using-ask-question-cli

name	Using ask-question CLI
description	Send prompts to ChatGPT via browser automation. Use this when you need to query ChatGPT from the command line or integrate with the /ask-question slash command.
allowed-tools	["Bash","Read"]

Using ask-question CLI

Send prompts to ChatGPT via Playwright browser automation with headless operation.

Architecture

ask-question CLI ──► HTTP POST /ask ──► ask-question-server (daemon)
                                              │
                                              ▼
                                        Chromium (headless)
                                        + storageState session
                                              │
                                              ▼
                                        ChatGPT response

Prerequisites

1. Node.js installed
2. Playwright with Chromium (npm install downloads it)
3. npm link run in the chatgpt-relay directory

Setup (One-Time)

cd ~/Code/chatgpt-relay
npm install
npm link
ask-question-login  # Opens browser, log into ChatGPT

Starting the Daemon

ask-question-server

Keep this running in a dedicated terminal or tmux pane. It runs headless (no visible browser).

Expected output:

[ask-question-server] Starting headless browser...
[ask-question-server] Using session: ~/.chatgpt-relay/storage-state.json
[ask-question-server] ChatGPT page opened (headless).
[ask-question-server] HTTP server listening on http://127.0.0.1:3033

Usage

Direct prompt

ask-question "What is the capital of France?"

From file

ask-question -f question.md -o answer.md

Pipe input

echo "Explain async/await in JavaScript" | ask-question

Options

Option	Description
-f, --file <path>	Read prompt from file
-o, --output <path>	Write response to file
-t, --timeout <ms>	Response timeout (default: 1200000 / 20 min)
--continue	Continue existing chat (default: start new chat)
-h, --help	Show help

Integration with /ask-question Slash Command

The /ask-question slash command in Claude Code uses this CLI:

1. Claude drafts a Stack Exchange-formatted question
2. Claude invokes: ask-question -f question.md -o answer.md
3. CLI blocks while ChatGPT responds (typically 1-10 minutes)
4. Claude reads the answer file and discusses

Use /ask-question draft topic to skip automation and just draft the question.

Troubleshooting

"Server not running or not responding"

Start the daemon:

ask-question-server

"No session found"

Run login helper:

ask-question-login

Session expired

ChatGPT sessions expire after a while. Re-run login:

ask-question-login

Response timeout

Default is 20 minutes. Adjust if needed:

# Shorter timeout for quick questions
ask-question -t 120000 "What is 2+2?"

# Longer timeout for complex responses
ask-question -t 1800000 "Write a comprehensive analysis..."

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
ASK_QUESTION_SERVER_URL	http://127.0.0.1:3033	Server URL
ASK_QUESTION_PORT	3033	Server port
ASK_QUESTION_STORAGE_STATE_FILE	~/.chatgpt-relay/storage-state.json	Session file

Files

Path	Purpose
~/.chatgpt-relay/storage-state.json	Saved ChatGPT session (cookies/localStorage)