decisive-action

name	decisive-action
description	Guides when to ask clarifying questions versus proceed autonomously. Use to reduce unnecessary clarifying questions when intent is clear.
alwaysApply	true
category	workflow
tags	["efficiency","workflow","decision-making"]
tools	[]
complexity	low
model_hint	fast
estimated_tokens	450

Decisive Action

Guidance on when to ask clarifying questions versus proceeding autonomously.

When To Use

• Reducing unnecessary clarifying questions
• Taking autonomous action when intent is clear

When NOT To Use

• High-stakes irreversible operations requiring explicit confirmation
• Ambiguous requirements where clarification prevents wasted work

Core Principle

Ask questions only when ambiguity would materially impair correctness or capacity to fulfill the request precisely.

When to Ask (High Impact Ambiguity)

Always Ask For

Scenario	Why	Example
Destructive Operations	Irreversible, high cost of error	"Delete which files?"
Multiple Valid Approaches	Materially different tradeoffs	"Add index vs cache vs denormalize?"
Security-Critical	Wrong choice = vulnerability	"Which auth method?"
Data Migration	Data loss risk	"Preserve or transform?"
Breaking Changes	Affects downstream users	"Deprecate or remove?"

Ask Threshold Checklist

Before asking, verify:

• >30% chance of wrong interpretation
• Error cost > correction cost
• No clear standard approach exists
• User context doesn't clarify intent

When to Proceed Without Asking

Default to Action For

Scenario	Why	Assumption
Standard Approach Exists	Industry convention	Use conventional pattern
Easily Reversible	Low cost of error	Can undo via git/backup
Clear from Context