ask-user-question

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.

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

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

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

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]"

```

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)

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

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)

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

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

```

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.