Tool configuration
If your Windsurf version supports custom providers, you can connect SeaLink as an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Menus and capabilities may vary slightly between versions.
Click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner and select 'Settings'. You can also use the shortcut: Ctrl+, (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+, (Mac) to open settings directly.
Search for 'provider' or 'model' in settings. You can only connect SeaLink directly if your Windsurf version shows a 'Custom' or 'OpenAI Compatible' provider option. If your version doesn't support this, try Cursor, Cline, or Claude Code instead — they all offer standard custom API configuration.
Once confirmed, fill in: API Base URL: https://api.sealink.io/v1 API Key: Your SeaLink key (starts with sk-sealink-) Don't append /chat/completions or any other path.
After saving, select or type a SeaLink model ID in Cascade or the chat panel. We recommend starting with claude-opus-5-5 to quickly verify the connection, then switching to the model you need for actual coding work.
Send a short test message in chat or Cascade. Keep in mind that different Windsurf versions may not route every editor feature through the custom provider — this depends on Windsurf's implementation.
Settings file: %APPDATA%/Windsurf/User/settings.json. If settings don't stick through the UI, you can edit this JSON file directly.
Settings file: ~/Library/Application Support/Windsurf/User/settings.json. Use Cmd instead of Ctrl for all shortcuts.
Settings file: ~/.config/Windsurf/User/settings.json. Same path whether installed via AppImage, snap, or deb.
No Custom / OpenAI Compatible provider option
Your Windsurf version may not expose a custom OpenAI-compatible provider. If so, you can't connect SeaLink directly through the GUI. Try Cursor, Cline, or Claude Code instead — all three offer straightforward custom API configuration.
SeaLink models don't appear in Cascade dropdown
First, double-check that the Base URL ends with /v1. If the URL is correct, verify the API Key is active. Windsurf's model picker may filter the list — try typing claude-opus-5-5 manually as a workaround.
401 or authentication failed
The API Key is likely incorrect or expired. Go to your SeaLink dashboard, confirm the key is still active, then re-copy and paste it — watch out for leading or trailing spaces.
Garbled or malformed model output
Some models may need extra parameter tuning in Windsurf. Start by verifying basic connectivity with a general-purpose chat model (like claude-opus-5-5). Once that works, switch to a coding-specific model from the catalog.
