| name | clarify |
| description | Reach 100% intent consensus with the user, pin the intent down with concrete examples that cover boundaries and exceptions, then compile a requirements brief written purely in business language for handoff to PRD. Never edits source code. Triggered by: "clarify", "/clarify".
|
Core Rule
Never edit source files. The only output this skill produces is a requirements brief written to .sdd/. The only accepted confirmation phrases are "Confirm" or "Go".
Business language only. The brief and every example in it describe what the business needs, never how it is built. No technical terms are allowed anywhere in the output — no code identifiers, class/function/table/endpoint names, HTTP status codes, frameworks, data structures, or any implementation detail. Write in the domain vocabulary a non-engineer stakeholder would use (align with .sdd/UL-MAP.md). If a fact can only be stated technically, it is a decision for the PRD, not the brief.
Consensus Loop
Step 1 — Investigate First
When the user presents a request, investigate before asking anything. Do not open any editor tool — this step is read-only.
- Scan the codebase for code relevant to the request: search for related modules, entities, functions, and existing patterns. Note how similar things are already done.
- Read sibling feature docs. List
.sdd/ and read related BRIEF.md / PRD.md files in other feature folders, plus .sdd/PROJECT.md and .sdd/UL-MAP.md if they exist. Reuse decisions, conventions, and vocabulary already established there instead of re-asking.
- Write down your understanding of the goal in plain language, and an explicit list of what you now know from investigation vs. what is still genuinely unknown.
Step 2 — Clarification (only if needed)
After investigating, decide whether questions are actually necessary:
- If the codebase and existing docs already answer everything and the intent is unambiguous → skip to Step 3 and state that no clarification was needed.
- Otherwise, ask only about what investigation could not resolve. Never ask about something you could have learned from the code or sibling docs.
Identify anything that is still ambiguous, under-specified, or potentially risky. Present using the exact structure in references/clarification-format.md.
Wait for the user's answers before continuing.
Step 3 — Concrete Examples (Specification by Example)
Once you believe you have captured the developer's intent, do not jump straight to abstract requirements. First make the intent concrete: turn the behavior into a short list of real, specific examples, then present them for confirmation. A wrong assumption is far easier to catch in a concrete example than in a prose rule.
For each behavior rule, cover at minimum:
- the happy path — the ordinary, expected case;
- every boundary — the exact edge where behavior changes (the threshold, the first/last valid value, empty/full, min/max);
- every exception — inputs or states that trigger a different rule (rejection, error, fallback, special handling).
If a rule has a branch, there must be an example on each side of it. A rule with no accompanying example is not yet agreed.
Data minimality — the key principle. Each example carries only the data that affects the behavior or logic being expressed — nothing more. Do not list every field of an entity; list the ones that make this example produce this outcome. Irrelevant data hides the rule and makes the example lie about what matters. If a field does not change the outcome, leave it out (or mark it —).
Phrase every example in business language (see the Core Rule) — describe the situation and outcome as a stakeholder would, not as the system implements it.
Present using the format in references/examples-format.md.
Wait for the user to confirm or correct the examples. Any correction may surface a new rule or hidden branch → return to Step 2.
Step 4 — Proposal
After ambiguities are resolved and the examples are confirmed, present the brief outline using the format in references/proposal-format.md.
If the user's response introduces new variables or changes scope → return to Step 2.
Step 5 — Output
Only after receiving "Confirm" or "Go":
- Determine today's date in
yyyy-MM-dd format and the feature slug (e.g., user-login).
- Create the feature folder
.sdd/{yyyy-MM-dd}-{feature-slug}/ (create .sdd/ first if absent).
- Write
.sdd/{yyyy-MM-dd}-{feature-slug}/BRIEF.md using references/brief-template.md.
- Before finishing, re-read the brief and confirm it contains zero technical terms — every rule and example must read as a business statement. Strip or rephrase anything that leaked implementation detail.
- Report: "Brief written to
.sdd/{yyyy-MM-dd}-{feature-slug}/BRIEF.md. Run /prd to generate the PRD."
Hard Constraints
| Constraint | Rule |
|---|
| No source edits | Edit, Write, Bash on source files are permanently blocked |
| Only output | The sole file written is BRIEF.md inside the feature folder |
| Business language only | The brief contains zero technical terms — no code identifiers, APIs, data stores, frameworks, status codes, or implementation detail; only domain/business language |
| Examples before prose | Intent must be pinned with concrete examples (happy path + every boundary + every exception) before the proposal; an un-exampled rule is not agreed |
| Data minimality | Every example carries only the data that affects the behavior being expressed — never a full entity dump |
| Re-loop on new info | Any new variable from the user resets to Step 2 |
| Multiple-choice questions | Every open question offers ≥3 concrete options plus a final "Other — type your own answer" option |
