AskAnything

What is AskAnything?

AskAnything is a Chrome browser extension that provides an AI-powered floating sidebar for instant Q&A, multimedia understanding (images and Bilibili videos), and local Markdown note editing. It requires users to configure their own API keys for supported large language models.

How to use AskAnything?

First, install the extension from GitHub Releases or build it locally. Then open the extension options page to enter your API keys (and optionally a custom API endpoint). Activate the sidebar by clicking the floating blue button on the right side of any page, or by pressing Alt+Shift+A (customizable). Choose a model from the dropdown, type your question, and press Enter to receive streaming AI responses.

Key features of AskAnything

• 🎯 Floating button (draggable) on page right side
• 🧠 Supports ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, and Tongyi Qianwen (Qwen) models
• 🎭 Multimedia analysis: image understanding and Bilibili video summarization (Qwen only)
• 📝 Context-aware queries that include selected text or page info
• 📓 Built-in Markdown note editor with import/export and split-screen view
• 🔍 Local history storage of the last 50 conversations via chrome.storage.local

Use cases of AskAnything

• Get quick AI answers to questions while browsing any webpage
• Analyze images by uploading or dragging them directly into the sidebar (requires Qwen model)
• Summarize Bilibili video content, generate structured chapters with timestamps
• Take and manage Markdown notes alongside AI chat, with split-screen view
• Research or study by combining AI responses with notebook entries

FAQ from AskAnything

Do I need to provide my own API keys?

Yes. You must enter your own API keys for each model provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) in the extension options page. Keys are stored locally in chrome.storage.local and are never transmitted to any remote server.

What models does AskAnything support?

It supports ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), DeepSeek, and Tongyi Qianwen (Alibaba Qwen). Multimedia analysis (image and Bilibili video) currently works only with the Qwen model.

Can I use AskAnything with other MCP tools?

The extension implements only the SSE and Streamable HTTP protocols for MCP. It recommends using mcp-proxy as a proxy to connect with stdio‑based MCP servers.

Is my conversation history saved?

Yes, the last 50 conversations are stored locally in your browser. History is not sent to any remote server.

How do I change the keyboard shortcut?

The default shortcut Alt+Shift+A can be modified in Chrome’s extension shortcuts manager at chrome://extensions/shortcuts.