nicobailon/pi-better

What it does

pi-better is a Pi extension that adds a /better command. Put it before any prompt and the extension rewrites that prompt into the deeper version a top professional in the field would ask for, grounded in your actual code, files, docs and logs. The rewritten prompt lands in your input box, so you review and edit it before anything runs.

The rewrite follows the four-question "Depth" prompt from Felix Rieseberg's tutorial: what a professional would do that you did not ask for, what raw material they would start from, which methods and tools they would use, and what would independently prove the result right (source). pi-better adapts this by first instructing a helper to find and read the affected code and files without asking anything, and never to start the work itself (helper instructions).

It targets Pi users who want higher-quality task briefs without hand-writing them, and works for subagent briefs when combined with pi-subagents.

Install and first run

You need Pi installed. From a shell:

pi install npm:pi-better

Then run /reload or restart Pi to load the extension (install section). Once loaded, type:

/better make the error messages clearer

The helper reads the relevant files and searches in the background while you keep chatting. A meter above the input box shows its progress; Esc cancels the helper. When it finishes, the rewritten prompt appears in your input box with a notice, and nothing is sent until you press Enter.

For a variant you can watch live and that rewinds your chat afterwards, use /better-boomerang <prompt>.

Constraints and behavior

The helper runs as a separate read-only pi process with a copy of the chat. It can use read, your shell (bash, or powershell), and grep, find and ls when available; it refuses other tools such as edit and write, and stops after 20 minutes (details).

By default the helper uses the chat's model and thinking level, reusing the provider's prompt cache. To override, add a better key with model and/or thinking to ~/.pi/agent/settings.json or the project's .pi/settings.json; the cache does not carry over when you change the model. The project is MIT licensed.

HotRepo 点评

pi-better 在 HotRepo 新项目榜（TypeScript 语言）中出现过一次记录：2026 年 11 月 15 日的统计窗口内新增 3 颗 Star，总数达到 103，同期新增 1 个 Fork。样本很短，不足以说明长期趋势；它能提供的有价值信息是：这个工具对正在使用 Pi 的开发者有明确的使用场景，但它的收益取决于仓库本身是否便于 helper 读取和检索。

HotRepo's take

pi-better appeared once on HotRepo's new-project list for TypeScript, gaining 3 stars within the November 15, 2026 window to reach 103 total, with 1 new fork in the same period. That is too short a series to read as a trend. What it does show is a tool with a clear audience among Pi users; its output quality depends on how easily the helper can read and search the repository it is asked about.