SpotAsk

Ask first, decide where it goes after. A fast macOS menu-bar AI assistant & query router.

Ask first, route anywhere

Summon instantly with one hotkey, type your question, and choose: stream an in-app BYOK answer or route to web platforms, desktop apps, and CLI agents in 1 click.

Work with selected text

Select text in any macOS app and translate, explain, summarize, polish, or run custom prompts from the inline action bar.

Bring your own AI service (BYOK)

Connect OpenAI-compatible or Anthropic endpoints. Access keys stay encrypted on your Mac with zero telemetry or middle servers.

Lightweight & pure native

~10 MB installer, pure Swift/AppKit, zero Electron runtime, keyboard-first with Esc-to-close, and instant cold launch.

What is SpotAsk

SpotAsk is a free, open-source macOS menu-bar AI assistant and query router built on a simple premise: "Ask first. Decide where it goes after."

Press one hotkey — Option + Space by default — and a focused question window appears instantly over whatever you are doing. Write down your thought while it is fresh, then choose how to handle it:

In-app quick answers: Get rapid streaming replies using your own configured AI model (BYOK).
1-click query routing (External Ask): Dispatch your query to 3 concrete destinations — web platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok), desktop apps via URI schemes, or local CLI agents in Terminal — without consuming API tokens or saving history.

There is no account system, no telemetry, and nothing between you and your AI provider. When you close the window (Esc), SpotAsk is done and gone — leaving your workspace clean and uninterrupted.

The quickest way to see the core workflows is to watch the GIFs below. The hotkey workflow opens a chat window from any app; the selection workflow shows actions next to text you select; and External Ask routes queries to local CLI agents and external tools in one click.

Quick chat with the default hotkey

Quick actions on selected text

1-click query routing to CLI agents and external tools

Next steps

Getting Started walks through installation and your first question.
Explore SpotAsk is a map of what you can do with the app.
Troubleshooting covers connection, model, permission, and shortcut problems.