Continue
Continue is a genuinely open-source assistant that installs into VS Code or JetBrains, and it is model-agnostic — you connect Claude, GPT, Gemini, or a local model with your own key, so there is no new subscription and no lock-in. It supports rules files, so you can pin down exactly how it behaves on your project, and it works as both an inline helper and a chat/agent panel. For an operator who wants a free, transparent tool inside an editor they already know, it is an easy first install.
Open VS Code → Extensions (also available for JetBrains)Search for 'Continue' and installOpen the Continue panel and connect a model provider
Your Engine files go in .continue/rules/ — Add your Engine .md files to the repo and reference them from rule files under .continue/rules/ so Continue loads them as project context.
WHAT OPERATORS USE IT FOR
- • Draft and edit landing-page copy right beside your project files
- • Build a reusable rule that writes emails in your brand voice
- • Scaffold a simple funnel page and fix its errors without leaving the editor
Heads up: Continue runs on a model you connect, so the AI itself is billed by your provider and heavier sessions add up. It also assumes some comfort with an editor and setting up a model key, so expect a short setup step before it feels smooth — lean on your Context Files to keep it on track.
What Continue is
Continue is a free, open-source AI coding assistant that installs as an extension in VS Code or the JetBrains IDEs. It works two ways: inline suggestions as you type, and a chat/agent panel where you describe what you want and it edits your files. Because it is open-source, nothing about how it handles your project is hidden.
Bring your own model
Continue is model-agnostic. You connect the provider you already use — Claude, GPT, Gemini, or a local model — with your own key, so there is no Continue subscription and no lock-in. If a model gets slow or costly, you swap it without relearning your workflow. The tradeoff is that the AI itself is billed by whichever provider you choose.
Why an operator would use it
You do not need to be a developer to get value here. Point Continue at your project, describe your offer, and it can draft a landing page, rewrite sales copy, or rough out an email sequence right beside your files. Its rules files let you set standing instructions, so the assistant follows your brand and structure on every task instead of starting fresh each prompt.
Honest tradeoffs
It lives inside an editor and needs a model key, so there is a short setup step and a small learning curve if VS Code or JetBrains is new to you. And because you bring your own model, watch your provider usage on bigger jobs. None of this blocks a real build; it just shapes expectations.
Use it with the Engine
Continue reads rules files from a .continue/rules folder, and that is the perfect home for your Engine Context Files. Load your offer brief, brand voice, and page specs as Context Files, and Continue builds against your actual plan instead of improvising — load your Context Files and it builds your offer. If you want a ready-made set to drop in, the $1 Starter Kit gives you a proven starting point so you are not staring at a blank editor, and it lays out the Levels of the Game from Prompter to Operator.
BUILD YOUR OFFER WITH CONTINUE
Continue reads rules files from a .continue/rules folder, which is exactly where your Context Files belong — drop in your offer, voice, and page structure and every request stays on-message. Load your Context Files and it builds your offer, page by page, in your editor. Because it is model-agnostic, run a cheaper model for drafts and switch to a stronger one for the final launch pass.
The $1 Starter Kit generates the Context Files Continue needs — personalized to your niche.
GET THE $1 STARTER KIT →Install commands change — confirm the latest at the official docs above.