OuterBot for VS Code

The AI development assistant that never loses context — and never loses your files.

OuterBot is a full AI coding assistant that executes directly on your local machine. It reads your files, writes code, runs commands, and tracks every decision — without ever uploading your source code. And because Obie AI runs on every session, it's always smarter about what matters right now.

Most AI tools start fresh every conversation. OuterBot makes sure they never have to.

Why OuterBot is different

Claude Code, Cursor, and Copilot put AI in your editor. OuterBot is the layer beneath every AI you use — with two things they don't have:

1. Local execution. When you send a message, OuterBot reads and writes files directly on your machine. No cloning, no uploading. Your code stays local. Changes appear instantly in your editor.

2. Obie AI. Before every response, Obie analyzes your request and decides exactly what context the main model needs. Irrelevant memory, old conversations, and unrelated project data get filtered out — reducing token costs 40–70% on complex sessions, and keeping the model focused on what you actually asked.

Works with Claude, GPT, and open-source models. No API key required to get started.

Features

• Local file execution — reads, writes, edits, and searches files directly on your machine. No GitHub remote required.
• Obie AI — built-in intelligence layer that pre-analyzes every request, filters irrelevant context, and injects focused guidance. Runs on every session, every provider.
• 40–70% token reduction — Obie skips system prompt sections that aren't relevant to your current task. Saves real money on long sessions.
• Chat directly in VS Code — sidebar panel with keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+O / Cmd+Alt+O
• No API key required — AI credits included on all plans. Start chatting immediately after signing up
• Plan before acting — OuterBot describes its complete plan and asks "Shall I proceed?" before touching any file. Nothing changes without your approval
• Guardian briefing — always-on watcher tracks every file save, decision, and AI action into a live briefing.md injected into every chat automatically
• Session persistence — conversation history saved to your project, survives restarts, model switches, and server restarts
• Knowledge index — AI-extracted insights from every session, injected at the start of the next
• Cross-project memory — patterns from one project help on others with overlapping stacks
• Model transparency — every response shows a ⚡ badge with the exact model that handled it
• Smart Routing (optional) — auto-routes simple replies to a faster model, complex work to your primary — saves cost without sacrificing quality
• Multiple AI providers — Claude (Anthropic), GPT (OpenAI), and open source models (Groq/Llama) all available on Pro
• GitHub PR workflow — after each session that changes files, OuterBot commits to a branch and opens a pull request so every change is reviewable
• Briefing sync (Pro) — live context pushed to the cloud, accessible everywhere
• Mobile chat (Pro) — full AI chat from any phone at outer.bot, with your project context already loaded
• Team collaboration (Pro) — share projects with teammates; everyone gets the same live context from day one

Obie AI

Obie is OuterBot's built-in intelligence layer. Before every response, Obie runs a fast pre-pass to analyze what you're actually asking — then filters your system prompt to include only the sections that matter.

Working on a bug fix? Obie skips your PRD, cross-project insights, and old conversation history. Asking about architecture? Obie includes everything. The main model only sees what's relevant.

The result: faster, more focused responses — and significantly lower token costs on sessions with large memory files or long project histories.

Obie runs automatically on every session. No configuration needed.

Local execution

When OuterBot reads or writes a file, it happens directly on your machine — not on a server, not in a clone. The same tools Claude Code uses (read, write, edit, list, search, run command) run locally through the VS Code extension, with your workspace as the root.

Your source code never leaves your computer. Changes appear in your editor immediately. No GitHub remote required.

Plan before acting

Before writing, editing, or deleting any file, OuterBot describes exactly what it's about to do — which files, what changes, what commands — and asks "Shall I proceed?" Two buttons appear: Proceed ✓ and Cancel ✗. Nothing happens until you approve.

You can turn this off in account settings if you prefer immediate action.

Smart Routing

Not every message needs a flagship model. Smart Routing classifies each message before sending — short confirmations go to a fast model, code and debugging always use your primary.

A ⚡ model badge appears on every reply. No silent swaps, no surprises.

To enable: Open Settings panel → Smart Routing → check "Auto-route simple replies to a faster model" → Save.

Getting started

1. Sign up at outer.bot — free account, no credit card needed
2. Install this extension
3. Open your project folder in VS Code
4. Click the OuterBot icon in the Activity Bar and start chatting

No API key setup. OuterBot handles everything else automatically.

Requirements

• A free OuterBot account at outer.bot
• A workspace folder open in VS Code

Keyboard shortcuts

Plans

AI credits on Pro are sold at cost — no markup, ever. Credits never expire.

View pricing →

Why Pro?

"Wake up with a brilliant idea at 3am. Grab your phone. Tell OuterBot."

With Pro, your Guardian briefing syncs to the cloud. Open outer.bot on your phone, select your project, and chat with full AI context already loaded. Your idea is waiting in VS Code when you sit down in the morning.

Pro also includes:

• Unlimited AI credits at cost — we charge exactly what we pay. No markup, no hidden fees
• All AI models — Claude (Anthropic), GPT (OpenAI), and open source models (Llama and more via Groq)
• Smart Routing — automatically uses cheaper models for simple tasks, saving you money
• Briefing sync — live project context pushed to the cloud
• Mobile chat — full AI chat at outer.bot from any phone or tablet
• Team collaboration — share projects with teammates; shared context from day one
• Credits that never expire — pay for what you use, keep what you buy

Team collaboration

With OuterBot Teams, new developers are productive on day one. When you share a project, teammates get the same live Guardian briefing you do — every decision, every warning, automatically synced. Their AI has the same context as yours from the moment they open VS Code.

• Share any project from your account at outer.bot
• Invite by email — teammates accept with one click
• Shared briefing — everyone reads from the same live briefing.md
• Per-seat billing — $8/seat/month, prorated automatically

Learn more about Teams →

Privacy

OuterBot executes tools locally on your machine. Your source code is never uploaded to OuterBot servers. Your Guardian briefing — a structured summary of context, decisions, and file activity — is synced to the cloud for Pro users (not your code, just the summary).

Session context and chat history are stored locally in your project at .outerbot/.

Support

• Website: outer.bot
• Issues: GitHub Issues

OuterBot — the AI assistant that works on your files, remembers everything, and never loses context.