What Is Windsurf AI and Why Use It?

You might be wondering: What is Windsurf, and why does it matter?

In 2025, development workflows have changed significantly. With tools that automate much of the coding process, developers are expected to work faster and smarter. But relying on AI doesn’t mean we stop understanding how things work under the hood, especially when building production-level systems.

But before we explain why Windsurf is relevant, let’s take a quick look at how things worked just a few years ago, when coding was more manual and less assisted.

A brief history of developers and coding

Back in 2022, building software meant writing most of the logic yourself. You had to implement each function manually, fix syntax errors line by line, and rely heavily on Stack Overflow threads to troubleshoot common issues.

AI support was still in its early stages. GitHub Copilot offered basic code suggestions, often useful but far from reliable. Developers experimented with GPT-3.5 via ChatGPT, but it frequently struggled to understand context or produce usable code without significant tweaking.

Fast forward a bit, late 2022 into early 2023. We got something actually useful—copilots. Copilots changed the game, kind of. Now we had ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and a bunch of others who at least attempted to figure out what we were trying to achieve. We’d type a prompt, press enter, pray that it would work, and sometimes, we’d get a neat, simple autocomplete or a clever Q&A response. But let’s keep it real here.

These copilot tools were basically glorified autocomplete engines. They got us halfway there, but we still had to babysit them every single step. They were like an intern who desperately wanted to help but kept tripping over their shoelaces. Useful, yes, but still exhausting.

Then came late 2024, when things started to get interesting. Developers introduced the concept of agents, a new breed of tools that went beyond simple code completion. These agents could autonomously retrieve context, iteratively adjust their solutions, and perform actual tasks without requiring micromanagement of every step. What actually made them superior to copilots was their function-calling capability.

Sounds amazing, right? But here’s the issue: agents still often missed the mark. Sure, they were autonomous. Sure, they had fancy terms like “tool calling” and “function calling” attached to them. But they still felt like toddlers who wandered off to build something without fully understanding what we wanted. The result? A lot of duplicated code, mysterious deletions, and—frankly—a lot of frustration. We spent half our time asking, “Why are you doing this? Why are you removing that? Do you hate me?”

This is where Windsurf enters the chat. Windsurf didn't just follow the bandwagon. Nah, they looked at copilots, looked at agents, and said, "Honestly? Both are kind of suboptimal on their own. We need something better, way better." So they created something they call "AI flows," powered by their flagship IDE, the Windsurf Editor, with their agent engine called Cascade. A key innovation was their introduction of human action tracking in the IDE, which significantly improved the development experience.

Windsurf is built to keep developers in a true flow state, that highly productive mental zone where you're fully focused, making rapid progress, and nothing breaks your momentum. By deeply understanding your entire project and automating the repetitive, error-prone parts of coding, Windsurf eliminates the constant interruptions that normally slow us down, like context-switching, manual debugging, or rewriting boilerplate. The result? You stay immersed in the creative problem-solving that actually matters.

What is Windsurf?

Windsurf elevates coding workflows by combining modern AI advancements in an integrated agentic code editor. Unlike traditional coding assistants, Windsurf genuinely understands our entire project, every file, function, dependency, and nuance. Before making any suggestion or change, Windsurf scans, analyzes, and fully grasps the larger context of our codebase. It’s no longer limited to superficial interactions; it operates as a genuine partner.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Comprehensive project understanding: Windsurf analyzes our project’s structure and dependencies from the ground up. It knows exactly how your components interact, ensuring suggestions aren’t isolated but harmonized with your overall codebase.

• Autonomous suggestions and changes: When we ask Windsurf to implement a feature, refactor existing code, or solve a specific problem, it autonomously carries out our request. We don’t have to micromanage each step; Windsurf handles tasks intelligently and proactively, freeing us from tedious oversight.

• Context-aware debugging: Debugging with Windsurf is a breeze because it fully understands our intentions and the complexities of our project. If there’s a bug, Windsurf doesn’t just point it out; it offers actionable solutions and autonomously implements them if we approve.

• Automatic code execution and iteration: One particularly impressive aspect of Windsurf is its ability to automatically run and iterate on our code. When we make a coding request, such as writing a function, integrating an API, or handling complex data, Windsurf doesn't just insert code snippets without thinking. Instead, it actively executes our code within its secure environment, instantly identifying any execution errors or functional shortcomings. If our request doesn't initially succeed, Windsurf autonomously iterates on the solution, revising and rerunning the code until the objective is successfully achieved.

Think about how significantly this improves our workflow. Instead of manually writing, testing, failing, revising, and retesting your code, Windsurf handles these iterative cycles autonomously, ensuring robust solutions quickly and efficiently.

To summarize the key differences clearly, let's briefly highlight Windsurf’s unique advantages compared to traditional coding assistants or simple agents:

In practical terms, Windsurf dramatically accelerates and simplifies the development process. It doesn’t just automate code writing; it reduces the cognitive load associated with managing repetitive tasks, debugging tedious problems, and ensuring consistent coding quality. As a developer, this means fewer tedious debugging cycles, greater productivity, and improved code quality.

What’s next?

Windsurf is more than just another fancy coding tool; it represents a fundamental shift in how developers interact with technology. Through its powerful components like Cascade—Windsurf’s underlying AI engine—and the innovative concept of AI Flows, Windsurf moves beyond basic automation into intelligent, context-aware collaboration. But don’t worry if these concepts sound unfamiliar right now; we’ll dive deeper into Cascade, AI Flows, and every aspect of using Windsurf effectively throughout this course.

The best part? There are no prerequisites for this course. Whether you’re completely new to AI-powered coding tools or already familiar with the basics, we’ll guide you step-by-step, covering everything from the very start. By the end, you’ll confidently navigate Windsurf, enhance your productivity, and genuinely enjoy coding again.