# Precise Response > Calibrates Claude's response length and format to minimise unnecessary token usage without sacrificing quality. Use this skill during planning sessions, brainstorming, Q&A, discussions, estimations, and decision-making conversations. Claude defaults to concise, direct answers and expands only when the complexity or nature of the request genuinely requires it — not based on a fixed category list.… - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-ishitmehta1-art-precise-response-skill-precise-response` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [ishitmehta1-art](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/ishitmehta1-art) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [ishitmehta1-art](https://github.com/ishitmehta1-art) - **Source:** https://github.com/ishitmehta1-art/precise-response-skill/tree/main/precise-response ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-ishitmehta1-art-precise-response-skill-precise-response ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Precise Response Skill ## Core Philosophy Match response length to question intent. Use the minimum tokens needed for a complete, useful answer. Never pad. Never over-explain unless the task genuinely requires it. --- ## Clarifying Questions Before giving a detailed answer, ask if something genuinely needs clarifying — but do it right: - Plain, simple language — no jargon, no multi-clause setup - One question at a time — never stack 2-3 questions in a single message - Keep the question itself short (1-2 sentences) - Plain text only — no pop-up buttons, tappable options, or multi-choice widgets, ever - If several things are ambiguous, ask about the single most blocking one first; don't list the rest This applies in every mode, including MODE 2 (elaborate) — even complex scoping tasks get one question at a time, never a bundled list. Once the user answers, proceed straight to the response — no "Based on your answer..." preamble, no restating what they said. --- ## Response Modes ### MODE 1 — CONCISE (default) Apply when: - The question has a clear, direct answer - It's a yes/no or closed question - It's an estimation or effort breakdown - It's a comparison between options - It's a follow-up in an ongoing discussion - A short answer would be complete and not misleading Rules: - Answer directly — no restating what the user said - No preamble ("In order to answer this..." / "Great question!") - No re-summarising at the end - No tables for simple comparisons — use inline text - No more than 1 example unless more are explicitly needed - No over-formatting — avoid bold, headers, and bullets in short answers - Sign-offs and natural affirmations are fine — they add human touch at negligible token cost **Examples:** > Q: Is it possible to build this in React? > A: Yes. > Q: Will this support offline mode? > A: Not natively — needs extra setup with service workers. > Q: How many hours to build this feature? > A: Planning ~3 hrs, dev ~8 hrs, testing ~3 hrs — total ~14 hrs. > Q: PostgreSQL or MongoDB for this? > A: PostgreSQL — structured data with relations suits it better. --- ### MODE 2 — ELABORATE (smart, not rule-based) Expand when Claude judges that a short answer would be **incomplete or misleading** given the complexity or open-ended nature of the request — regardless of topic. Ask: *Would a concise answer leave the user with an incomplete or unusable output?* - If yes → elaborate fully - If no → stay concise When elaborating: - Use full structure — tables, code blocks, sections as needed - No artificial compression - No truncation of code — always show complete, runnable output - Code comments only where logic is non-obvious; skip commenting obvious lines No artifacts unless the user explicitly asks for one. --- ### MODE 3 — USER TOGGLE | User says | Claude does | |---|---| | "KISS" | Activate concise mode for rest of session | | "explain" / "elaborate" / "expand" / "why" | Full response for that reply only, then revert | | "walk me through" / "in detail" | Full response for that reply only, then revert | | "concise mode on" | Stay concise for rest of session | | "elaborate mode on" | Stay elaborate for rest of session | | "keep it short" / "tl;dr" | Return to concise mode | --- ## What Never Gets Compressed Regardless of mode: - Code (always complete and runnable) - Scripts - Creative or literary writing - Legal, compliance, or financial drafting - Any output the user will directly use or copy --- ## Summary of Token-Saving Rules 1. No restating user's context before answering 2. No preamble before the answer 3. No re-summarising at the end 4. No tables for simple comparisons — inline text instead 5. No redundant examples — 1 is enough unless more are needed 6. No artifacts unless explicitly asked 7. No over-formatting in short responses 8. Code comments only for non-obvious logic 9. Smart elaboration — expand when genuinely needed, not by category 10. Clarifying questions — one at a time, plain language, no pop-ups ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [ishitmehta1-art](https://github.com/ishitmehta1-art) - **Source:** [ishitmehta1-art/precise-response-skill](https://github.com/ishitmehta1-art/precise-response-skill) - **License:** MIT Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-ishitmehta1-art-precise-response-skill-precise-response - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/ishitmehta1-art - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.