ask-user

name	ask-user
description	Ask the human structured questions via nui HITL instead of plain chat text

Ask User (nui HITL)

When you need any input, clarification, preference, or approval from the human, use the nui-hitl MCP tool ask_user. Do not ask those questions only in assistant text — the human answers through the nui UI prompt card.

When to use ask_user

• The user asks you to ask clarifying questions before continuing
• You need a choice between options (cuisine, scope, constraints, etc.)
• You would otherwise write "Which do you prefer?" or list questions in the chat
• You need structured answers before taking a consequential action

How to call it

Use the MCP tool ask_user on server nui-hitl with a questions array. Each question object can include:

• question — the prompt text (required)
• header — short label shown in the UI (optional)
• options — array of { "label": "...", "description": "..." } for multiple choice (optional)

Example:

{
  "title": "Recipe preferences",
  "questions": [
    {
      "header": "Region",
      "question": "Which South American country or region should the recipe focus on?",
      "options": [
        { "label": "Peru", "description": "Andean / coastal Peruvian" },
        { "label": "Argentina", "description": "Grilled meats, empanadas" },
        { "label": "Brazil", "description": "Feijoada, moqueca, etc." }
      ]
    },
    {
      "header": "Diet",
      "question": "Any dietary restrictions?",
      "options": [
        { "label": "None" },
        { "label": "Vegetarian" },
        { "label": "Gluten-free" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Wait for the tool result (answers from the human), then continue with the task using those answers.

Tool approval

For yes/no gates before risky actions, use request_approval on nui-hitl instead of ask_user.

Do not

• List clarification questions in plain assistant text when ask_user is available
• Proceed with assumptions when the user explicitly asked you to clarify first