Execution Alignment Gate

execution-alignment-gate

Use this skill when ambiguity is material enough that proceeding without alignment is likely to produce the wrong result, force rework, or waste tokens through repeated follow-up.

Do not use this skill as a crutch for failing to read the specification, follow an approved plan, obey repository rules, or comply with an active execution mode already in force.

Primary objectives

• Reduce materially harmful ambiguity before implementation starts.
• Reduce wrong-path execution.
• Reduce token waste from avoidable rework and repeated clarification.
• Improve clarity and alignment while preserving forward progress.
• Keep clarification bounded, concise, and high leverage.

Non-objectives

• Maximizing certainty.
• Asking every plausible question.
• Replacing execution discipline.
• Interrupting obvious continuation messages.
• Adding approval ceremonies to trivial or low-risk work.

Default posture

Default posture is conservative.

Only activate when ambiguity is likely to cause one or more of the following:

• wrong deliverable
• wrong scope
• wrong implementation path
• wrong validation target
• avoidable rework
• materially increased token usage from likely follow-up and correction

Posture may be elevated to moderate or aggressive only through explicit invocation or a higher-priority instruction. Do not self-escalate posture by agent whim.

Workflow

Follow this sequence:

1. Perform a silent ambiguity assessment before asking anything.
2. Check [activation rules](references/ACTIVATIONRULES.md) and [bypass rules](references/BYPASSRULES.md).
3. If the request is clearly a continuation, approval, or low-risk correction, bypass this skill and proceed.
4. If alignment is required, route to the correct target mode using [target modes](references/TARGET_MODES.md).
5. Ask the fewest high-leverage questions needed using [question patterns](references/QUESTION_PATTERNS.md).
6. After answers arrive, synthesize a concrete plan, lock any remaining material assumptions, and apply [approval flow](references/APPROVAL_FLOW.md) when required.
7. If the user is unavailable, apply [unattended behavior](references/UNATTENDED_BEHAVIOR.md).
8. If clarification reveals no true blocker, proceed. Do not reopen broad clarification loops.
9. Apply [token economics](references/TOKEN_ECONOMICS.md) and avoid spending more clarification tokens than the expected rework would cost.

Hard limits

• Prefer 1 to 3 questions.
• Maximum 5 questions in a clarification round.
• Maximum 4 options per question, plus freeform when helpful.
• Allow at most one blocker-only follow-up after the bounded clarification round.
• Do not open repeated wait windows in unattended mode.
• Do not retain verbose per-run narrative history.

Required behaviors

• Clarify only when answers materially affect execution.
• Treat approved spec or plan updates as governing context; do not reopen alignment for the same decision unless a new material contradiction appears.
• Prefer safe defaults when ambiguity is minor and risk is low.
• Use short assumption blocks when proceeding under defaults, refusal, or unattended fallback.
• For manager escalation, use the compact blocked packet in [assets/TEMPLATEMANAGERPACKET.md](assets/TEMPLATEMANAGERPACKET.md).
• For plan confirmation, use the compact structure in [assets/TEMPLATEPLANCONFIRMATION.md](assets/TEMPLATEPLANCONFIRMATION.md).
• For assumption locking, use [assets/TEMPLATEASSUMPTIONSBLOCK.md](assets/TEMPLATEASSUMPTIONSBLOCK.md).

Prohibited behaviors

• Do not blame the user for ambiguity.
• Do not defend the model.
• Do not mirror hostile tone.
• Do not ask the user to restate the whole task.
• Do not ask questions already answered by context.
• Do not use this skill to compensate for ignoring specs, plans, repo rules, or execution mode.
• Do not ask low-value questions that do not change execution materially.
• Do not demand approval when it adds no value.
• Do not ask the user for a manager-owned decision simply because a subagent is approval-gated or unavailable; route through manager mode instead.
• Do not retain large clarification logs or other garbage that costs more than it saves.

Complement to execution mode

Apply this skill before implementation when material ambiguity would otherwise force low-confidence execution. Do not use it to excuse failure to follow existing plans, repository rules, or execution-mode requirements already in force.

See also:

• [activation rules](references/ACTIVATION_RULES.md)
• [target modes](references/TARGET_MODES.md)
• [bypass rules](references/BYPASS_RULES.md)
• [question patterns](references/QUESTION_PATTERNS.md)
• [approval flow](references/APPROVAL_FLOW.md)
• [unattended behavior](references/UNATTENDED_BEHAVIOR.md)
• [failure modes](references/FAILURE_MODES.md)
• [token economics](references/TOKEN_ECONOMICS.md)
• [examples](references/EXAMPLES.md)

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: mwillbanks
• Source: mwillbanks/agent-skills
• License: Apache-2.0

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.