diff --git a/lua/ogpt/config.lua b/lua/ogpt/config.lua
index 8deb4ec..e89dfaa 100644
--- a/lua/ogpt/config.lua
+++ b/lua/ogpt/config.lua
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ function M.defaults()
       border_right_sign = "|",
       max_line_length = 120,
       edgy = nil, -- use global default
+      args = {},
       sessions_window = {
         active_sign = " 󰄵 ",
         inactive_sign = " 󰄱 ",
diff --git a/lua/ogpt/flows/chat/base.lua b/lua/ogpt/flows/chat/base.lua
index 9a358f4..0b9aa3f 100644
--- a/lua/ogpt/flows/chat/base.lua
+++ b/lua/ogpt/flows/chat/base.lua
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ local Signs = require("ogpt.signs")
 local Spinner = require("ogpt.spinner")
 local Session = require("ogpt.flows.chat.session")
 local UtilWindow = require("ogpt.util_window")
+local template_helpers = require("ogpt.flows.actions.template_helpers")
 
 QUESTION, ANSWER, SYSTEM = 1, 2, 3
 ROLE_ASSISTANT = "assistant"
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ ROLE_USER = "user"
 local Chat = Object("Chat")
 
 function Chat:init(opts)
-  opts = opts or {}
+  self.opts = opts or {}
   self.input_extmark_id = nil
 
   self.active_panel = nil
@@ -53,8 +54,9 @@ function Chat:init(opts)
   self.prompt_lines = 1
 
   self.display_mode = Config.options.popup_layout.default
-  self.params = Config.get_chat_params(opts.provider)
+  self.params = Config.get_chat_params(self.opts.provider)
 
+  self.variables = {}
   self.session = Session.latest()
   self.provider = nil
   self.selectedIndex = 0
@@ -171,6 +173,66 @@ function Chat:isBusy()
   return self.is_running
 end
 
+function Chat:update_variables()
+  local bufnr = vim.api.nvim_get_current_buf()
+  self.variables = vim.tbl_extend("force", self.variables, {
+    filetype = function()
+      return vim.api.nvim_buf_get_option(bufnr, "filetype")
+    end,
+    input = function()
+      return utils.get_selected_text(bufnr)
+    end,
+    selection = function()
+      return utils.get_selected_range(bufnr)
+    end,
+  })
+
+  -- pull in action defined args
+  self.variables = vim.tbl_extend("force", self.variables, self.opts.args or {})
+
+  -- add in plugin predefined template helpers
+  for helper, helper_fn in pairs(template_helpers) do
+    local _v = { [helper] = helper_fn }
+    self.variables = vim.tbl_extend("force", self.variables, _v)
+  end
+end
+
+function Chat:render_template(variables, text)
+  variables = vim.tbl_extend("force", self.variables, variables or {})
+  -- lazily render the final string.
+  -- it recursively loop on the template string until it does not find anymore
+  -- {{{}}} patterns
+  local stop = false
+  local depth = 2
+  local result = text
+  -- deprecating warning of {{}} (double curly)
+  if vim.fn.match(result, [[\v\{\{([^}]+)\}\}(})@!]]) ~= -1 then
+    utils.log(
+      "You may be using the {{<template_helper>}}, please updated to {{{<template_helpers>}}} (triple curly braces)in your custom actions.",
+      vim.log.levels.ERROR
+    )
+  end
+
+  local pattern = "%{%{%{(([%w_]+))%}%}%}"
+  repeat
+    for match in string.gmatch(result, pattern) do
+      local value = variables[match]
+      if value then
+        if type(value) == "function" then
+          value = value(self.variables)
+        end
+        local escaped_value = utils.escape_pattern(value)
+        result = string.gsub(result, "{{{" .. match .. "}}}", escaped_value)
+      else
+        utils.log("Cannot find {{{" .. match .. "}}}", vim.log.levels.ERROR)
+        stop = true
+      end
+    end
+    depth = depth - 1
+  until not string.match(result, pattern) or stop or depth == 0
+  return result
+end
+
 function Chat:add(type, text, usage)
   local idx = self.session:add_item({
     type = type,
@@ -178,6 +240,10 @@ function Chat:add(type, text, usage)
     usage = usage,
     ctx = { context = self.session:previous_context() },
   })
+
+  self:update_variables()
+  text = self:render_template(Config.options.chat.args, text)
+
   self:_add(type, text, usage, idx)
   self:render_role()
 end
diff --git a/lua/ogpt/response.lua b/lua/ogpt/response.lua
index 9aebec3..76b8b3a 100644
--- a/lua/ogpt/response.lua
+++ b/lua/ogpt/response.lua
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ function Response:init(provider, events)
   self.not_processed = Deque.new()
   self.not_processed_raw = Deque.new()
   self.raw_chunk_tx, self.raw_chunk_rx = channel.mpsc()
-  self.processed_raw_tx, self.processed_raw_rx = channel.mpsc()
-  self.processed_content_tx, self.processed_content_rx = channel.mpsc()
+  self.processed_raw_tx, self.processsed_raw_rx = channel.mpsc()
+  self.processed_content_tx, self.processsed_content_rx = channel.mpsc()
   self.response_state = nil
   self.chunk_regex = ""
   self:set_state(self.STATE_INIT)
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ function Response:_process_added_chunk()
     chunk = chunk .. queued_chunk
   end
 
-  -- Run different strategies for processing responses here
+  -- Run different strategies for processsing responses here
   if self.provider.response_params.strategy == self.STRATEGY_CHUNK then
     self.processed_raw_tx.send(chunk)
   elseif
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ function Response:_process_added_chunk()
 end
 
 function Response:pop_content()
-  local content = self.processed_content_rx.recv()
+  local content = self.processsed_content_rx.recv()
   if content[2] == "END" and (content[1] and content[1] == "") then
     content[1] = self:get_processed_text()
   end
@@ -141,29 +141,18 @@ function Response:render()
 end
 
 function Response:pop_chunk()
-  -- -- pop the next chunk and add anything that is not process
-  -- local _value = self.not_processed
-  -- self.not_processed = ""
-  -- local _chunk = self.processed_raw_rx.recv()
-  -- utils.log("Got chunk... now appending to 'not_processed'", vim.log.levels.TRACE)
-  -- return _value .. _chunk
-
-  local _chunk = self.processed_raw_rx.recv()
+  local _chunk = self.processsed_raw_rx.recv()
   utils.log("pushing processed raw to queue: " .. _chunk, vim.log.levels.TRACE)
 
   -- push on to queue
   self.not_processed:pushright(_chunk)
   utils.log("popping processed raw from queue: " .. _chunk, vim.log.levels.TRACE)
-  return self.not_processed:popleft()
-
-  -- local chunk = _chunk
-  -- -- clear the queue each time to try to get a full chunk
-  -- for i, queued_chunk in self.not_processed:ipairs_left() do
-  --   chunk = chunk .. queued_chunk
-  --   utils.log("Adding to final processed output: " .. chunk, vim.log.levels.TRACE)
-  --   self.not_processed[i] = nil
-  -- end
-  -- return chunk
+
+  local _data = {}
+  while not self.not_processed:is_empty() do
+    table.insert(_data, self.not_processed:popleft())
+  end
+  return table.concat(_data, "")
 end
 
 function Response:get_accumulated_chunks()
diff --git a/lua/ogpt/utils.lua b/lua/ogpt/utils.lua
index c8b68c1..a2835ff 100644
--- a/lua/ogpt/utils.lua
+++ b/lua/ogpt/utils.lua
@@ -456,4 +456,17 @@ function M.curl(args, on_exit)
   return job
 end
 
+function M.get_visual_selection(bufnr)
+  local lines, start_row, start_col, end_row, end_col = M.get_visual_lines(bufnr)
+
+  return lines, start_row, start_col, end_row, end_col
+end
+
+function M.get_selected_text(bufnr)
+  -- selection using vim GV, after selection is made, it remains in
+  -- vim registry, and this function recall that selection
+  local lines, _, _, _, _ = M.get_visual_selection(bufnr)
+  return table.concat(lines, "\n")
+end
+
 return M