First Ask

Name: First Ask
Author: github

Official

github·vlatest·other·MIT

This skill prompts users to clarify their requests before generating responses, improving accuracy and reducing irrelevant outputs.

Repository

Install on your platform

Showing Claude Code. One command installs this skill into any of the agents below.

Run this in your project

terminal

$ npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill first-ask -a claude-code

Uses the open-source skills CLI and needs Node.js. Add -g to install it for your user instead of this project.

What we know about this skill

Publisher

github

Matched to the vendor's own GitHub organisation.

Install target

Live repository

Not pinned. Installing fetches whatever the repository holds at the time you run the command.

No human has reviewed this code. The checks below are a static scan of the files at one commit — nobody has run this skill or judged whether it works. A skill runs with whatever access you give your agent, so read the source before you install it.

Automated safety checks

scanned 28 Sept 2026

This skill failed 1 of 6 checks. A failure is not proof of bad intent; it means something in the code needs a human to look at it before you run it.

Declares what it does: failed
No SKILL.md was found in the skill's directory.
SKILL.md exists, its frontmatter parses, and it declares a name and a description.
No undeclared network calls: passed
Makes no network calls.
Every host the skill dials — from its scripts, its config endpoints or the commands it tells the agent to run — is either well-known package and API infrastructure or declared in its own frontmatter. Links in documentation are not counted.
No obfuscated payloads: passed
No encoded or obfuscated payloads.
No base64, hex or compressed blob is decoded and then executed, and no encoded shell commands.
No credential access: passed
Reads no keys, tokens, keychains or credential files.
Neither the code nor the SKILL.md instructions read SSH keys, cloud credentials, keychains, token stores, browser cookie databases or dotfiles that hold secrets.
No pipe-to-shell installers: passed
No pipe-to-shell or download-and-run installers.
No `curl … | sh` pattern, in the code or in the instructions, that runs code fetched at run time.
Pinned to a commit: passed
Scanned github/awesome-copilot at 6c4d33b9cf.
The exact upstream commit SHA that was scanned is recorded, so the result refers to specific bytes.

Commit: 6c4d33b9cf
Manifest: skills/first-ask/SKILL.md
Scanned: 0 files

This is a static scan, not a review. It reads the skill's files; it does not run them, and it cannot tell you whether the skill is any good or whether the code does what its description says. A skill runs with whatever access you give your agent.

What each check looks for →

About this skill

What it does

The first-ask skill enables AI agents to ask clarifying questions before proceeding with a task, ensuring that they fully understand user intent and requirements. It helps avoid assumptions by prompting the agent to seek additional context or details when needed.

When to use it

When working on ambiguous tasks where clarification is necessary for accurate results.
Before executing complex workflows that require precise input parameters.
In customer support scenarios to ensure the AI fully understands user issues before providing solutions.
During data analysis or decision-making processes where incomplete information could lead to errors.

Key capabilities

Asks clarifying questions based on task ambiguity.
Prompts for additional context when initial instructions are unclear.
Helps reduce errors by ensuring accurate understanding of user intent.

Example prompts

"Can you explain what you need help with?"
"Could you provide more details about the issue?"
"What specific outcome are you looking for?"

Tips & gotchas

This skill works best when used in conjunction with other skills that rely on precise input.
Avoid overusing it, as excessive questioning may slow down workflows or frustrate users.