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.

Quick Start

Prerequisites: Node.js 20+ on Linux or macOS, and at least one provider CLI installed and authenticated (see Provider setup).

Claude Code

# One install, every provider — auto-detects what you have
claude mcp add --scope user ask-llm -- npx -y @ask-llm/mcp
# first-class alternative after `npm install -g @ask-llm/mcp`:
# claude mcp add --scope user ask-llm -- ask-llm-mcp

Then try: ask codex to review my last commit. Run npx @ask-llm/mcp doctor if anything looks off.

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

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json (project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (user):

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

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

Add to claude_desktop_config.json:

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

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.

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

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.

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 plugin, @ask-llm/plugin, adds the workflows: slash-command reviews with a validation pipeline, multi-model brainstorming, and opt-in continuous pair review.

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

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.