AskFirst

A VS Code extension that refines your AI prompts. Instead of guessing what you mean, AskFirst asks you a few targeted clarifying questions, then rewrites your prompt so any AI can understand exactly what you want.

Local-first, free by default — AskFirst runs on Ollama out of the box, so your prompts never leave your machine and there are no token costs. Prefer a stronger model? Anthropic and OpenAI are supported using your own account credentials, stored in the OS keychain via VS Code SecretStorage.

How it works

1. Select a rough prompt in your editor (or type one in) and run AskFirst: Refine Prompt
2. The model analyzes what's missing and generates 3–4 clarifying questions, each with concrete answer options
3. Answer them in a quick multiple-choice flow (pick an option, type your own, or skip)
4. AskFirst rewrites your prompt into a structured, self-contained prompt (Task / Audience / Requirements / Constraints / Success Criteria) and opens it beside your editor — copy it into any AI

Setup

Option A: Ollama (default — free, local, no API key)

1. Install Ollama and pull a model:

   ollama pull llama3.2
   

2. Install the extension — that's it. Run AskFirst: Refine Prompt from the Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P)

Option B: Anthropic or OpenAI

1. Run AskFirst: Set API Key from the Command Palette and choose the provider
2. In Settings → AskFirst, set askfirst.provider to anthropic or openai

Settings

Commands

Development

npm install
npm run compile   # type-check + bundle

Press F5 in VS Code to launch an Extension Development Host with the extension loaded.

Status

🚧 Early development. Working: the full clarify-and-rewrite flow on Ollama, Anthropic, and OpenAI. Contributions welcome — open an issue or PR.

License

MIT