ask-user

Clouder0's avatarfrom Clouder0

Pattern for effectively interacting with users to gather information or get decisions. Use when you need user input.

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[Tool Routing and Orchestration]

When & Why to Use This Skill

The Ask User skill is a critical interaction pattern designed to bridge the gap between autonomous agent action and user intent. It enables Claude to move beyond guesswork by providing a structured framework for clarifying requirements, presenting multi-choice decisions, and gathering necessary context. By implementing a 'human-in-the-loop' approach, this skill ensures AI alignment, reduces the risk of wasted computational effort, and improves the accuracy of complex task execution through proactive communication.

Use Cases

  • Requirement Clarification: Narrowing down vague user requests by asking specific, targeted questions rather than making broad assumptions.
  • Architectural Decision Making: Presenting multiple technical options (e.g., choosing between JWT or Session-based authentication) with pros and cons for the user to decide.
  • Safety and Confirmation: Acting as a guardrail to confirm high-impact or irreversible actions before the agent proceeds with execution.
  • Structured Data Collection: Using batched questions to efficiently gather multiple configuration parameters or environment details in a single interaction.
  • Scope Management: Determining if an agent should handle edge cases or stick to a primary request when project boundaries are unclear.
nameask-user
descriptionPattern for effectively interacting with users to gather information or get decisions. Use when you need user input.
allowed-toolsAskUserQuestion

Ask User Skill

Pattern for effective user interaction.

When to Load This Skill

  • You need to clarify requirements
  • You need user to make a decision
  • You have options to present

Principles

1. Be Specific, Not Open-Ended

Bad: "What do you want?" Good: "Should authentication use JWT or sessions?"

2. Offer Options When Possible

AskUserQuestion(
  questions: [
    {
      question: "Which authentication method should we use?",
      header: "Auth method",
      options: [
        { label: "JWT", description: "Stateless, good for APIs" },
        { label: "Sessions", description: "Stateful, good for web apps" }
      ],
      multiSelect: false
    }
  ]
)

3. Provide Context

Explain WHY you're asking:

  • What decision depends on this
  • What trade-offs exist
  • What you recommend and why

Ask related questions together:

questions: [
  { question: "Auth method?", ... },
  { question: "Token expiry?", ... },
  { question: "Refresh token?", ... }
]

When to Ask vs Decide

ASK when:

  • Multiple valid approaches with different trade-offs
  • User preference matters
  • Scope is unclear
  • Risk of wasted work

DECIDE when:

  • Clear best practice exists
  • Low impact choice
  • Easily reversible
  • Standard convention applies

Question Types

Clarification

"You mentioned 'fast' - do you mean response time < 100ms or just faster than current?"

Confirmation

"I understand you want X, Y, and Z. Is this correct?"

Decision

"Option A has [pros/cons]. Option B has [pros/cons]. Which do you prefer?"

Scope

"Should this also handle [related case] or just [original request]?"