Writing Helper

Get help from Steve in most text fields

What is the Writing Helper?

The Writing Helper adds Steve to most multi-line text fields. You can ask him to write content for you or edit the content that's already in the field. It brings the power of AI right to where you work!

The Quick Basics

  • Watch the video below for a quick introduction.
  • Type whatever you want Steve to do, or pick a Skill from the list.
  • If there's no text it will help you write something. If there is, it will help you rewrite or analyze it.
  • Enter gives you the results in a floating panel so you can review and edit if you like.
  • Command-Enter (or Control-Enter on Windows/ChromeOS) attempts to overwrites the existing text if you're feeling lucky. This doesn't work on all sites.
  • Command-Z (or Control-Z on Windows/ChromeOS) while the Writing Helper is open tries to UNDO back to the last text.
  • Temporarily get rid of it with a right-click, permanently turn it off in the Settings.

Bringing Up the Writing Helper

You can bring up the Writing Helper over any editable text field in the following ways:

  • All platforms: Click on the little Writing Helper icon in the upper right of any multi-line text field.
  • Mac: Press Command-Shift-K
  • Windows & ChromeOS: Press Control-Shift-K

If you don't like the default keyboard shortcut, you can change it! Press the puzzle piece icon in the Chrome toolbar, select Manage Extensions from the menu and then Keyboard shortcuts on the Extensions page in the left navigation menu. From there you can change the shortcuts for Ask Steve.

Using the Writing Helper

  • You can select a Skill from the dropdown menu. The Skills that will appear here are the ones that have 0 or 1 Page Variables. (See Skills)
  • You can start typing in the name of a Skill and then pick it from the list.
  • Or you can type in any one-time request if you don't already have a Skill for what you want to do.
  • Pressing ENTER in the Writing Helper tells Steve to do what you asked. By default Steve will put his response in a floating panel on the page.
  • If you want Steve to attempt to overwrite the existing content with his response, press Control-ENTER (ChromeOS, Windows) or Command-ENTER (Mac) instead. This doesn't work on all sites.


Once Steve completes your request, the Writing Helper stays open so that you can type in another request, so that you can iterate until the content is to your liking. To make it go away:

  • Click anywhere outside the box.
  • Press the Esc key
  • Press Backspace until it goes away

NOTE: If there is already text in the text field, Steve will assume that your request is about that text and will work with that text.

Undo

If you press Command-Z (Mac) or Control-Z (Windows, ChromeOS) while in the Writing Helper, Steve will attempt to restore the previous text. The formatting will likely be messed up. See below on how to fix it!

Fix Formatting

Sometimes Steve will mess up the formatting of text. You can always just ask him to fix the formatting and he will do so.

The Writing Helper icon

  • This icon appears in the top right of any textarea or contenteditable text field
  • If you want to make it disappear temporarily, right-click on it
  • To remove it permanently from all text fields, turn it off in the Settings

Pro Tips

Using a Page Variable

If the text field is empty, you can add a page variable to your request, and Steve will use that to help create the text that he puts in the text field. As an example, let's say you're on the page for a support case, and you want Steve to fill in an empty text field with a summary of the case.

  1. Open the Writing Helper in the empty text field
  2. Write summarize this: [[p]] in the Writing Helper and then press ENTER
  3. Steve will read the page, summarize it, and put the results in the text field.

    NOTE: This only works on empty text fields. If the text field already has text in it, Steve will read that instead.
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