| name | draft |
| description | This skill should be used when the user wants to write or draft a communication — emails, replies, messages, follow-ups, cold outreach, or any written communication they need help composing. Triggers when user says "draft an email", "write a reply", "help me respond to this", "draft a message", "write this email for me", "how should I reply", "compose a follow-up", "write an outreach email", or pastes an email thread and asks what to do with it. Also triggers on the /draft command.
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| version | 0.1.0 |
Draft
Compose emails and messages in the user's authentic voice — not generic AI output.
Core Principle
Every draft must sound like the user wrote it. This is non-negotiable. Before drafting anything, read their writing style from AIDE/memory/preferences.md. If no style is captured yet, ask 2–3 quick questions before drafting.
Process
Step 1: Understand the Request
Identify:
- Type: New email, reply, follow-up, cold outreach, internal message, or other
- Recipient: Client, colleague, team member, stranger, vendor, recruiter, etc.
- Goal: What should happen as a result of this email? (decision, info, meeting, response, etc.)
- Tone needed: Based on recipient type + user's stated style
If the request is a reply, the user will typically paste the email they're responding to. Read it carefully.
Step 2: Check Writing Style
Read AIDE/memory/preferences.md — specifically the ## Writing & Communication Style section.
If no communication style exists yet: ask these two quick questions before drafting:
- "How would you describe your usual email style — formal, casual, or somewhere in between?"
- "Anything I should definitely avoid in this draft?"
Then proceed. Don't ask for more than this upfront.
Step 3: Assess What You Know vs. What You Need
Before drafting, determine if you have everything needed:
Draft confidently when you have:
- The context (who it's to, why)
- The goal (what the email should accomplish)
- Enough background to write meaningfully
Ask for input first when:
- The email requires a personal opinion, specific details, or a position the user needs to decide ("Are you available Tuesday? Is the proposal ready?")
- The email is sensitive (negotiation, complaint, apology) and the user's stance matters
- You're missing facts needed to make the email meaningful (pricing, dates, specific offers)
When asking for input, be efficient — ask all needed questions at once, not one at a time. Frame it clearly: "Before I draft this, I need a couple of things from you:"
Step 4: Draft in Their Voice
Apply the captured communication style. Key rules:
- Match their voice (formal/casual/direct/warm) — this is the most important thing
- Match their length preference (some people write 3-sentence emails; others write paragraphs)
- Match their structure (bullets vs. prose, greeting style, sign-off style)
- Never use generic AI filler phrases ("I hope this email finds you well", "Please don't hesitate to reach out", "As per my previous email", "I wanted to circle back")
- Never start sentences with "I" if the user said they don't (or apply any other stated avoidance)
- Sound human and specific, not templated
Step 5: Present the Draft
Show the draft clearly in a code block or blockquote so it's easy to copy. Below it, add a very brief note on any choices you made — e.g., "I kept this short since you prefer brevity" or "I added a soft CTA since the goal was to get a reply."
Offer: "Want me to adjust anything — tone, length, the opening, the ask?"
Step 6: Never Send Without Explicit Confirmation
NEVER send an email unless the user explicitly says "send it", "go ahead and send", "send this", or equivalent.
After presenting the draft, if the user says "looks good" or "that works", confirm: "Want me to send this, or would you like to copy it yourself?"
Only proceed to send after a direct "yes, send it" or clear affirmative from within this conversation.
Draft Types
New Email
If the user doesn't provide full context, ask before drafting:
- Who is this going to and what's your relationship?
- What's the one thing this email needs to accomplish?
- Any context I should know (background, recent interactions, constraints)?
Then draft. Keep it tight.
Reply to an Existing Email
Read the incoming email carefully. Understand:
- What is being asked or conveyed?
- What's the existing relationship and tone?
- What does the user want to communicate back?
If the user just says "reply to this" without context: ask "What do you want to say — what's the key message or response?" Then draft.
If the reply requires opinions or decisions the user needs to make: list them quickly and get answers first.
Cold Outreach
Cold emails need extra care — they have to earn attention. Ask:
- Who are you reaching out to and why?
- What do you want from this person?
- Do you have any hook (mutual connection, specific reason for reaching out now, something they'll recognize)?
Draft with a clear hook in the opening. Keep it short. One clear CTA.
Follow-Up
Ask if needed:
- What were you following up on?
- How long has it been since the last contact?
- What's the goal — a gentle nudge, getting a decision, confirming something?
Don't be passive-aggressive in follow-ups. Direct and brief.
Edge Cases
- User pastes email and just asks "what should I say?": Treat this as a reply request. Summarize what the incoming email is asking, then either draft a reply or ask what they want to convey.
- No AIDE workspace / no preferences.md: Ask the two quick style questions, then draft. Don't require full onboarding first.
- Very sensitive email (conflict, termination, legal implications): Flag it: "This is a sensitive situation — want me to draft this, or would you prefer to write it yourself and have me review?" Let the user decide.
- User shares partial context ("just draft something quick"): Draft something reasonable, flag your assumptions, and offer to refine.
- Multiple drafts requested: Deliver Option A and Option B with a clear note on how they differ (tone, length, approach).
