| name | ask-user-question |
| description | Run a structured requirements interview to remove ambiguity before implementation. Use when users ask to be interviewed, ask for guided questions, mention ask-user-question or interview skills, or when key decisions are missing and proceeding would risk rework. |
Ask User Question
Use focused, option-based questions to gather missing requirements before planning or coding.
Workflow
- Explore context first.
- Read the request and inspect available artifacts such as code, docs, tickets, and prior answers.
- Identify what is already decided versus unknown.
- Ask only high-impact decisions.
- Prioritize choices that affect scope, architecture, data model, UX, or delivery risk.
- Defer low-level implementation details until direction is clear.
- Ask one question at a time by default.
- Batch only when answers are independent or when latency is high.
- Offer mutually exclusive options.
- Provide 2-4 concrete options.
- Put the recommended option first and explain tradeoffs for each option.
- Wait for the answer before proceeding.
- Do not start implementation until blocking decisions are resolved.
- Iterate until requirements are actionable.
- Summarize decisions and remaining unknowns after each answer.
Question Design Rules
- Keep headers short (12 characters or fewer) when the interface supports headers.
- Use concrete wording tied to discovered context.
- Keep options actionable, not vague.
- Include one-sentence tradeoffs per option.
- Avoid leading questions that hide important downsides.
- Offer an
Other path when free-form input is useful.
Tool Usage
If a structured question tool is available (for example AskUserQuestion or request_user_input), use it.
Question payload should include:
header: short label for the decision
question or text: one focused prompt
options: 2-4 choices with label and description
- Single select by default unless multi-select is truly required
If no tool is available, present the same structure in markdown and ask the user to reply with one option or free-form input.
Example Triggers
- "Interview me about this feature."
- "Ask me questions before you implement."
- "Use the ask-user-question skill."
- "Requirements are unclear; ask me one question at a time."