How to Build a Watchlist Monitor with Windsurf and Synorb
Windsurf fits when the builder wants an IDE-native agent to modify a real app while preserving local structure. A watchlist monitor is a natural shape: entities, topics, source-linked updates, and review state.
What is this watchlist monitor supposed to do?
A watchlist monitor should let users save companies, issues, states, or source groups and see current updates with citations. The product value is reliable external context inside the workflow users already use.
Track a set of companies with source-linked updates and tags.
Track state policy, market, regulatory, or industry topics.
Let users approve, dismiss, pin, and export updates.
Why does Windsurf fit this build?
This build fits Windsurf because the agent can work inside an existing app, inspect surrounding context, and add a monitor without treating the repo like a blank canvas. Synorb supplies the current feed layer.
Which Synorb feeds should this app start with?
Start narrow, prove the feed contract, then broaden coverage. These scopes give the coding agent concrete source-grounded examples to design against.
Use Synorb Streams and source-linked feed records to test this scope with source URLs, dates, tags, and coverage caveats preserved.
Use Synorb Streams and source-linked feed records to test this scope with source URLs, dates, tags, and coverage caveats preserved.
Use Synorb Streams and source-linked feed records to test this scope with source URLs, dates, tags, and coverage caveats preserved.
Use Synorb Streams and source-linked feed records to test this scope with source URLs, dates, tags, and coverage caveats preserved.
Use Synorb Streams and source-linked feed records to test this scope with source URLs, dates, tags, and coverage caveats preserved.
Use the same safe data path.
Explore with an agent
If Windsurf or your companion coding agent supports MCP, inspect Synorb Streams and source-linked examples before generating the app. Otherwise use the REST docs and the sample row shape in the prompt.
Call Synorb from the backend
The shipped app should call Synorb REST from a server route, scheduled job, webhook receiver, or server function. Keep SYNORB_API_KEY and SYNORB_SECRET out of browser code.
Show citations and coverage
Every card should preserve source URL, source name, published date, tags, and an honest empty or limited-results state when the selected scope has few results.
Paste this into Windsurf.
This prompt is tuned to the build intent and keeps Synorb credentials server-side.
Asks for the app surface, backend feed route, source-linked rows, safe credential handling, and transparent coverage states.
Questions builders ask.
Can Windsurf add a Synorb monitor to an existing app?
Yes. Use Windsurf for codebase-aware edits and Synorb REST for the server-side feed.
What can a watchlist contain?
Companies, issues, states, source groups, tags, or other scopes that map to Synorb Streams and feed records.
How should watchlist items cite sources?
Show source URL, source name, published date, tags, and a stable ID near every summary.
Should this use direct browser calls?
No. Browser code should call your backend route. The backend route calls Synorb with server-side credentials.
Want to test Synorb feeds for free?
Provision starter credentials, then keep REST credentials server-side in the app you build.