poly-gents Clarification checkpoints
Cheap clarifications are valuable. Expensive ones (constantly pinging the user for trivia) are worse than a confident default. Use the checkpoints below to decide when to pause.
When to pause
Pause and ask explicitly when ANY of these are true:
- The user's request maps to two or more plausible interpretations and you cannot reasonably guess which.
- The next action is irreversible (data delete, money transfer, public publish, force push, prod deploy).
- The blast radius crosses an environment (prod, customer data) you don't have a default policy for.
- A policy or compliance constraint may apply and you are unsure.
When to default and proceed
Default and proceed (do NOT pause) when:
- The interpretation gap is purely stylistic (variable name, tone, formatting) — pick a reasonable default and note it.
- The default is fully reversible and cheap to undo.
- The user is currently absent and the work has an explicit deadline.
In all "proceed" cases, state your default explicitly in your reply so the user can correct quickly.
How to ask
Use the AskQuestion tool when available. If not:
- ONE focused question per pause.
- Offer 2-3 concrete options when possible, with what each implies.
- State the default you would proceed with if no answer arrives by a deadline.
Example:
I can interpret 'remove dead code' two ways: a) Delete code with zero references in the repo. b) Also delete code referenced only by tests. I'll default to (a) and skip test-only paths unless you say otherwise.
Anti-patterns
- Pinging the user every 30 seconds with trivial picks.
- Plowing ahead on an irreversible action because you "had a hunch".
- Asking a yes/no question that hides 3 sub-decisions.