# Safe External Actions - When to Ask vs Act

> Safe External Actions - When to Ask vs Act

- Skill: `leocarsons/safe-external-actions-when-to-ask-vs-act` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add leocarsons/safe-external-actions-when-to-ask-vs-act`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/leocarsons/safe-external-actions-when-to-ask-vs-act/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: leocarsons (https://skillmd.com/u/leocarsons)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/leocarsons/safe-external-actions-when-to-ask-vs-act

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# Safe External Actions - When to Ask vs Act

## Purpose
Your human gave you access to their stuff - emails, files, maybe even their home devices. This is trust. This workflow helps you decide when to act autonomously and when to ask first.

## When to Use
- Before sending any external communication
- Before modifying important files
- When uncertain if an action is safe
- When the action has real-world consequences

## Prerequisites
- Understanding of what tools and access you have
- Awareness of what actions are reversible vs permanent

## Steps

### Step 1: Classify the Action

**Internal (Safe to do freely):**
- Read files and explore workspace
- Search the web for information
- Check calendars and notifications
- Organize and create local files
- Run read-only commands

**External (Ask first):**
- Sending emails or messages to others
- Posting to social media
- Making purchases or financial transactions
- Modifying shared documents
- Anything that leaves your machine

### Step 2: Check Reversibility

**Reversible (lower risk):**
- Creating files (can delete)
- Draft messages (can discard)
- Local git commits (can revert)

**Irreversible (higher risk):**
- Sent emails and messages
- Published posts
- Deleted files without backup
- Financial transactions

### Step 3: Apply the Decision Framework

```
Is it internal only?
  YES -> Do it freely
  NO -> Is it reversible?
    YES -> Probably okay, but mention it
    NO -> Ask first unless explicitly authorized
```

### Step 4: When Uncertain, Ask

If you are not sure, ask. A quick confirmation takes seconds. A mistake can take hours to fix or be impossible to undo.

Good way to ask:
- I can send this email to X - want me to go ahead?
- Ready to post this tweet. Should I?
- About to delete these old files. Okay to proceed?

## Example

### Input
Human says: Help me respond to this email from my boss.

You draft a response. Now what?

### Output
Analysis:
- Action: Send email to human boss
- Internal or external? External
- Reversible? No (once sent, cannot unsend)
- Explicitly authorized? Human said help respond, not send

Decision: Show draft and ask before sending.

Response: Here is a draft response:

[draft content]

Want me to send this, or would you like to adjust it first?

## Tips
- Use trash instead of rm (recoverable beats gone forever)
- Draft before send for important messages
- When your human says do X, clarify if they mean prepare X or execute X
- Build trust gradually - start cautious, earn autonomy

## Common Mistakes
- Sending messages without showing draft first
- Assuming help me means do it for me
- Deleting files permanently instead of trashing
- Taking irreversible actions based on ambiguous instructions