How to Use the Foursquare MCP in Windsurf

Q: How does Windsurf use the Foursquare MCP Server to run spatial queries?

Cascade connects to the server and calls searchplaces or searchwithinradius based on your prompt. It parses the JSON payload of coordinates directly inside your editor and writes the mock data or integration code for you.

Q: How do I configure my Foursquare API key for the Windsurf MCP Server?

You add your API key to your mcpconfig.json file under the environment variables block. Once saved, Windsurf establishes a secure connection to the Vinkius endpoint and Cascade instantly discovers the MCP tools.

Q: Can I search within specific geographic boundaries?

Yes, the server exposes searchwithinpolygon which Cascade uses to query custom coordinates. You provide the polygon coordinates in your prompt, and the agent retrieves only the venues inside that geofence.

Feed Foursquare location intelligence directly to Cascade in Windsurf to build spatial apps without writing boilerplate.

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Connect Foursquare MCP to Windsurf

Create your Vinkius account to connect Foursquare to Windsurf and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup Foursquare with Windsurf

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Spatial searches inside Windsurf Cascade

Cascade chains your location-based development tasks by feeding coordinates directly into `search_places` and `search_within_radius`. You tell Cascade to find coffee shops in a neighborhood, and it handles the spatial queries, parses the geometry, and formats the output inside your editor. This MCP Server lets Windsurf map out boundaries using `search_within_polygon` to verify geofenced zones. Cascade reads the returned coordinates, matches them against your local database schemas, and writes the integration logic on the fly.

Instant venue enrichment for your database

When building directories, Cascade uses `get_place_details` to pull structured Node schemas and populate your database fields automatically. The agent inspects your local ORM models, calls the tool to fetch the exact missing properties, and writes the migration scripts to save them. You can also have Cascade pull user-generated content like reviews to make your Windsurf UI look real. It fires off `get_place_tips` to grab user feedback and `get_place_photos` to download media URLs, assembling complete venue profiles in seconds.

Clean up duplicate coordinates with Windsurf

Cascade resolves messy location datasets by running validation checks directly in your Windsurf workspace. It triggers `match_venue_exactly` to weed out duplicates and aligns your records with Foursquare's canonical POI graph. To build clean search interfaces, Cascade uses `autocomplete_venues` to generate fast typeahead payloads. It then maps these queries to `list_venue_categories` to ensure your app categorization matches the standard taxonomy.

Setup guide

Set up Foursquare MCP in Windsurf

Prerequisites

Windsurf IDE installed (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP configuration

Click the Cascade assistant icon in the sidebar, then click the hammer icon (🔨) at the top of the panel. Select "Configure" to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
2

Add the Foursquare MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Refresh MCPs

Go back to the hammer icon (🔨) in Cascade and click "Refresh". Windsurf will detect the new server. No full restart is needed — the connection is hot-reloaded.
4

Verify in Cascade

Start a new Cascade conversation and ask something like "Show my Foursquare payment history." If connected, Cascade will call the Foursquare tools directly. You will see a green dot next to the server name in the MCP panel.

mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "foursquare-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Foursquare. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about Foursquare MCP in Windsurf

Cascade connects to the server and calls `search_places` or `search_within_radius` based on your prompt. It parses the JSON payload of coordinates directly inside your editor and writes the mock data or integration code for you.

Yes, you can ask Cascade to populate your database with real venue details. It uses `get_place_details` and `get_place_tips` to fetch clean data and writes the seed scripts automatically.

You add your API key to your `mcp_config.json` file under the environment variables block. Once saved, Windsurf establishes a secure connection to the Vinkius endpoint and Cascade instantly discovers the MCP tools.

Yes, the server exposes `search_within_polygon` which Cascade uses to query custom coordinates. You provide the polygon coordinates in your prompt, and the agent retrieves only the venues inside that geofence.

Vinkius processes your Foursquare POI queries and venue details inside secure, ephemeral V8 isolates. No raw location coordinates or API keys are stored permanently on our servers, keeping your spatial lookups private.

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