May was a powerhouse month for Windsurf. We wrapped up the multi-day Wave 8, our biggest launch yet, and then rolled straight into Wave 9 with the release of SWE-1, our first family of in-house models built specifically for software engineering.. From customizable workflows and a smarter Cascade to new tools for teams and finally our own models, Windsurf isn’t just keeping up with AI. – we’re defining it.
Major Launches & Announcements
SWE-1 - Our First Family of Models
We launched SWE-1! Windsurf’s own model family, purpose-built for software engineering.
- SWE-1: Frontier-tier model optimized for tool-calling and multi-step reasoning. Available free (0 credits/prompt) for all paid users.
- SWE-1-mini: Lightning-fast prediction engine powering Tab’s passive suggestions.
These models aren’t just about writing code – they’re about building real software. They understand context across sessions, conversations, terminals, and previews, with performance that rivals top-tier foundation models. And this is just the beginning. Read the blog post here.
Newer Customization Features
Cascade is now available across JetBrains IDEs. This brings our AI chat experience to even more developer workflows. We are now the only leading AI-powered code assistant platform to have a truly agentic experience available in a JetBrains plugin. Not just Autocomplete, Chat, and Command (all of which have existed for a while on our highly-used and highly-rated JetBrains plugin), but a truly industry leading experience.
Custom Workflows
Turn repetitive engineering processes into reusable slash commands. Just save a markdown file in .windsurf/workflows, and Cascade can pick it up instantly.
File-Based Rules
Scoped best practices you can save, share, and apply automatically. Choose how they activate with options like always on, triggered by the model, or based on directories using glob patterns.
Knowledge (Beta)
Cascade can now pull relevant insights directly from connected Google Docs – curated by your admin and referenced inline via @knowledge.
Improved MCP Support
MCP resources and multimodal output are now supported, and our new Cascade Plugins Panel makes it easy to discover, enable, and fine-tune tools across MCP servers.
Simultaneous Cascades
Run multiple Cascade sessions in parallel. No more waiting for one task to finish before you start another.
Improved UX Experience
-
Continue Button: When Cascade pauses for feedback, just hit “Continue” instead of retyping. Fast, intuitive, and still credit-efficient.
-
Redesigned Model Selector: A new UI for choosing models based on provider, cost, or our recommendations; because good choices start with good context.
-
Conversation Workspace Awareness: Cascade now maps your chat history to the correct workspace. Filter by project, get prompts when context might be off, and avoid mismatched references.
-
Miscellaneous UX Improvements
- Code blocks match your IDE theme
- Inline diff navigation is smoother
- Terminal suggestions are now editable
- File creation in Chat mode comes with content previews
You can read about the full list of changes here.
Enterprise Updates
Windsurf Reviews (Beta)
PR titles, descriptions, and code comments – auto-generated and rule-aligned via GitHub integration. Human in the loop, AI on the tedious bits.
Conversation Sharing
Share any Cascade thread with your team via secure, team-only links. Zero copy-paste required.
Teams Deploys
Admins can now link their Netlify accounts so that Deploys go straight to org infrastructure – no user claiming needed.
Updated Admin Analytics
More metrics, clearer visuals, and deeper insights into how your team is using Windsurf – from prompt volumes to feature adoption.
Self-Serve Access Controls & Enterprise
- Teams can now unlock SSO, rule-based permissions, and subteam analytics for just $10/user/month
- Enterprise customers can onboard directly; no sales touch required
Windsurf in the News
As always, more content came out in the month:
- Windsurf Launches In-House AI Models: Windsurf unveiled its proprietary foundation models purpose-built for software engineering. In TechCrunch, CEO Varun Mohan shares how SWE-1 powers more accurate, efficient agentic workflows. Read more.
- Windsurf Roadmap Chat with YC: On the YC Lightcone Podcast, Varun reflects on the journey so far and discusses the evolving role of agents and developers in shaping the future of software. Watch here.
- Technical Deep Dive on Pragmatic Engineer: Varun Mohan joins Gergely Orosz for a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering decisions and principles shaping Windsurf’s product and infrastructure. Listen here.
Looking Ahead
With Deploys, JetBrains support, and pricing simplification now live, we’re entering the next chapter of the Windsurf journey. Expect deeper collaboration features, smarter context modeling, and even more control for teams and enterprises. The line between building, previewing, and shipping is vanishing - and it’s all happening inside your IDE.
Surf’s up. 🌊