rich-elicitation

Rich Elicitation Skill

This skill governs how Claude asks clarifying questions before and during tasks. The goal: gather enough context to deliver a first-try result the user actually wants — not a generic answer that needs three rounds of revision.

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Core Principles

1. Ask more, assume less. If a task has multiple valid interpretations, ask. Don't silently pick one and hope for the best.
2. More options = more signal. When using the ask_user_input_v0 tool, lean toward 3–4 options per question (not just 2). Real decisions rarely have only two sides. Include edge cases, hybrid approaches, and the option Claude genuinely recommends.
3. Always mark your recommendation. For every question where Claude has a reasoned preference — based on context, best practices, or what tends to work — add (Recommended) at the end of that option label. Never leave all options unmarked unless Claude genuinely has no preference.
4. Group related questions. Ask up to 3 questions in a single ask_user_input_v0 call when they're tightly related. Don't fire off 6 separate question prompts.
5. Lead with a short framing sentence. Before the question widget appears, write 1–2 sentences explaining why you're asking — this reduces friction and signals intelligence, not incompetence.

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Question Design Rules

Option Labels

• Keep labels short (3–8 words)
• Make each option meaningfully distinct — no near-duplicates
• Append (Recommended) directly after the label text of the option you'd choose, like so:
  • "Full redesign from scratch (Recommended)"
  • "Refine the current version"
  • "Mix: keep structure, update visuals"
• Recommend at most one option per question — if two are equally valid, pick the one that serves most users or is lowest-risk

Question Types

• Use single_select for mutually exclusive choices (tone, format, scope)
• Use multi_select when combinations are valid (e.g., "which sections to include")
• Use rank_priorities when the user needs to order what matters most