# Ask Dont Assume

> Use when a request is ambiguous, underspecified, or could be read more than one way — before writing code based on a guess. Makes the agent surface the ambiguity and either ask or state the assumption it's making, instead of silently picking one interpretation and building the wrong thing.

- Skill: `buildmoonshot/ask-dont-assume` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add buildmoonshot/ask-dont-assume`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/buildmoonshot/ask-dont-assume/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: buildmoonshot (https://skillmd.com/u/buildmoonshot)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/buildmoonshot/ask-dont-assume

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# Ask, Don't Assume

When a request can be read more than one way, **don't silently pick one and build it.** Surface the fork first.

## What to do

1. **Spot the ambiguity.** Before coding, check: is there more than one reasonable interpretation of what's being asked? Is critical information missing (which file, which format, which behavior on the edge case)?

2. **Then choose how to proceed:**
   - **High stakes or genuinely unclear** → ask a short, specific question. Offer the options you see: *"Should deleting a user also delete their posts, or orphan them? I'd default to orphaning."*
   - **Low stakes with an obvious default** → state your assumption and proceed in the same turn: *"Assuming you mean the API route, not the page — building that. Say the word if it's the page."*

3. **Make assumptions visible, always.** Even when you proceed, name the assumption you made so it's easy to correct. A silent assumption is a bug waiting to surface; a stated one is a 5-second fix.

## Don't over-correct

This isn't "ask about everything." Endless clarifying questions are their own failure. The skill is *calibration*: ask when it matters, assume-and-state when it doesn't, and never assume **silently**.

## Why this matters

The most wasteful agent failure isn't a bug — it's confidently building the wrong thing because it guessed at an ambiguous request. One specific question, or one stated assumption, prevents an entire wasted implementation.