Use Claude Code skills with Windsurf

Windsurf is Codeium's full IDE-in-a-fork with an agent mode (Cascade) that consumes .windsurfrules as its rule file. The format is plain Markdown with no frontmatter — drop the body of any SKILL.md in and it works. AGENTS.md is also supported as of 2026 per the Agentic AI Foundation standard.

Windsurf rule-file format (2026)

Windsurf reads .windsurfrules at the project root. As of the 2026 Agentic AI Foundation standardization, Windsurf also reads AGENTS.md — the cross-tool format also used by Codex, Cursor, and Gemini CLI. Either filename works; pick one and stay consistent across your projects.

Modern (2026)	Legacy fallback
.windsurfrules (project root) or AGENTS.md	global_rules.md (older Codeium docs)

Upstream docs: https://docs.windsurf.com/

SKILL.md → Windsurf field mapping

SKILL.md field	Windsurf equivalent
name	→ no equivalent; file content is the system message
description	→ optional top-of-file Markdown heading
allowed-tools	→ no direct equivalent; Cascade scopes by agent mode
user-invokable	→ always loaded

Worked example

Pick any ClaudSkills SKILL.md from the catalog. Strip the YAML frontmatter; drop the body into the file shown below:

# File: .windsurfrules

# Project conventions

When making code changes, follow the conventions in this file.
Use TypeScript strict mode. No `any` types. Tests required for
every new public function.

Save, restart your editor session, and the skill becomes available to Windsurf's agent on the next prompt.

Recommended skills for Windsurf users

From the 6 skills below, pick the one or two that match your project's most-common workflows. Each links to the full SKILL.md on ClaudSkills.

• typescript-strict-patterns Use when writing or reviewing any TypeScript code. Covers discriminated unions, branded types, Zod at boundaries, const arrays over enums, and safe access patterns.
• beck-test-driven-development Develop software in the style of Kent Beck, creator of Test-Driven Development and Extreme Programming. Emphasizes red-green-refactor, tests-first design, small steps, and emergent
• code-reviewer Comprehensive code review skill for TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Swift, Kotlin, Go. Includes automated code analysis, best practice checking, security scanning, and review check
• stop-slop Remove AI writing patterns from prose. Use when drafting, editing, or reviewing text to eliminate predictable AI tells.
• documentation Documentation generation workflow covering API docs, architecture docs, README files, code comments, and technical writing.
• performance-optimization Optimizes application performance. Use when performance requirements exist, when you suspect performance regressions, or when Core Web Vitals or load times need improvement. Use wh

Limitations to know about

• .windsurfrules is a single file — no directory-of-rules pattern. Concatenate multiple skills into one file or pick one canonical skill per project.
• Windsurf supports AGENTS.md alongside .windsurfrules. If both files exist, behavior depends on Windsurf's load order — prefer AGENTS.md for cross-tool portability.
• Cascade's tool list (file edit, terminal, web) is wider than Claude Code's default — skills that lean on specific tool behavior may need verification.

FAQ

Should I use .windsurfrules or AGENTS.md?

Use AGENTS.md if you want the file to work with multiple editors (Cursor's modern mode, Codex, Copilot, Gemini CLI all read AGENTS.md too). Use .windsurfrules if you want a Windsurf-only file that signals intent clearly to teammates.

Can multiple SKILL.md files live in one Windsurf project?

Not directly — Windsurf reads one rules file. Concatenate the bodies of multiple SKILL.md files into a single .windsurfrules, separated by Markdown H1 headings so Cascade can parse intent.

Does Windsurf read .cursorrules?

Some Codeium docs mention it as a fallback. Cline definitely does; Windsurf's behavior is less explicit. Don't rely on it — explicitly create .windsurfrules or AGENTS.md.

Keep reading

• All integrations — the full landscape across Cursor, Cline, Roo, Windsurf, Codex, Continue
• Claude Code skill catalogs compared — 5 catalogs head-to-head
• How to write a Claude Code skill
• SKILL.md frontmatter reference
• Browse 69,000+ skills