How do I add ToolForte to Windsurf?
Add the server to Windsurf's mcp_config.json with the serverUrl key. Cascade then lists the ToolForte tools and calls them when a task needs an exact answer.
Step by step
The server URL is https://toolforte.com/api/mcp/mcp. Nothing runs on your machine; the client connects to it over streamable HTTP.
- 01Open the MCP configurationIn Windsurf, open Settings, choose Cascade, and click Manage MCPs, then View raw config. This opens mcp_config.json.
- 02Paste the serverAdd the configuration below and save the file.
- 03RefreshClick the refresh button in the MCP panel. ToolForte shows its tools once the connection is up.
- 04Try a toolAsk Cascade: "Validate the IBAN NL91 ABNA 0417 1643 00 with ToolForte."
Configuration
Windsurf reads its MCP servers from ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
{
"mcpServers": {
"toolforte": {
"serverUrl": "https://toolforte.com/api/mcp/mcp"
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"toolforte": {
"serverUrl": "https://toolforte.com/api/mcp/mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer tf_your_key_here"
}
}
}
}Adding an API key
Add a headers object next to serverUrl, as in the second snippet.
A key starts with tf_ and is created on your account page. It is free, and it is what gives memory a private owner and workflows an account to run on.
Check that it works
One question is enough to see the server answer instead of the model.
Validate the IBAN NL91 ABNA 0417 1643 00 with ToolForte.
validate_iban and reports the result of the mod-97 check and the bank country. If it answers without calling a tool, the server is not connected yet: look for it in the client's MCP or connector list and make sure it is switched on for the conversation.Questions
The Windsurf specifics first, then what applies to every client.
Why serverUrl and not url?
Windsurf names the field serverUrl for remote servers. The value is the same endpoint every other client uses.
What does the ToolForte MCP server cost?
The 23 deterministic utilities are free and so is agent memory. Each client session gets 3 renders a day without a key. A free API key adds 1,000 credits a month for renders and workflows, and a paid plan raises that.
Do I need an API key?
Not for the utilities. A key is what makes memory private to you, gives access to the workflows on your account, and moves renders onto a monthly balance instead of the daily allowance. You create one on your ToolForte account page and pass it as an Authorization: Bearer header.
Which tools does the server expose?
35 tools in four groups: 23 deterministic utilities such as validate_iban, calculate_vat, working_days_between, parse_cron and test_regex; 6 render tools (html_to_pdf, url_to_pdf, url_screenshot, qr_code_png, pdf_merge, read_page) that return hosted files or page content; 4 memory tools (memory_set, memory_get, memory_list, memory_delete); and 2 workflow tools (workflow_list, workflow_run).
Is what I send to a tool stored?
Tool inputs are processed on ToolForte servers and not kept, except for the memory tools, whose entire purpose is to keep what you store, and rendered files, which are hosted for 24 hours behind a signed link. The browser tools on toolforte.com never send anything; the MCP server necessarily does.
Is there anything to install?
No. The server runs at toolforte.com and every client on this page connects to it over streamable HTTP. The only exception is the free Claude desktop plan, which needs a small bridge started with npx.
What you can ask once it is connected
The server answers to 35 tool names. The full list, grouped and explained, is on the MCP page.
Check an IBAN or a VAT number, compute VAT on an amount, count working days between two dates in the Netherlands, explain a cron expression, test a regex, format or diff JSON, turn an HTML report into a hosted PDF, screenshot a page, read a JavaScript-rendered page as Markdown, remember something for next week, or run a saved workflow by id. See every tool.