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Agent skill

Ask Questions If Underspecified

by MoizIbnYousaf in MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills

Clarify requirements before implementing. An agent skill from MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills.

MITAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install Ask Questions If Underspecified

skills CLI
$ npx skills add MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills --skill ask-questions-if-underspecified -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills ask-questions-if-underspecified --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified .claude/skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
ask-questions-if-underspecified
GitHub stars
1.1k
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~944 tokens
SKILL.md length
469 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
15
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Clarify requirements before implementing. An agent skill from MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills.

  • Works in 4 steps: Decide whether the request is… → Ask must-have questions first (keep it… → Pause before acting → …
  • Tasks that involve Requirements gathering
  • SKILL.md covers Goal, Workflow, Question templates and Anti-patterns
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Ask Questions If Underspecified is an agent skill from MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills. Clarify requirements before implementing. Do not use automatically, only when invoked explicitly.

Its SKILL.md is about 940 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Agent Workflows, covering Requirements gathering. The repository describes itself as: Universal skill installer and package manager for AI coding agents. One command, 12+ runtimes. npx ai-agent-skills. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Requirements gathering

Example prompts

  • “/ask-questions-if-underspecified”

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Decide whether the request is underspecified
  2. Ask must-have questions first (keep it small)
  3. Pause before acting
  4. Confirm interpretation, then proceed

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6d95c78. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • x.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Ask Questions If Underspecified loads about 944 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 32 tokens; SKILL.md has 469 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~32
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~944

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills at commit 6d95c78, republished under its MIT licence (© MoizIbnYousaf). 469 words, ~944 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
ask-questions-if-underspecified
description
Clarify requirements before implementing. Do not use automatically, only when invoked explicitly.
version
4.1.0

Ask Questions If Underspecified

Goal

Ask the minimum set of clarifying questions needed to avoid wrong work; do not start implementing until the must-have questions are answered (or the user explicitly approves proceeding with stated assumptions).

Workflow

1) Decide whether the request is underspecified

Treat a request as underspecified if after exploring how to perform the work, some or all of the following are not clear:

  • Define the objective (what should change vs stay the same)
  • Define "done" (acceptance criteria, examples, edge cases)
  • Define scope (which files/components/users are in/out)
  • Define constraints (compatibility, performance, style, deps, time)
  • Identify environment (language/runtime versions, OS, build/test runner)
  • Clarify safety/reversibility (data migration, rollout/rollback, risk)

If multiple plausible interpretations exist, assume it is underspecified.

2) Ask must-have questions first (keep it small)

Ask 1-5 questions in the first pass. Prefer questions that eliminate whole branches of work.

Make questions easy to answer:

  • Optimize for scannability (short, numbered questions; avoid paragraphs)
  • Offer multiple-choice options when possible
  • Suggest reasonable defaults when appropriate (mark them clearly as the default/recommended choice; bold the recommended choice in the list, or if you present options in a code block, put a bold "Recommended" line immediately above the block and also tag defaults inside the block)
  • Include a fast-path response (e.g., reply defaults to accept all recommended/default choices)
  • Include a low-friction "not sure" option when helpful (e.g., "Not sure - use default")
  • Separate "Need to know" from "Nice to know" if that reduces friction
  • Structure options so the user can respond with compact decisions (e.g., 1b 2a 3c); restate the chosen options in plain language to confirm
Show full SKILL.md (206 more words)Show less
3) Pause before acting

Until must-have answers arrive:

  • Do not run commands, edit files, or produce a detailed plan that depends on unknowns
  • Do perform a clearly labeled, low-risk discovery step only if it does not commit you to a direction (e.g., inspect repo structure, read relevant config files)

If the user explicitly asks you to proceed without answers:

  • State your assumptions as a short numbered list
  • Ask for confirmation; proceed only after they confirm or correct them
4) Confirm interpretation, then proceed

Once you have answers, restate the requirements in 1-3 sentences (including key constraints and what success looks like), then start work.

Question templates

  • "Before I start, I need: (1) ..., (2) ..., (3) .... If you don't care about (2), I will assume ...."
  • "Which of these should it be? A) ... B) ... C) ... (pick one)"
  • "What would you consider 'done'? For example: ..."
  • "Any constraints I must follow (versions, performance, style, deps)? If none, I will target the existing project defaults."
  • Use numbered questions with lettered options and a clear reply format
text
1) Scope?
a) Minimal change (default)
b) Refactor while touching the area
c) Not sure - use default
2) Compatibility target?
a) Current project defaults (default)
b) Also support older versions: <specify>
c) Not sure - use default

Reply with: defaults (or 1a 2a)

Anti-patterns

  • Don't ask questions you can answer with a quick, low-risk discovery read (e.g., configs, existing patterns, docs).
  • Don't ask open-ended questions if a tight multiple-choice or yes/no would eliminate ambiguity faster.

Originally created by @thsottiaux

© MoizIbnYousaf, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified of MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6d95c78

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Ask Questions If Underspecified next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Ask Questions If Underspecified compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Ask Questions If Underspecified this skillMoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills1.1k1 repos~944Automated safety check: PassMIT
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Interview Meaddyosmani/agent-skills104k6 repos~3.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Brainstormingobra/superpowers297k1 repos~2.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Grillingpietheinstrengholt/rssmonster56431 repos~510Automated safety check: PassMIT
Agentic Workflow Designerdotnet/Open-XML-SDK4.6k2 repos~3.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Ask Questions If Underspecified

What does Ask Questions If Underspecified do?

Clarify requirements before implementing. An agent skill from MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills. Ask Questions If Underspecified is an agent skill from MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills. Clarify requirements before implementing.

When should I use Ask Questions If Underspecified?

Ask Questions If Underspecified fits situations like: tasks that involve Requirements gathering.

How do I install Ask Questions If Underspecified in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills --skill ask-questions-if-underspecified -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified in MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills) into .claude/skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Ask Questions If Underspecified in Codex?

Run `npx skills add MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills --skill ask-questions-if-underspecified -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified in MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills) into .agents/skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Ask Questions If Underspecified in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills --skill ask-questions-if-underspecified -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified, .gemini/skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified, .github/skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified and .opencode/skills/ask-questions-if-underspecified in your project.

What does Ask Questions If Underspecified need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Ask Questions If Underspecified is instructions for the agent only.

Does Ask Questions If Underspecified access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. As links in the text: x.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Ask Questions If Underspecified safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Ask Questions If Underspecified use?

Ask Questions If Underspecified is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Ask Questions If Underspecified use?

About 944 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Ask Questions If Underspecified?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Ask Questions If Underspecified: Using Superpowers (farm-fe/farm, 5.6k stars), Interview Me (addyosmani/agent-skills, 104k stars), Brainstorming (obra/superpowers, 297k stars) and Grilling (pietheinstrengholt/rssmonster, 564 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Ask Questions If Underspecified?

MoizIbnYousaf (a GitHub user) maintains it in MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills, which has 1,149 GitHub stars. The repository holds 15 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 21, 2026.

Source: MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.