TLDR: If Windsurf's AI features stop working, check status.codeium.com and apistatuscheck.com/down/windsurf first. Most issues are server-side (AI completions depend on Codeium's cloud infrastructure) rather than local. If the status page shows green but you're still stuck, check your auth token, network, and extension version.

Is Windsurf Down? How to Check and What to Do

Windsurf is Codeium's AI-powered code editor — a fork of VS Code with deeply integrated AI coding assistance through its Cascade agent. Because AI completions, chat, and Cascade all depend on Codeium's cloud servers, a backend outage can make Windsurf feel broken even though the editor itself still works.

With 140+ monthly searches for "is Windsurf down" and growing rapidly as the AI IDE market heats up, outages are a real concern for developers who rely on AI-assisted coding.

How to Check if Windsurf is Actually Down

Step 1: Check Official Status

Codeium Status Page: status.codeium.com

Windsurf's AI features run on Codeium's infrastructure. The status page covers:

• AI Completions (autocomplete, inline suggestions)
• Chat (the sidebar AI assistant)
• Cascade (the agentic coding feature)
• Authentication (login, license validation)

Step 2: Check Real-Time Monitoring

API Status Check: apistatuscheck.com/down/windsurf

Get independent, real-time status monitoring and outage history. Sign up for instant alerts so you know about issues before they affect your workflow.

Step 3: Quick Local Test

Before assuming it's an outage:

1. Open Windsurf and try a simple autocomplete (type a function signature)
2. Open the Cascade panel and send a test message
3. Check the bottom status bar — look for connection indicators
4. Try Ctrl+Shift+P → "Codeium: Check Status"

If the editor works but AI features don't respond, it's likely a server-side issue.

Common Windsurf Error Messages

"Unable to connect to Codeium servers"

Meaning: Your editor can't reach the AI backend. Fix: Check your internet connection, firewall rules, and proxy settings. Corporate VPNs sometimes block Codeium's endpoints.

"Authentication failed" or "License expired"

Meaning: Your Codeium auth token is invalid or expired. Fix: Sign out and sign back in via Ctrl+Shift+P → "Codeium: Sign Out" then "Codeium: Sign In". Check if your subscription is active.

"Rate limit exceeded"

Meaning: You've hit the usage limit for your plan tier. Fix: Wait a few minutes for the rate limit to reset. If persistent, check your Codeium dashboard for usage stats. Free tier users hit limits more frequently during peak hours.

"Cascade session expired"

Meaning: Your long-running Cascade session timed out. Fix: Start a new Cascade session. This is normal for sessions that have been idle for extended periods.

Autocomplete stops working silently

Meaning: The AI completion service is degraded but not fully down. Fix: Check status.codeium.com for partial degradation notices. Try restarting the extension or the entire editor.

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Restart the Extension

Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window" — this restarts all extensions without closing the editor.

2. Check Extension Version

Outdated versions can have compatibility issues:

• Open Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X)
• Search for "Codeium" or "Windsurf"
• Update if available

3. Clear Extension Cache

Sometimes cached auth tokens or settings cause issues:

1. Sign out of Codeium
2. Close Windsurf
3. Delete ~/.codeium/ directory (macOS/Linux) or %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\ (Windows)
4. Reopen Windsurf and sign in fresh

4. Check Network Requirements

Windsurf needs access to:

• *.codeium.com (API endpoints)
• *.windsurf.com (updates, telemetry)
• Port 443 (HTTPS)

Corporate firewalls and VPNs are the #1 cause of "false outages" — the service is fine, but your network blocks it.

5. Try the Web Version

If the desktop app has issues, check if Codeium's web playground works. If the web version works but the desktop doesn't, the issue is local.

What to Do During Windsurf Downtime

Keep Coding Without AI

Windsurf is still a fully functional VS Code fork — you can keep coding, just without AI assistance:

• Standard autocomplete (IntelliSense) still works
• Extensions, debugging, terminal — all local features work
• Git operations are unaffected

Alternative AI Coding Tools

While Windsurf is down, consider:

• GitHub Copilot — the most established AI coding assistant
• Cursor — another AI-first code editor with similar features
• Continue.dev — open-source AI coding extension for VS Code
• Cody by Sourcegraph — AI assistant with codebase context
• Supermaven — fast autocomplete focused on speed

Monitor for Recovery

• Subscribe to status updates at apistatuscheck.com/down/windsurf
• Follow @caborpidi (Codeium founder) on X for real-time updates
• Check the Codeium Discord for community reports

Historical Outage Patterns

Windsurf outages typically fall into two categories:

1. AI service degradation — completions slow down or stop, but the editor works. Usually resolved within 30-60 minutes. Most common during high-traffic periods (US business hours).

2. Authentication issues — users get logged out or can't validate licenses. Usually resolved within 1-2 hours. Often related to infrastructure updates.

Major outages are rare but tend to coincide with new feature launches or model updates (e.g., switching to a new AI model backend).

Prevention Tips

• Save your work frequently — AI suggestions can vanish mid-edit during an outage
• Don't rely solely on Cascade for critical refactors — have a manual plan B
• Keep a backup editor — VS Code with a different AI extension as fallback
• Set up outage alerts at apistatuscheck.com to get notified immediately

Stay Informed

Track Windsurf's status in real-time at apistatuscheck.com/down/windsurf. Get instant outage alerts via email so you're never caught off guard during a coding session.