Windsurf Wave 13 brings true parallel Cascade agents and a zsh-based dedicated terminal
Windsurf’s Wave 13 release shifts the Cascade agent toward parallel workflows, adding multi-agent sessions and a UI that lets multiple Cascade sessions be docked in panes or tabs to monitor agents side by side. The update aims to reduce interference when several agents touch the same repository and to provide more predictable command execution for agent-run tasks.
Parallel agents backed by Git worktrees
The linchpin of Wave 13 is Git worktree support. Each Cascade agent can operate on its own branch checked out into a separate directory while still sharing the repository history. That arrangement reduces conflict risk when multiple agents modify the same repo and makes it easier to keep agent changes isolated without duplicating history.
Dedicated terminal and agent execution
Wave 13 introduces the Cascade Dedicated Terminal (beta). Agent commands run inside a dedicated zsh profile rather than the user’s default shell. That profile enables interactive prompts and access to .zshrc environment variables, which should make agent-driven command execution more reliable. On Windsurf Stable, the dedicated terminal is opt-in on macOS by disabling the legacy terminal profile.
Workflow hooks and context visibility
The release also adds a context window indicator and Cascade Hooks to run custom commands at key workflow points, enabling scripted behaviors around agent activity. For teams and organizations, Wave 13 supports deploying rules and workflows via MDM policies, providing a path for centralized management of multi-agent setups.
Model, performance, and availability
Windsurf has made SWE-1.5 the default model in this release. SWE-1.5 will be available free for all users for the next three months and is stated to match SWE-Bench-Pro coding performance.
Where this fits
Windsurf, developed by Cognition, is an AI-native editor built around the Cascade agent and Tab-based autocomplete, offered as a standalone Editor plus IDE integrations. Wave 13 is positioned for teams that require multiple agents to work concurrently in the same repository without stepping on each other’s changes, while also offering a more deterministic environment for agent-executed commands.
Original source: https://windsurf.com/blog/windsurf-wave-13?ref=testingcatalog.com