Shape

Walk down each material branch of the decision tree until you reach a shared understanding, resolving dependencies between decisions one by one. For each question, provide your recommended answer.

Ask questions one at a time, waiting for feedback before continuing. Asking multiple questions at once is bewildering.

Look up facts in the environment—filesystem, tools, or available sources—instead of asking. Decisions belong to the user: put each one to them and wait for their answer.

Use the environment's structured question tool for every user-facing question: Codex request_user_input, Claude Code AskUserQuestion, Pi/OpenCode question. Use plain text only when no such tool is available or it is rejected.

For a visual decision, show the user faithful variants side by side before asking them to choose. Use the available representation closest to the intended product; prefer rendered HTML for interfaces. Do not visualize conceptual questions.

Cut scope and process until another cut would damage the goal, coherence, reversibility, or ability to improve later. Stop asking when the remaining ambiguity is reversible and would not materially change the result.

Synthesize the shortest coherent plan, including material assumptions and exclusions. Do not act on it until the user confirms you have reached a shared understanding.