Build Your Own AI Code Assistant with Continue
AI coding assistants are everywhere now, but what if you could customize one to fit your workflow perfectly? That’s where Continue comes in—an open-source toolkit for building, sharing, and using tailored AI coding assistants right in your IDE.
What It Does
Continue provides:
- IDE extensions (VS Code, JetBrains, etc.) to integrate AI into your editor.
- A hub of models, prompts, rules, and docs to mix and match components.
- Tools to create and share your own AI assistants—whether tweaking prompts, adding custom context, or fine-tuning behavior.
Think of it like a modular framework for AI pair programming. Instead of being locked into one vendor’s approach, you can assemble or build the assistant you want.
Why It’s Cool
- No black boxes: Everything’s open-source, from the IDE plugins to the prompt templates.
- Customizable workflows: Add rules (e.g., “always run tests after generating code”) or pull in your own docs/APIs for context.
- Community-driven: Share your tweaks (like a specialized Rust linting prompt) or borrow others’ via the hub.
- Local/cloud hybrid: Use OpenAI, Claude, local LLMs, or mix them depending on the task.
It’s not just another Copilot wrapper—it’s a toolkit for making Copilots.
How to Try It
- Install the extension: VS Code or JetBrains.
- Pick a starting config: Browse the hub for pre-built assistants or roll your own.
- Tweak it: Edit prompts, add context files, or plug in your own model.
For a quick test, their docs include a 5-minute setup using OpenAI.
Final Thoughts
As AI coding tools mature, flexibility matters. Continue is a solid step toward adaptable assistants—whether you’re optimizing for privacy, domain-specific knowledge, or just prefer control over your tools.
If you’ve ever thought, “I wish my AI assistant could do X,” this is your chance to build it. Or at least steal someone else’s solution from the hub.
🔗 GitHub: github.com/continuedev/continue
📖 Docs: docs.continue.dev