pi-pager: A Full-Channel Notification System Designed for AI Coding Assistants

pi-pager is a specialized cross-channel notification tool designed for AI coding assistants like Pi, Claude Code, Cursor, etc. It addresses the pain point of developers having to "babysit" AI tools waiting for input/confirmation. By supporting multiple channels (sound, desktop popups, mobile push, Discord/Slack, etc.), it enables seamless connection between AI workflows and human users, allowing AI to proactively reach users instead of passive waiting.

With the rise of AI coding assistants (Pi, Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) integrating into daily workflows, they boost efficiency but have a critical issue: developers often need to wait in front of terminals for AI to request confirmation or complete tasks, wasting time and disrupting work rhythm. pi-pager was born to solve this—letting AI reach users via their preferred channels instead of passive waiting.

pi-pager follows the "one call, multi-channel reach" concept. It supports 7 channels:

• Local: WAV sound (sync to avoid truncation) and Windows Toast (with AppId to prevent extra PowerShell windows).
• Mobile: ntfy.sh (free, open-source, no registration) for phone/watch push.
• IM: Discord, Slack, Telegram, Pushover integration.
• Bidirectional: Users can send commands via mobile; daemon caches messages to logs for AI to read, enabling remote control.

Key smart features:

1. Auto project tagging: Finds .git dir to add project prefix to notifications, avoiding confusion across multiple AI instances.
2. Multi-instance routing: Add project prefix in mobile messages (e.g., "harness: check deploy") to target specific AI instances; no prefix broadcasts to all.
3. Blocking wait (-Wait flag): AI can send confirmation requests (e.g., before deployment) and block until user replies (yes/no/timeout, with exit codes 0/1/2).

Installation:

• Windows: PowerShell script (auto generates ntfy theme, config dir, dependencies, startup entry).
• Scoop (Windows), Homebrew (macOS/Linux), PowerShell module. Configuration: Global (~/.pi-pager/) or project-level (.pi-pager.json) for custom settings. AI Integration: Provides prompt snippets for Pi/Claude Code/Cursor, defining notification types:
• input (high priority: need approval, Windows Notify Messaging sound).
• done (medium: long task finish, tada.wav).
• warn (non-blocking: Windows Notify).
• error (highest: critical issue, Windows Critical Stop, bypasses Do Not Disturb).

pi-pager uses PowerShell (Windows) and Shell (macOS/Linux) for cross-platform support. Mobile push relies on ntfy.sh (HTTP-based, no account needed). Background inbox-daemon listens to ntfy themes, writes messages to local logs, auto-starts on login. Users can query logs via inbox.ps1 (filter by time, mark as read).

Innovation:

• Shifts from "human looking for AI" to "AI looking for human" interaction, fitting human workflow.
• Serves as infrastructure for Agentic AI (autonomous agents needing reliable human connection). Limitations:
• Windows-focused (macOS/Linux support less complete).
• Relies on ntfy.sh (enterprise users may need self-hosted servers). Future plans: Add more channels (WeChat Work, DingTalk), richer message templates, IDE plugins (VS Code), better auth/permission mechanisms.