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
- Select a rough prompt in your editor (or type one in) and run AskFirst: Refine Prompt
- The model analyzes what's missing and generates 3–4 clarifying questions, each with concrete answer options
- Answer them in a quick multiple-choice flow (pick an option, type your own, or skip)
- 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)
- Install Ollama and pull a model:
ollama pull llama3.2 - Install the extension — that's it. Run AskFirst: Refine Prompt from the Command Palette (
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P)
Option B: Anthropic or OpenAI
- Run AskFirst: Set API Key from the Command Palette and choose the provider
- In Settings → AskFirst, set
askfirst.providertoanthropicoropenai
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
askfirst.provider |
ollama |
ollama, anthropic, or openai |
askfirst.model |
(empty) | Model name. Empty = provider default (ollama: llama3.2, anthropic: claude-sonnet-5, openai: gpt-4o-mini) |
askfirst.ollamaUrl |
http://localhost:11434 |
Base URL of your Ollama server |
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
AskFirst: Refine Prompt |
Start the clarify-and-rewrite flow |
AskFirst: Set API Key |
Store an Anthropic or OpenAI key securely (not needed for Ollama) |
AskFirst: Clear API Key |
Remove all stored keys |
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.