Use this page when your editor runs directly on Windows and you need the right file paths, PowerShell verification steps, and Windows-specific gotchas before opening the editor guide.
HOSTED ENDPOINT
Zephex always uses https://zephex.dev/mcp with the same Bearer header. The operating system only changes file paths, restart flow, and shell commands.
WHAT CHANGES
Windows swaps Unix home shortcuts for %USERPROFILE% and backslash paths. If the editor is actually running in WSL, follow the Linux guide for the WSL environment instead of the Windows host.
PLATFORM SUMMARY
On Windows, the endpoint and Bearer auth are identical to every other platform. What usually breaks the setup is saving JSON into the wrong directory, mixing Windows host paths with WSL paths, or accidentally creating files like mcp.json.txt from Explorer.
REQUIRED
RULE OF THUMB
If the editor runs on this operating system, keep the config on this operating system too. If the editor actually runs in WSL, SSH, or a container, follow the guide for that runtime instead of the host desktop.
Use Windows paths for editors running on Windows. Do not mix these with WSL or remote Linux paths unless the editor process is also running there.
| Editor | Location | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | .cursor\mcp.json | Project | Keep the file in the repo root that Cursor opened on Windows. |
| VS Code | .vscode\mcp.json | Project | The workspace root matters more than the drive letter. |
| Claude Code | %USERPROFILE%\.claude.json | User | This is the Windows user profile, not a WSL home directory. |
| Windsurf | %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json | User | Create the nested directories before saving the config file. |
| JetBrains | Settings → AI Assistant → MCP Servers | App UI | JetBrains keeps MCP setup in the IDE settings UI. |
Run this in PowerShell on the same Windows machine as the editor. It verifies the hosted endpoint before you spend time on UI debugging.
DEBUG RULE
If this request succeeds but the editor still shows 0 tools, your API key and network are fine. The remaining problem is the editor config location, JSON shape, or restart flow.
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "$env:USERPROFILE\.codeium\windsurf" | Out-Null $body = @{ jsonrpc = "2.0" id = 1 method = "tools/list" params = @{}} | ConvertTo-Json -Compress Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post "https://zephex.dev/mcp" ` -Headers @{ Authorization = "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" "Content-Type" = "application/json" } ` -Body $bodyAfter the PowerShell request succeeds, verify the editor with a true reload or full restart.
These pages cover the exact JSON shape, restart flow, and UI verification steps for each editor after you have picked the right file location for this operating system.
| Editor | Use This When | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Best when you want the cleanest repo-local JSON file for Windows projects. | Open guide → |
| VS Code | Use this if you want VS Code to prompt for the API key instead of hardcoding it. | Open guide → |
| Claude Code | Use this when the server should be available across repos from one user config file. | Open guide → |
| Windsurf | Use this for the exact global JSON shape under the Codeium directory. | Open guide → |
| JetBrains | Use this for AI Assistant MCP settings in IntelliJ-based IDEs. | Open guide → |
Explorer may hide known extensions. Turn on file extensions or confirm the final filename exactly matches mcp.json or mcp_config.json with no extra .txt suffix.
If the editor is launched from WSL or a remote Linux environment, Windows profile paths will not be used. Follow the Linux guide for the environment that actually runs the editor process.
Keep JSON keys and strings in standard double quotes and do not add comments. For PowerShell verification, keep the backticks at the line ends exactly as shown.
If PowerShell cannot reach https://zephex.dev/mcp, resolve the network policy first. The editor cannot work until Windows itself can complete the HTTPS request.
If the platform setup still does not connect, return to Quickstart or check Connection Issues.