Ask User Question

Ask User Question

Overview

This skill enables structured, interactive questioning to gather user input during task execution. It provides a framework for presenting clear questions with predefined options, supporting both single and multiple selection modes.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when:

• Gathering user preferences or requirements
• Clarifying ambiguous instructions
• Making decisions on implementation choices
• Offering directional choices to the user
• Needing structured input rather than free-form responses

Question Structure

Each question interaction consists of:

1. Question: Clear, specific text ending with a question mark
2. Header: Short label (max 12 characters) displayed as a chip/tag
3. Options: 2-4 distinct choices, each with label and description
4. Multi-select flag: Whether multiple answers are allowed

Option Components

Each option requires:

• Label: Concise display text (1-5 words)
• Description: Explanation of what this option means or its implications

Formatting Guidelines

Question Text

• Keep questions specific and actionable
• End with a question mark
• If multi-select is enabled, phrase accordingly (e.g., "Which features do you want to enable?")

Header

• Maximum 12 characters
• Use as category indicator
• Examples: "Auth method", "Library", "Approach", "Feature"

Option Labels

• Keep concise: 1-5 words
• Make mutually exclusive (unless multi-select)
• Place recommended option first with "(Recommended)" suffix

Option Descriptions

• Explain implications and trade-offs
• Provide context for informed decisions
• Keep focused and relevant

Question Templates

Binary Choice Template

Header: "Confirm"
Question: "Do you want to proceed with [action]?"
Options:
  - Label: "Yes, proceed"
    Description: "Continue with the proposed action"
  - Label: "No, cancel"
    Description: "Stop and reconsider alternatives"

Implementation Choice Template

Header: "Approach"
Question: "Which implementation approach should be used for [feature]?"
Options:
  - Label: "[Option A] (Recommended)"
    Description: "[Benefits and trade-offs of option A]"
  - Label: "[Option B]"
    Description: "[Benefits and trade-offs of option B]"
  - Label: "[Option C]"
    Description: "[Benefits and trade-offs of option C]"

Feature Selection Template (Multi-select)

Header: "Features"
Question: "Which features do you want to enable?"
Options:
  - Label: "[Feature 1]"
    Description: "[What this feature provides]"
  - Label: "[Feature 2]"
    Description: "[What this feature provides]"
  - Label: "[Feature 3]"
    Description: "[What this feature provides]"
MultiSelect: true

Library/Tool Selection Template

Header: "Library"
Question: "Which library should be used for [purpose]?"
Options:
  - Label: "[Library A] (Recommended)"
    Description: "[Key characteristics, community support, maintenance status]"
  - Label: "[Library B]"
    Description: "[Key characteristics, use cases, limitations]"

Multiple Questions

When gathering related information, batch up to 4 questions in a single interaction. Each question follows the same structure independently.

Batching Guidelines

• Group logically related questions
• Maintain independent options per question
• Limit to 4 questions maximum per interaction
• Order questions by dependency (independent first)

Response Handling

Users can always provide custom input via "Other" option. Design questions to:

• Cover the most common/likely choices
• Allow for unexpected user preferences
• Not force users into predefined boxes

Best Practices

Do

• Provide clear context in descriptions
• Order options with recommended first
• Use consistent terminology
• Keep option count manageable (2-4)
• Make each option distinct

Avoid

• Vague or open-ended questions
• Overlapping options
• Technical jargon without explanation
• Questions answerable through code inspection
• Asking permission to proceed (use ExitPlanMode for plan approval)

Integration with Plan Mode

When in plan mode:

• Use this skill to clarify requirements BEFORE finalizing plans
• Do NOT use to ask "Is my plan ready?" (use ExitPlanMode instead)
• Focus on gathering information needed for planning decisions

Examples

Example 1: Authentication Method Selection

Header: "Auth method"
Question: "Which authentication method should we implement?"
Options:
  - Label: "JWT tokens (Recommended)"
    Description: "Stateless authentication with token-based sessions, good for APIs"
  - Label: "Session cookies"
    Description: "Traditional server-side sessions, simpler but requires session storage"
  - Label: "OAuth 2.0"
    Description: "Delegate authentication to external providers (Google, GitHub, etc.)"

Example 2: Database Selection

Header: "Database"
Question: "Which database should be used for this project?"
Options:
  - Label: "PostgreSQL (Recommended)"
    Description: "Robust relational database with excellent JSON support"
  - Label: "SQLite"
    Description: "Lightweight, file-based database suitable for smaller applications"
  - Label: "MongoDB"
    Description: "Document-oriented NoSQL database for flexible schemas"

Example 3: Multi-select Features

Header: "Features"
Question: "Which optional features should be included?"
Options:
  - Label: "Dark mode"
    Description: "Add theme switching capability with dark color scheme"
  - Label: "Internationalization"
    Description: "Support for multiple languages using i18n framework"
  - Label: "Analytics"
    Description: "Track user behavior and usage patterns"
  - Label: "PWA support"
    Description: "Enable offline functionality and app installation"
MultiSelect: true

Output Format

When using this skill, structure the question presentation as:

**[Header]**: [Question]

Options:
1. **[Label]**: [Description]
2. **[Label]**: [Description]
...

[If multi-select: "Select all that apply"]

Wait for user response before proceeding with the selected approach.