io.github.Lykhoyda/ask-llm MCP Server

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Ask LLM

Give your AI coding assistant a second opinion — from a different model.

Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, Claude Desktop, or any of 40+ MCP clients can call Codex, Claude, Grok, Antigravity, Ollama, or Gemini to review a diff, debate a plan, or catch the bug the first model missed. Standard MCP; no prompt hacks.

Quick Start · Choose a reviewer · Claude Code plugin · Docs · Packages

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You:    ask codex to review src/auth.ts for security issues
Codex:  ⚠ verifyToken() compares tokens with === — not timing-safe (line 42)
        ⚠ the session cookie is missing a SameSite attribute
Claude: Good catches — applying both fixes to src/auth.ts.

One prompt. A second model reviews independently; your assistant applies the fix. No copy-pasting between tools.

Why a second opinion?

Your primary AI is confident, but confidence isn't correctness. A second model with no stake in the first answer catches what it glossed over.

You want to…	Ask LLM does
Review a diff	A different model analyzes your changes and surfaces issues your primary AI missed
Debate a plan	Send an architecture proposal for critique, alternatives, and trade-off analysis
Get a second opinion on code	Have another model review an approach independently before you commit to it
Read more than fits	Gemini and Antigravity ingest whole codebases in one call (1M+ tokens)
Keep it local	Route reviews through Ollama when nothing can leave your machine
Compare models side by side	multi-llm fans one prompt out to several providers in parallel

Quick Start

Prerequisites: Node.js 24+ (the current LTS), on Linux or macOS, and at least one provider CLI installed and authenticated (see Provider setup).

npm install -g @ask-llm/mcp

Claude Code

ask-llm setup --host claude

Setup previews the user-scope registration and asks before applying it. Then try: ask codex to review my last commit. Run ask-llm doctor if anything looks off. See command compatibility for -y, removal, and other hosts.

<details> <summary>Advanced: install split provider packages instead</summary>

claude mcp add --scope user codex -- npx -y @ask-llm/codex-mcp
claude mcp add --scope user grok -e XAI_API_KEY="$XAI_API_KEY" -- npx -y @ask-llm/grok-mcp
claude mcp add --scope user antigravity -- npx -y @ask-llm/antigravity-mcp
claude mcp add --scope user ollama -- npx -y @ask-llm/ollama-mcp
claude mcp add --scope user gemini -- npx -y @ask-llm/gemini-mcp

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Cursor

After the global install above, run ask-llm setup --host cursor. It previews the user-scope change to ~/.cursor/mcp.json and asks before writing. Restart Cursor Agent to load the server. For a project-scoped or manual install, see the Cursor host guide.

Codex CLI

# ~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.ask-llm]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@ask-llm/mcp"]

Want Codex to consult Claude specifically? codex mcp add claude -- npx -y @ask-llm/claude-mcp

Claude Desktop

After the global install above, run ask-llm setup --host claude-desktop. It previews the user-scope change to claude_desktop_config.json and asks before writing. Restart Claude Desktop to load the server. See command compatibility for removal, backups, and formats that require manual setup.

OpenCode

After the global install above, run ask-llm setup --host opencode. Setup changes only a plain JSON opencode.json; for JSONC it prints the entry to add manually. OpenCode registration has fixture coverage and awaits verification on an installed host.

Pi

Pi has no built-in MCP client, so it installs the host package instead, which registers native ask-* tools plus the shared skills:

pi install npm:@ask-llm/plugin

Then use /skill:codex-review, /skill:multi-review, /skill:compare, /skill:brainstorm, or just describe what you want. See the Pi host guide for trust, data-transfer, and compatibility details.

<details> <summary>Any other MCP client (STDIO)</summary>

{ "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@ask-llm/mcp"] }

Swap @ask-llm/mcp for @ask-llm/codex-mcp, @ask-llm/claude-mcp, @ask-llm/grok-mcp, @ask-llm/antigravity-mcp, @ask-llm/ollama-mcp, or @ask-llm/gemini-mcp to install a single provider.

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Choose your reviewer

The unified @ask-llm/mcp server is the recommended install: one registration, every provider you have, and parallel fan-out via multi-llm. Each provider is also available standalone.

Provider	Best for	Model (default → fallback)	Requires
Codex	Code reasoning, targeted reviews, architecture critique	gpt-6-astra → gpt-5.6-terra	OpenAI/Codex account
Claude	An independent Claude opinion from Codex or another non-Claude host	opus (Opus 5.5) → sonnet	Claude Code CLI; read-only workspace tools
Grok	Grok 4.7 critique via xAI API or the official Grok CLI	grok-4.7, reasoning high (no fallback)	XAI_API_KEY or Grok CLI; one explicit harness per call
Antigravity	Subscription-backed second opinion; large-context reads	gemini-3.1-pro → gemini-3.8-flash (--effort high)	Google AI Pro/Ultra; agy CLI. Experimental, one-shot; MCP execution requires unisolated opt-in
Ollama	Private, offline, zero-cost review	qwen3.8:27b (no auto-fallback)	Ollama running locally
Gemini	Whole-codebase reads (1M+ tokens)	gemini-3.1-pro-preview → gemini-3.8-flash	Enterprise Gemini seat (see note)

Gemini CLI is enterprise-only since 2026-06-18. Google restricted Gemini CLI to Gemini Code Assist Standard/Enterprise seats; free, Google AI Pro, and Ultra accounts lost access. @ask-llm/gemini-mcp still installs, but non-enterprise accounts get actionable guidance instead of output. On a subscription plan, use Antigravity (Google's sanctioned successor, covered by AI Pro/Ultra), Codex, Claude, or Ollama. Announcement

Fallbacks fire only under each provider's documented conditions (quota for Gemini/Codex, overload for Claude, rate limit for Antigravity). Grok and Ollama never substitute a model: Grok sends the exact harness catalog ID unchanged, and Ollama returns a clear ollama pull error if the requested model isn't local. Full details in Model Selection.

The Ask LLM plugin (Claude Code, Cursor Agent, Pi)

MCP gives your assistant the tools. The canonical @ask-llm/mcp package also owns the workflows: slash-command reviews with a validation pipeline, multi-model brainstorming, and opt-in continuous pair review. @ask-llm/plugin remains a dependent bridge for existing installs.

/plugin marketplace add Lykhoyda/ask-llm
/plugin install ask-llm@ask-llm-plugins

Command	What it does
<nobr>/multi-review</nobr>	Parallel Antigravity + Codex review with a 4-phase validation pipeline and consensus highlighting
<nobr>/codex-review</nobr> · <nobr>/gemini-review</nobr> · <nobr>/ollama-review</nobr> · <nobr>/antigravity-review</nobr>	Single-provider reviews with confidence filtering
<nobr>/sol-review</nobr>	Model-pinned GPT-6 Sol review through Codex
<nobr>/grok-review</nobr>	Metered Grok review through xAI with exact model attribution and no fallback
<nobr>/fable-review</nobr>	Isolated, read-only review that requests the native Fable model and discloses runtime verification limits
<nobr>/brainstorm</nobr>	Claude Opus researches your real files in parallel with external providers, then synthesizes, weighting verified findings higher. Also supports an exact no-Gemini Grok + GPT-6 Sol panel routed through Cursor Agent
<nobr>/compare</nobr>	Raw side-by-side answers from multiple providers, no synthesis
<nobr>codex-pair</nobr>	Opt-in continuous review on gpt-6-sol at medium effort: Codex checks every Edit/Write/MultiEdit when a .codex-pair/context.md marker is present

Review agents follow a 4-phase pipeline inspired by Anthropic's code-review plugin: context gathering, prompt construction with explicit false-positive exclusions, synthesis, and source-level validation of each finding.

<details> <summary>Host support matrix</summary>

@ask-llm/mcp owns the canonical host assets and skill corpus; @ask-llm/plugin is a dependent compatibility bridge. Claude Code loads its marketplace agents and hooks; Cursor Agent loads the adapted /codex-pair and /grok-pair skills through Agent Skills plus mcp.json (agent --plugin-dir ./packages/llm-mcp; see the Cursor Agent host guide); Pi loads explicit native tools, portable skill adapters, and a thin lifecycle extension.

Capability	Claude Code	Cursor Agent	Codex CLI host	Pi
Provider transport	MCP	MCP (mcp.json, unified ask-llm only)	MCP	native Ask LLM tools (no built-in MCP)
Review/compare/brainstorm skills	yes	Agent Skills	tools only	/skill:<name> + natural language
Isolated reviewer contexts / Fable	yes	no; fable-review excluded	no	no; fable-review excluded
codex-pair	hooks	on-demand persisted session	no	lifecycle extension
/grok-pair	yes (explicit Cursor/xAI/CLI route)	direct xAI/CLI routes via pinned unified ask-llm (or user-installed ask-grok)	no	excluded
Blocking HIGH Stop gate	opt-in	no	no	no; surfaced non-blockingly
Async pairing in one-shot print	n/a	on-demand skill	no	unsupported

Pi specifics: codex-pair requires the repository marker, Pi project trust, and interactive user-owned consent via /codex-pair; a committed marker alone never authorizes source transfer or cost. Pi surfaces findings non-blockingly and does not claim Claude's blocking Stop gate or one-shot print parity. fable-review is Claude Code-only. Provider CLI authentication is separate from Pi's host-model login. Update or remove with pi update npm:@ask-llm/plugin / pi remove npm:@ask-llm/plugin.

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See the plugin docs for hooks, agents, and configuration.

MCP tools

Tool	Package	Purpose
ask-llm	@ask-llm/mcp	Unified orchestrator: pick a provider per call, or fan out to every installed provider
multi-llm	@ask-llm/mcp	Send one prompt to multiple providers in parallel; returns per-provider responses and usage in one call
ask-codex	@ask-llm/codex-mcp	Codex CLI. GPT-6 Astra with Terra fallback. Omit sessionId for ephemeral use, or pass sessionId: "" first to persist and resume
ask-claude	@ask-llm/claude-mcp	Claude Code CLI. opus (Opus 5.5) with Sonnet fallback; native sessions; Read/Glob/Grep-only workspace access
ask-grok	@ask-llm/grok-mcp	One-shot Grok prompt through explicit xai-api (default) or grok-cli; exact harness model ID; no harness/model fallback
ask-cursor-agent	@ask-llm/mcp	Model-neutral Cursor Agent harness: separate provider (claude, codex, gemini, grok) + exact Cursor catalog model verified against that family; read-only ask mode; no force/trust/spend changes or fallback
ask-antigravity	@ask-llm/antigravity-mcp	Google Antigravity (agy) for a subscription-backed second opinion. Experimental; one-shot
ask-ollama	@ask-llm/ollama-mcp	Local Ollama. Fully private, zero cost. Server-side conversation replay via sessionId
ask-gemini	@ask-llm/gemini-mcp	Gemini CLI with @ file syntax. 1M+ token context. Live progressive output via stream-json
ask-gemini-edit	@ask-llm/gemini-mcp	Structured OLD/NEW code edit blocks from Gemini
fetch-chunk	@ask-llm/gemini-mcp	Retrieve chunks from cached large responses
get-usage-stats	all	Per-session token totals, fallback counts, breakdowns by provider/model. In-memory only
diagnose	@ask-llm/mcp	Self-diagnosis: Node version, PATH resolution, provider CLI presence and versions. Read-only
ping	all	Connection test

Session-capable ask-* tools accept an optional sessionId and return a structured AskResponse (provider, response, model, sessionId, usage) via MCP outputSchema alongside the human-readable text. Codex requires sessionId: "" on the first call for a resumable thread. The orchestrator also exposes usage://current-session as an MCP Resource for live JSON snapshots.

Things to say

ask codex to review the changes in src/auth.ts for security issues
ask claude for an independent opinion on this architecture        (from Codex or another non-Claude client)
ask antigravity to debate the plan in docs/design.md
ask ollama to explain src/config.ts                                 (runs locally, nothing leaves your machine)
ask gemini to summarize @. the current directory                    (1M+ context; @ syntax is Gemini-only)
use multi-llm to compare what codex and grok think about this approach

More patterns in How to Ask and Multi-Turn Sessions.

CLI

The @ask-llm/mcp binary (ask-llm-mcp) starts the MCP server when run with no arguments. With arguments it's a CLI. For host registration (ask-llm setup, ask-llm remove) and host diagnostics, use the separate ask-llm command; see command compatibility.

# Diagnose your setup: Node version, PATH, provider CLI versions, env vars
npx @ask-llm/mcp doctor                       # human-readable
npx @ask-llm/mcp doctor --json                # full JSON, exit 1 on error
npx @ask-llm/mcp doctor --format toon         # bounded, versioned agent-facing TOON pilot
npx @ask-llm/mcp doctor --format toon --full  # full TOON escape hatch

# Interactive multi-provider REPL: switch providers, persist sessions, watch usage live
npx @ask-llm/mcp repl

The REPL keeps a session per provider (/provider codex, /new, /sessions, /usage) and inherits all executor behavior: quota fallback, stream-json output for Gemini, native session resume.

Provider setup

Install and authenticate whichever providers you want to consult. The unified server detects what's present.

Provider	Setup
Codex CLI	Install and sign in
Claude Code CLI	Install and sign in (for Codex or other clients consulting Claude)
xAI API / Grok CLI	Set XAI_API_KEY for the default metered harness, or install and authenticate official Grok Build and pin harness: "grok-cli" per request (or set ASK_GROK_HARNESS=grok-cli). No failover between harnesses
Cursor CLI	Optional model-neutral harness. Authenticate and pick an exact ID from agent --list-models
Antigravity CLI (agy)	Version >= 1.1.5, logged in once (Google AI Pro/Ultra). Verify with agy --version
Ollama	Running locally with a model pulled: ollama pull qwen3.8:27b
Gemini CLI	npm install -g @google/gemini-cli && gemini login. Enterprise-gated since 2026-06-18

Packages

Package	What it is	Version	Downloads
@ask-llm/mcp	Canonical package: unified MCP server, provider executors, and Claude Code, Cursor Agent, and Pi host assets
@ask-llm/plugin	Dependent bridge for existing plugin and Pi installations
@ask-llm/codex-mcp	Codex-only MCP server
@ask-llm/claude-mcp	Claude-only MCP server
@ask-llm/grok-mcp	Grok-only MCP server
@ask-llm/antigravity-mcp	Antigravity-only MCP server
@ask-llm/ollama-mcp	Ollama-only MCP server
@ask-llm/gemini-mcp	Gemini-only MCP server

<details> <summary>Migrating from the old package names</summary>

All public MCP packages now live in the @ask-llm npm organization. The old names are deprecated, but executable names are unchanged: update the package argument in your MCP config and commands such as ask-codex-mcp and ask-llm-mcp doctor keep working after a global install.

Old package	Use instead
ask-llm-mcp	@ask-llm/mcp
ask-codex-mcp	@ask-llm/codex-mcp
@anton-lykhoyda/ask-claude-mcp	@ask-llm/claude-mcp
ask-antigravity-mcp	@ask-llm/antigravity-mcp
ask-ollama-mcp	@ask-llm/ollama-mcp
ask-gemini-mcp	@ask-llm/gemini-mcp

The installation guide has the complete package-to-executable mapping.

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Documentation

• Docs site: lykhoyda.github.io/ask-llm — Getting Started, How It Works, Troubleshooting
• For AI agents: llms.txt · llms-full.txt

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Start with the open issues and CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.

Disclaimer: Ask LLM is an unofficial, third-party tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, or xAI.