Clarify - Intensive Questioning (v2.37)

Systematically gather requirements using TLDR semantic search + AskUserQuestion tool.

v2.88 Key Changes (MODEL-AGNOSTIC)

• Model-agnostic: Uses model configured in ~/.claude/settings.json or CLI/env vars
• No flags required: Works with the configured default model
• Flexible: Works with GLM-5, Claude, Minimax, or any configured model
• Settings-driven: Model selection via ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_*_MODEL env vars

Quick Start

/clarify  # Start intensive questioning for current task

Pre-Clarification: TLDR Semantic Search (v2.37)

AUTOMATIC - Before asking questions, use semantic search to understand existing code:

# Find existing related functionality (95% token savings)
tldr semantic "$USER_TASK_KEYWORDS" .

# Example: For "add authentication", find existing auth code
tldr semantic "authentication login session user password" .

# Get structure overview for context
tldr structure . --lang "$PRIMARY_LANGUAGE"

This helps formulate better questions based on what already exists in the codebase.

Aristotle-First Clarification (v3.0)

Before asking structured questions, apply Aristotle Phase 1 (Assumption Autopsy):

1. What assumptions are embedded in the user's request? Identify inherited framing.
2. What clarifications challenge assumptions vs confirm them? Prioritize assumption-challenging questions.
3. What would change if the core assumption is wrong? This identifies the highest-value clarification.

Example: User says "optimize database queries". Assumption Autopsy reveals: "We assume queries are the bottleneck, not the schema design or the caching layer." The first MUST_HAVE question should challenge this assumption.

Workflow

MUST_HAVE Questions (Blocking)

These MUST be answered before proceeding:

AskUserQuestion:
  questions:
    - question: "What is the primary goal of this feature?"
      header: "Goal"
      multiSelect: false
      options:
        - label: "New user-facing feature"
        - label: "Internal refactoring"
        - label: "Bug fix"
        - label: "Performance optimization"

Categories to Cover

1. Functional Requirements

   • What exactly should this do?
   • What are inputs/outputs?
   • Edge cases?

2. Technical Constraints

   • Existing patterns to follow?
   • Technology preferences?
   • Performance requirements?

3. Integration Points

   • Existing code interactions?
   • APIs to maintain?
   • Database changes?

4. Testing & Validation

   • How will this be tested?
   • Acceptance criteria?

5. Deployment

   • Feature flags needed?
   • Rollback strategy?

NICE_TO_HAVE Questions

Accept defaults but still ask:

AskUserQuestion:
  questions:
    - question: "Implementation preferences?"
      header: "Approach"
      multiSelect: true
      options:
        - label: "Minimal changes"
        - label: "Include tests"
        - label: "Add documentation"

Question Templates

Goal Clarification

AskUserQuestion:
  questions:
    - question: "What problem does this solve?"
      header: "Problem"
      options:
        - label: "User pain point"
          description: "Direct user-facing issue"
        - label: "Technical debt"
          description: "Code maintainability"
        - label: "Performance issue"
          description: "Speed/resource usage"
        - label: "Security concern"
          description: "Vulnerability fix"

Scope Definition

AskUserQuestion:
  questions:
    - question: "What is the scope?"
      header: "Scope"
      options:
        - label: "Single file"
        - label: "Single module"
        - label: "Multiple modules"
        - label: "Cross-system"

Priority

AskUserQuestion:
  questions:
    - question: "Priority level?"
      header: "Priority"
      options:
        - label: "Critical (blocking)"
        - label: "High (this sprint)"
        - label: "Medium (this quarter)"
        - label: "Low (backlog)"

Integration

• Invoked by /orchestrator in Step 1
• Pre-step: tldr semantic search (automatic in v2.37)
• Must complete before CLASSIFY step
• Results inform plan complexity

TLDR Integration (v2.37)

Agent Teams Integration (v2.88)

Optimal Scenario: Pure Agent Teams (Native)

This skill uses Pure Agent Teams with native coordination - no custom subagent specialization needed.

Why Scenario A for This Skill

• Clarification is primarily sequential questioning workflow
• AskUserQuestion is the primary tool, available to all agents
• No specialized parallel research requirements
• Native agent types sufficient for requirement gathering
• Lower complexity, faster execution

Configuration

1. TeamCreate: Optional, for simple clarification tasks
2. Task: Use native agent types (no ralph-* needed)
3. Hooks: TeammateIdle + TaskCompleted available if needed
4. Simple: Minimal setup overhead

Workflow Pattern

TeamCreate (optional)
  → AskUserQuestion for requirements
  → Native agent executes clarification
  → Complete

When This Is Sufficient

• Sequential requirement gathering
• Simple clarification workflows
• No specialized research needed
• Quick interactive sessions preferred

Anti-Patterns

• Never proceed with unanswered MUST_HAVE questions
• Never assume user intent
• Never skip clarification for features
• Never ask more than 4 questions at once (AskUserQuestion limit)