forge-intake

forge-intake — Prompt Master intake + dispatch shaping

Self-improvement substrate (wp-skill-evals, 2026-07-31): before applying this skill, read learnings.md in this skill's own folder and honor its corrections. After a run that produced a genuine correction (an owner fix, a false assumption caught, a preference stated), append it to learnings.md with a date and real evidence — never invent a lesson that didn't happen.

Two standing behaviours the owner requested (2026-07-13): Prompt Master is always on.

1. INTAKE — answer before building (every build task; trivial tasks skip; SILENT by default since 2026-09-23)

Mode = the owner's config key intake (node .claude/forge-bin/forge-config.cjs get intake; the owner changes it with /forge config set intake interview, and Forge runs that command itself): silent (default) — the Lead answers the intake itself, steps 1–5 below; interview — every build starts with the one-question-at-a-time interview in Iteratieve intake below (the same as typing /forge interview; the grill-me / grilling skills are its interview engine). A current "vraag het me eerst" / "ask me first" from the owner always wins for that run.

At the START of any /forge task that BUILDS/creates/automates a real deliverable (L2+), before writing work packages, run the intake so the project's goal is captured. Skip only truly trivial turns (a status question, a one-line fix, "what does X do").

1. Detect the project type with forge-router (website · ecommerce · fullstack · electron · n8n · integration · rag · voice · prediction · scraping · dashboard · or a new/mixed type).
2. Generate the question list (the Lead answers it — the owner is not shown the list unless they ran /forge interview):

   node .claude/forge-bin/forge-intake.cjs --type <slug> --task "<one-line task>" --run <run_id>
   

   It reads the subagent-brainstormed bank at .claude/config/intake/question-bank.json (universal questions first, then type-specific; required before recommended). Use --json if you want to map it to an ask-tool; use --tier required for a quick essential round on small builds.
3. For a NEW / mixed / unusual project type (no matching byType slug): dispatch ONE subagent to brainstorm 6-10 extra high-value questions for that specific project, save them as a JSON array, and merge with --extra <file.json>. (This is the "Prompt Master creates questions with subagent help" path.) Optionally propose adding the new type to the bank.
4. Answer the key questions internally first. Before deciding whether the one question is needed, answer internally from the prompt and the project: who has the problem, what the problem is, why it cannot be solved today, why now, and how success will be measured. These are inferred from the mission text, project scan, and context, not asked; this clarity determines whether a question is even needed.
5. Coach the raw request, then answer the list yourself. Before answering the list, apply forge-prompt-coach to the raw request: run node .claude/forge-bin/forge-promptcheck.cjs ask "<raw request>" and read which gaps it names. Answer every intake question yourself from the mission text, the project scan, .claude/.forge-setup.json and FORGE_PROJECT_PROFILE.md; where nothing in the request, the scan, .forge-setup.json or the profile answers one, use that question's beginner.assume (assume_nl in Dutch) from the bank and record it under Assumptions (auto-filled) with its F-id. Ask the owner at most one question, and only when (a) two readings would lead to materially different builds or (b) the request implies an outward or irreversible action (send, publish, pay, deploy). Choose it from the highest-ranked gap (F13 > F9 > F8 > F5 > F7 > F3 > F4 > F1; the bank questions for that gap: node .claude/forge-bin/forge-intake.cjs --type <slug> --task "<task>" --trigger F<id> --lang nl --json) and ask it in beginner form (question_nl + beginner.options_nl: 2–3 outcome options + "iets anders", the recommended one first with a one-line reason). Then confirm in one sentence ("Ik bouw dus: … Klopt dat?") and, when explain-mode is on, add at most one teaching tip per failure type per session. The two-equally-plausible-targets case is F8 and stays covered. With config prompt-doctor off, skip the promptcheck ask step (the intake still runs silently). Presenting the whole list as ONE consolidated set (or batched AskUserQuestion rounds of ≤4) is the /forge interview opt-in — external audit 2026-09-23: the default flow used to show 21–24 questions per build. Let the owner answer per number or pick options; every question is skippable.
6. Record the answers into the run: they become the basis for forge-prd (PRD → tickets) and are quoted in the Boss dispatch prompts. A material answer the owner corrects can also be persisted via forge-reflect as an owner-correction lesson.