requirement-clarification
Registry Trigger
Use when
- clarify ambiguous goals constraints assumptions missing information
Do not use when
- no task-local requirement clarification decision is required
Skill Role
Detect material ambiguity, search local evidence, classify blockers, bound assumptions, frame options, and identify proceed-or-wait boundaries. Exclude requirement restructuring and implementation.
High-Value Rules
- Clarify only decision-changing ambiguity. Name the missing or conflicting fact, affected behavior or risk, plausible interpretations, and what implementation or validation would differ.
- Search current local evidence before asking. Inspect request context, contracts, repository structure, schemas, configuration, tests, examples, and accepted decisions, while treating stale or indirect evidence as a lead rather than authority.
- Classify the decision boundary. Block when interpretations could change public behavior, data, permission, safety, compatibility, irreversible effects, or acceptance; continue with a bounded assumption for reversible local choices.
- Make assumptions explicit and testable. State selected interpretation, source or rationale, affected scope, consequence if wrong, validation path, and signal that reopens the decision.
- Offer bounded options when authority is external. Present viable choices with material tradeoffs and a recommended default only where current evidence supports one, avoiding broad preference questions.
- Record what can proceed and what waits. Separate safe analysis or implementation slices from blocked decisions, dependencies, and externally owned evidence so uncertainty does not freeze unrelated work.
- Update downstream artifacts after resolution. Propagate the accepted answer into scope, contracts, rules, tasks, acceptance, and risk boundaries instead of leaving clarification detached from execution.
Anti-Patterns
- Ask broad questions answerable from current repository or contract evidence.
- Hide a material product, permission, data, or compatibility choice inside an implementation assumption.
- Treat all uncertainty as blocking, or proceed under a vague caution with no scope, owner, or reopen signal.
Stop Conditions
Escalate when decision authority is unavailable, current sources conflict, a safe bounded assumption cannot contain consequence, or the unresolved choice affects irreversible, regulated, financial, security, privacy, safety, or public compatibility behavior.
Output Contract
- clarification decision with material ambiguity, inspected evidence, blocking classification, bounded assumptions or options, proceed and wait boundary, owner questions, reopen signals, and downstream updates
Targeted References
| Path |
Type |
Load when |
Do not load when |
Required by |
Required output |
| benchmarks and patterns |
benchmark-pattern |
unknown authority reversibility or partial progress leaves options viable |
one verified owner decision resolves every material ambiguity |
analysis-agent |
option-comparison, selected-approach |
| checklist |
decision-checklist |
request contains blocking unknowns assumptions conflicts or unsafe defaults |
current facts and authority establish all behavior-changing decisions |
analysis-agent |
checklist-result, residual-risk |
| evidence patterns |
evidence-pattern |
stakeholder source freshness or prior-decision claims need verification |
current source and owner records prove each clarification fact |
analysis-agent |
evidence-record, proof-limit, residual-risk |
1---2name: requirement-clarification3description: `analysis-agent`: use when goals, constraints, assumptions, or missing facts need blocking, non-blocking, and safe-assumption decisions; skip when requirements are clear.4---5
6# requirement-clarification
7
8## Registry Trigger
9
10**Use when**
11
12- clarify ambiguous goals constraints assumptions missing information
13
14**Do not use when**
15
16- no task-local requirement clarification decision is required
17
18## Skill Role
19
20Detect material ambiguity, search local evidence, classify blockers, bound assumptions, frame options, and identify proceed-or-wait boundaries. Exclude requirement restructuring and implementation.
21
22## High-Value Rules
23
24- **Clarify only decision-changing ambiguity.** Name the missing or conflicting fact, affected behavior or risk, plausible interpretations, and what implementation or validation would differ.
25- **Search current local evidence before asking.** Inspect request context, contracts, repository structure, schemas, configuration, tests, examples, and accepted decisions, while treating stale or indirect evidence as a lead rather than authority.
26- **Classify the decision boundary.** Block when interpretations could change public behavior, data, permission, safety, compatibility, irreversible effects, or acceptance; continue with a bounded assumption for reversible local choices.
27- **Make assumptions explicit and testable.** State selected interpretation, source or rationale, affected scope, consequence if wrong, validation path, and signal that reopens the decision.
28- **Offer bounded options when authority is external.** Present viable choices with material tradeoffs and a recommended default only where current evidence supports one, avoiding broad preference questions.
29- **Record what can proceed and what waits.** Separate safe analysis or implementation slices from blocked decisions, dependencies, and externally owned evidence so uncertainty does not freeze unrelated work.
30- **Update downstream artifacts after resolution.** Propagate the accepted answer into scope, contracts, rules, tasks, acceptance, and risk boundaries instead of leaving clarification detached from execution.
31
32## Anti-Patterns
33
34- Ask broad questions answerable from current repository or contract evidence.
35- Hide a material product, permission, data, or compatibility choice inside an implementation assumption.
36- Treat all uncertainty as blocking, or proceed under a vague caution with no scope, owner, or reopen signal.
37
38## Stop Conditions
39
40Escalate when decision authority is unavailable, current sources conflict, a safe bounded assumption cannot contain consequence, or the unresolved choice affects irreversible, regulated, financial, security, privacy, safety, or public compatibility behavior.
41
42## Output Contract
43
44- clarification decision with material ambiguity, inspected evidence, blocking classification, bounded assumptions or options, proceed and wait boundary, owner questions, reopen signals, and downstream updates
45
46## Targeted References
47
48| Path | Type | Load when | Do not load when | Required by | Required output |
49|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50| [benchmarks and patterns](references/benchmarks-and-patterns.md) | benchmark-pattern | unknown authority reversibility or partial progress leaves options viable | one verified owner decision resolves every material ambiguity | analysis-agent | option-comparison, selected-approach |
51| [checklist](references/checklist.md) | decision-checklist | request contains blocking unknowns assumptions conflicts or unsafe defaults | current facts and authority establish all behavior-changing decisions | analysis-agent | checklist-result, residual-risk |
52| [evidence patterns](references/evidence-patterns.md) | evidence-pattern | stakeholder source freshness or prior-decision claims need verification | current source and owner records prove each clarification fact | analysis-agent | evidence-record, proof-limit, residual-risk |
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