes at $0.012, and DMs at $0.025, one flat rate for every account with no minimum spend. (Redditapis pricing, 2026)
The published redditapis-mcp server exposes 11 read tools behind one Bearer key, and every new account starts with $0.50 in free credits, enough for roughly 250 reads before any charge. (Redditapis, 2026)
Reddit's own commercial Data API is priced at $0.24 per 1,000 API calls, the rate that ended third-party apps like Apollo in 2023. (The Verge, 2023)
Reddit's free Data API tier is capped at 100 queries per minute per OAuth client, and 10 queries per minute without OAuth, so an MCP client polling at volume needs a managed layer. (Reddit Data API Wiki, 2026)
Reddit signed a reported $60 million-a-year deal to license its data for AI training, a sign of how valuable structured Reddit context has become for models. (Reuters, 2024)
Frequently asked questions
No full restart is needed. After you save mcp_config.json, click Refresh in the Cascade MCPs panel and Windsurf reloads its servers. The reddit tools then appear in the panel and Cascade can call them right away.
Cascade gets the 11 read-only tools from redditapis-mcp: reddit_search, reddit_subreddit_posts, reddit_subreddit_top, reddit_post, reddit_post_comments, reddit_search_comments, reddit_search_communities, reddit_search_media, reddit_search_users, reddit_user_profile, and reddit_user_comments.
Partly. The Manage MCPs panel lets you view, refresh, and toggle servers, and Settings, Cascade, MCP Servers shows the same list. Adding a stdio server with a custom command and env is still done in the raw mcp_config.json, which the panel opens for you.
No. The server uses a single Redditapis bearer token set as REDDITAPIS_KEY, so there is no Reddit developer-app review and no OAuth flow. Add your key to mcp_config.json, refresh Cascade, and the Reddit tools are live.
Keep reading.
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Reddit shadowban checker
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Give Windsurf live Reddit tools.
$0.50 in free credits at signup, no card required. Copy your bearer token, paste it into the config above, and the reddit tools are live the same session.