Asking Side Questions with /btw

Use /btw when you want a fast answer based on the current conversation without cluttering the main chat history. It is useful for small clarifications, naming questions, or quick follow-ups while you stay focused on the current task.

Prerequisites

An active Pi session with the terminal UI
A currently selected model
Enough conversation context for the model to answer from the existing session

Quick Example

/btw What helper name did we agree on for the auth token parser?

This opens a temporary answer view instead of adding a new turn to the main conversation.

Step-by-step

1. Ask the side question

/btw <question>

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`<question>`	string	(required)	The short question to answer from the current conversation context.

/btw What was the final scope of the refactor?

Effect: Starts a temporary side-question flow. If the question is empty, Pi shows Usage: /btw <question>.

2. Wait for the temporary answer

While the answer is being generated, Pi shows a loading box with the active model id:

Thinking (<model-id>)...

Item	Effect
Loading view	Shows the request is in progress
Abort action	Cancels the side question
Empty answer	Shows `No answer received`

/btw Summarize the decision we made about caching in one sentence.

3. Read the answer in the overlay

The result appears in a scrollable overlay with the original question and the generated answer.

Key	Action
`Esc`	Close the overlay
`Space`	Close the overlay
`q`	Close the overlay
`Ctrl+C`	Close the overlay
`↑` or `k`	Scroll up
`↓` or `j`	Scroll down
`PgUp`	Scroll up faster
`PgDn`	Scroll down faster

/btw Which part of the plan is still unresolved?

Effect: Displays the answer in a temporary view and returns you to the same session after dismissal.

4. Continue your main task

/btw does not append the side exchange to the main conversation branch.

Behavior	Normal turn	`/btw`
Uses current conversation context	Yes	Yes
Uses tool access	Yes	No
Writes a new turn into the main history	Yes	No
Shows answer in a temporary overlay	No	Yes

/btw Remind me which file we said owns the retry logic.

Note: /btw answers only from the current conversation plus loaded project context such as context file names and available skill names.

Advanced Usage

Best use cases

Use case	Good fit for `/btw`
Clarify a recent decision	Yes
Ask for a one-line recap	Yes
Check naming or terminology from the current session	Yes
Ask for file inspection or command output	No
Make code changes	No

/btw Give me the shortest version of the migration plan.

Tip: Use /btw for quick memory refresh. Use a normal prompt when you want the answer preserved in the main transcript or you need tools.

Context available to the answer

/btw can use:

The current conversation branch
Loaded project context file names
Available skill names

/btw does not use:

File reads during the side question
Shell commands during the side question
Workspace edits during the side question

/btw Based on this session only, what are the two biggest risks left?

Using and extending

Goal	What to do
Use `/btw`	Run `/btw <question>` in any active session
Create similar commands	Add your own slash commands with custom behavior

For creating related commands, see Creating Slash Commands for details.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What it means	What to do
`Usage: /btw <question>`	No question was provided	Run `/btw` with text after it
`Cancelled`	The request was aborted	Run the command again
`No answer received`	The model returned no usable text	Retry with a clearer question
The answer is too vague	The current session does not contain enough context	Ask a more specific question or continue with a normal prompt

Warning: /btw has no tool access, so it cannot verify files, run commands, or inspect new code while answering.