Clarify Tool

Ask focused clarifying questions when agents need user input to proceed

Clarify enables agents to pause mid-task and ask focused questions instead of guessing, improving decision accuracy and user control.

from praisonaiagents import Agent

agent = Agent(
    name="assistant",
    instructions="Ask clarifying questions when the request is ambiguous",
)

agent.start("Help me set up monitoring")

The user gives a vague request; the agent uses clarify before acting.

Quick Start

1. Enable Clarify

   from praisonaiagents import Agent
   from praisonaiagents.tools.clarify import clarify
   
   agent = Agent(
       name="Writer",
       instructions="Write code. If requirements are ambiguous, ask clarifying questions.",
       tools=[clarify],
   )
   
   agent.start("Build me a web scraper")
   # Agent may call: clarify(question="Which language?", choices=["python", "rust"])
   
2. With Custom Handler

   from praisonaiagents import Agent
   from praisonaiagents.tools.clarify import clarify, create_cli_clarify_handler
   
   # Setup CLI handler for interactive questions
   handler = create_cli_clarify_handler()
   
   agent = Agent(
       name="Researcher",
       instructions="Research topics. Ask for clarification when needed.",
       tools=[clarify],
       ctx={"clarify_handler": handler}
   )
   

---

How It Works

Component	Purpose	Behavior
ClarifyTool	Core tool implementation	Pauses execution for user input
ClarifyHandler	Channel-specific behavior	Routes questions to CLI/bot/UI
Context Integration	Runtime handler resolution	Uses ctx[‘clarify_handler’] if available

---

Channel Integration

CLI Usage

from praisonaiagents.tools.clarify import create_cli_clarify_handler

handler = create_cli_clarify_handler()
# Shows: 🤔 Which language?
# Choices:
#   1. python
#   2. rust
# Your choice (number or text): 1
# Returns: "python"

Bot Usage

from praisonaiagents.tools.clarify import create_bot_clarify_handler

async def send_message(channel_id, text):
    # Send to Telegram/Discord/Slack
    pass

async def wait_for_reply():
    # Wait for user response
    return "python"

handler = create_bot_clarify_handler(send_message, wait_for_reply)

Custom Context Handler

from praisonaiagents import Agent
from praisonaiagents.tools.clarify import clarify

async def my_clarify_handler(question, choices):
    # Custom UI/web interface
    return await show_dialog(question, choices)

agent = Agent(
    name="Assistant",
    tools=[clarify],
    ctx={"clarify_handler": my_clarify_handler}
)

---

Handler Resolution

The tool uses this priority order for handling questions:

1. Context Handler: kwargs["ctx"]["clarify_handler"] (highest priority)
2. Tool Handler: self.handler (default ClarifyHandler())
3. Fallback: Returns guidance message when no interactive channel available

---

Configuration Options

Tool Schema

# LLM sees this tool signature:
{
    "name": "clarify",
    "description": "Ask the user a focused clarifying question when genuinely ambiguous. Use sparingly - only when you cannot proceed without their input.",
    "parameters": {
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
            "question": {
                "type": "string",
                "description": "The clarifying question to ask"
            },
            "choices": {
                "type": "array", 
                "items": {"type": "string"},
                "description": "Optional list of predefined answer choices"
            }
        },
        "required": ["question"]
    }
}

Bot Auto-Approval

from praisonaiagents import BotConfig

config = BotConfig(
    default_tools=["clarify"],  # Included by default
    auto_approve_tools=True     # No approval prompt for clarify
)

The clarify tool is included in the bot’s default auto-approve list, so it won’t require manual approval in bot environments.

---

Common Patterns

Progressive Clarification

from praisonaiagents import Agent
from praisonaiagents.tools.clarify import clarify

agent = Agent(
    name="CodeWriter",
    instructions="""
    Write code based on user requests. Use clarify for:
    1. Language/framework choice when unspecified
    2. Feature priorities when scope is broad
    3. Architecture decisions when requirements are complex
    """,
    tools=[clarify]
)

# Example interaction:
# User: "Build a REST API"
# Agent: clarify("Which language?", ["python", "node.js", "go"])
# User: "python"  
# Agent: clarify("Which framework?", ["fastapi", "flask", "django"])

Context-Aware Questions

async def smart_clarify_handler(question, choices):
    """Handler that considers conversation context"""
    # Check previous messages for hints
    context = get_conversation_context()
    
    if "python" in context and "web" in question.lower():
        # Auto-suggest based on context
        return "fastapi"
    
    return await show_user_dialog(question, choices)

Fallback Behavior

# When no interactive channel available:
result = await clarify("Which database?", ["postgres", "mysql"])
# Returns: "No interactive channel available. Please proceed with your best judgment for: Which database?"

# Agent can handle this gracefully:
if "no interactive channel" in result.lower():
    # Use reasonable defaults
    database = "postgres"  # Pick sensible default

---

Best Practices

Use Sparingly

Only call clarify when you genuinely cannot proceed without user input. Don’t ask for preferences that have reasonable defaults.

Good: “Which API endpoint format?” when building an API Bad: “Should I use descriptive variable names?” (obvious default)

Provide Clear Choices

When possible, offer specific choices rather than open-ended questions.

Good: choices=["fastapi", "flask", "django"] Bad: "What Python web framework should I use?" (no choices)

Handle Fallbacks Gracefully

Always check if the response indicates no interactive channel and proceed with sensible defaults.

response = await clarify("Pick a color", ["blue", "red"])
if "no interactive channel" in response.lower():
    color = "blue"  # Use default
else:
    color = response

Context-Aware Questions

Frame questions with enough context for users to make informed decisions.

Good: “Which authentication method for your user API?” Bad: “Which auth?” (unclear context)

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Related

Tools Overview

Core tool system and custom tools

Agent Configuration

Agent setup and tool integration