AI agent setup

Essentras in Windsurf

Cognition renamed Windsurf to Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026, and its agents read MCP servers from config files. Add Essentras as a url entry in mcp_config.json and point it at https://essentras.com/api/mcp. It needs no account, no API key and no OAuth. The agent searches and quotes, and you open the checkout link.

Quick start

Open the config
Create or edit ~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json on macOS and Linux, or %APPDATA%\devin\mcp_config.json on Windows.
Add the entry
Add the entry below under mcpServers and save. In Cascade, the Open MCP config file icon opens it.
Check and allow
Choose Open customizations from the new-tab menu to see loaded servers. Devin Local asks before any MCP tool call.

MCP configuration

Cascade accepts url or serverUrl. The Devin CLI user config uses the same path.

JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "essentras": {
      "url": "https://essentras.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Devin CLI writes the entry. Add -s project to share it.

BASH

devin mcp add essentras https://essentras.com/api/mcp

Example prompts

Find 5 US outlets under $400 with dofollow links using Essentras.
Quote business-insider and msn and give me the checkout URL.
Check whether a Google review that reads like a rant can be removed.
How ready is our company for a Google Knowledge Panel?
My Instagram account was disabled. What is the official recovery path?

What it can do here

10 read-only tools. None takes payment.

search_outlets

Find outlets by country, topic, price, authority or link policy

get_outlet

Read 1 outlet in full

quote_placements

Price a basket and get the checkout link

list_services

List every service beyond placements, with its price

quote_service

Price 1 service and get the page where the buyer pays

check_review_removability

Is this Google review removable under a named Google rule?

check_knowledge_panel_readiness

How ready is this person or brand for a Google Knowledge Panel?

check_wikipedia_notability

Does each source count toward Wikipedia notability?

find_removal_route

What is the lawful route to remove a result about a person from Google?

check_instagram_recovery_path

What is the official recovery route for a hacked, disabled or locked Instagram account?

Common workflows

Search, quote, checkout

Ask the agent for outlets by budget, country and link policy. It calls search_outlets and quote_placements and lists line items and the total. Open the checkout_url, review the basket and pay.

Compare outlets

Ask the agent to read 3 outlets with get_outlet and rank them by price, turnaround and link policy. Then quote the best 2 in 1 basket. The checkout_url is the final step.

Diagnose before buying

Describe a removal or recovery case. The agent calls the matching checker with fixed choices and reports the official route and the evidence to gather. Any service price comes after the free route.

Tips for success

Devin Local prompts before every MCP tool call. Allow the whole essentras server once you trust it.
Cascade caps total tools at 100. Essentras adds 8, and disabledTools hides any you do not need.
Keep the key name essentras if your team uses an allowlist, because the match is case-sensitive.
Re-quote if the basket changed.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is Windsurf now Devin Desktop?▾

Yes. Cognition announced on June 2, 2026 that Windsurf is now Devin Desktop, built on the same IDE foundation, and the Windsurf docs now live on docs.devin.ai. Essentras keeps this page under the old name so people who search for Windsurf find it.

Which agent reads this file?▾

Devin Local is the default agent for new tabs and reads the Devin CLI config files. Legacy Cascade reads mcp_config.json at the same documented path. New conversations never start on Cascade, but existing Cascade conversations stay in history. Switch agents in the bottom right selector.

Can the agent pay for a placement?▾

No. quote_placements returns a checkout_url. You open it, review the basket and total, and authorize payment yourself. The card is charged when the order is placed, and the order is refunded if the placement is not published or the turnaround is missed.

Do I need OAuth for Essentras?▾

No. Devin Desktop supports OAuth for its transports, and devin mcp login handles it, but Essentras is public so you skip that step. A bare url entry works: Devin CLI tries Streamable HTTP and falls back to SSE on a 404 or 405.

Troubleshooting

The server is missing from the list

Check the file path. Before v3000.3, Devin Local kept mcpServers in config.json. Newer versions migrate them to mcp_config.json at startup.

Devin Local is not in the agent selector

Open Devin User Settings, select the Agents tab, turn Devin Local on and restart Devin Desktop.

Error 429 or rate_limited

Essentras allows 120 MCP requests per IP per minute. Wait about 60 seconds, then ask again.

Reference

Windsurf documentation · Checked on 2026-10-18
MCP endpoint · https://essentras.com/api/mcp
REST API and OpenAPI
Agent briefing (agents.md)

Ready to price media and services with Windsurf?

Search 3,800+ outlets, price a basket or a service, and hand the buyer the checkout. No account needed.

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