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RedNote MCP for Windsurf: Setup & Config

RedNote MCP gives Windsurf access to Xiaohongshu content through keyword searches and note URLs.

What you can do with RedNote in Windsurf

A focused Xiaohongshu note-access bridge with keyword search and reusable browser authentication.

  • Retrieve note content using a known URL.
  • Inspect protocol requests during local development with MCP Inspector.

Before you start: RedNote in Windsurf

  • Node.js 16 or later
  • npm 7 or later
  • Playwright browser environment
  • A manually initialized Xiaohongshu login session
  • An MCP-compatible client

The README begins with npx playwright install. Its global setup runs npm install -g rednote-mcp followed by rednote-mcp init for browser login. Cookies are saved to ~/.mcp/rednote/cookies.json. The --stdio flag is required in the documented Cursor configuration. No required environment variables are stated.

RedNote Windsurf configuration

  1. Choose Windsurf configuration scope

    For RedNote MCP, open macOS/Linux: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json. Merge into mcpServers; remote endpoints use serverUrl.

  2. Add RedNote MCP to Windsurf

    Use the RedNote-MCP entry below in mcpServers. Keep RedNote MCP's documented stdio connection fields and your other Windsurf entries.

  3. Check RedNote MCP in Windsurf

    RedNote MCP: Refresh MCP in Windsurf settings and inspect Cascade’s tools.

Config file · macOS/Linux: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "RedNote-MCP": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "rednote-mcp",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

RedNote tools available to Windsurf

RedNote's stored tool list documents 1 tool; compare it with Windsurf's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

login

After refreshing RedNote in Windsurf settings, check Cascade's tool list for login.

Initialize authentication from an MCP client; the README does not detail its parameters.

RedNote: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting RedNote in Windsurf

  • Check npx rednote-mcp (Node.js/npm) on the machine running Windsurf's MCP integration for RedNote MCP; refresh MCP and inspect Cascade's tools.
  • RedNote MCP uses stdio here: Windsurf must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
  • Known limitation: Initial login must be completed manually in a browser.
  • Known limitation: Saved cookies are sensitive and need periodic renewal.
  • Known limitation: Comment retrieval by URL is not yet implemented.
  • General Windsurf troubleshooting lives in the /clients/windsurf guide.

RedNote MCP — details. Windsurf guide

Frequently asked questions

Windsurf reads RedNote MCP under mcpServers in ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json on macOS/Linux; Windows uses %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json.

Windsurf's RedNote-MCP example uses stdio.

RedNote MCP's Windsurf configuration invokes npx rednote-mcp (Node.js/npm).

RedNote MCP's stored list contains 1 tool, including login. Compare those names with Windsurf's connected tool list; the stored list is not a live check.

The README gives ~/.mcp/rednote/cookies.json as the cookie location and warns against exposing it.

Yes. Both documented Cursor launch variants include --stdio, which the README identifies as required for communication.