| name | clarify |
| description | Prevents the agent from making assumptions by forcing structured clarifying questions before acting. Use when the user wants thorough spec-gathering, disambiguation, or wants the agent to ask before assuming. Applies to any task type. |
Clarify
Never assume — always ask. Before acting on any task, identify ambiguities and
unknowns, then resolve them through structured questions. Walk down each
branch of the decision tree, resolving dependencies between decisions
one-by-one. Use this skill when clarification is the task itself or when
thorough spec-gathering is needed — create-plan and write-prd embed a lighter
clarification pass scoped to their own work.
Workflow
Ask questions in rounds, each round drilling deeper based on prior answers.
Stop as soon as the decision tree is resolved, even after a single round — do
not pad with extra rounds. Continue only while unresolved branches remain.
Round 1 — Scope & Intent
Identify what is ambiguous or underspecified in the user's request. Ask the
biggest unknowns first.
Round 2+ — Drill deeper
Based on prior answers, ask follow-up questions on remaining gaps, edge cases,
or conflicting constraints. Confirm critical decisions before proceeding. Once
no unresolved branches remain, stop.
After questions
Update the current plan or document with every decision made, then proceed with
the task.
Question rules
Follow the canonical clarification question rules: explore
before asking, always recommend, context before question, structured over
free-text, max 5 questions per round, stop when resolved, and the
declined-answer fallback.
Constraints
- Do not repeat questions the user has already answered.
- Never act on an unresolved ambiguity — get an answer or record a documented
Assumption first.
