Needs Help Skill

This skill guides you through resolving tasks that are marked as needs_help. These are tasks where the AI got stuck during execution and needs the user's input to move forward.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• •User asks "what do I need to do?" or "what needs my attention?" and there are needs_help tasks
• •User wants to work on a specific needs_help task
• •User notices a needs_help task in the task status view and asks about it
• •Tasks exist with status needs_help and user is ready to help

Before Starting

1. •List tasks - Use dshearer.misatay/listTasks to find tasks with status needs_help
2. •If multiple tasks need help - Present them to the user and let them pick which to address first

Needs Help Resolution Flow

Step 1: Present the Problem

Read the task's description — it should explain what was attempted and what help is needed (the execution skill updates the description before setting needs_help).

Present this to the user clearly:

"Task <task-id> needs your help: <task title>

Here's what happened:
<summary of what was attempted, from the task description>

What's needed:
<what specific help is needed, from the task description>"

If there are partial commits for this task, mention them so the user has full context:

git log --grep="(task-id)" --format="%H %s"

Step 2: Collaborate with the User

Work with the user to resolve the issue. This varies by situation:

If the task description was unclear:

• •Ask the user to clarify what they want
• •Suggest concrete alternatives if you have ideas
• •Once clear, update the task description with the clarified requirements

If the implementation was difficult:

• •Explain what you tried and why it didn't work
• •Ask the user for guidance on approach
• •The user may point you to relevant code, docs, or patterns

If the task conflicts with other tasks:

• •Explain the conflict
• •Ask the user how to resolve it (modify this task, modify the other, or restructure)

Listen to the user. They know their codebase and requirements better than you do.

Step 3: Update the Task

Once the issue is resolved, update the task based on the outcome:

If the task needs to be re-implemented:

Use dshearer.misatay/updateTask:
- taskId: the task ID
- updates: { status: "ready", description: "<updated description with clarified requirements>" }

Then suggest switching to the Execution Skill to implement it.

If the user resolves the issue during this conversation (e.g., provides the answer and you can implement immediately):

Use dshearer.misatay/updateTask:
- taskId: the task ID
- updates: { status: "in_progress" }

Then switch to the Execution Skill workflow — implement the changes, mark as committed, and commit.

If the task should be removed or restructured:

Work with the user to decide what to do — perhaps the task should be split, merged with another, or deleted entirely.

Step 4: Confirm Resolution

After updating the task, confirm with the user:

"Task <task-id> is now <new status>. <Brief summary of what was decided.>

Would you like to:
- Continue with execution (implement this or other ready tasks)
- Address another needs_help task
- Do something else?"

Surfacing Needs Help Tasks

When the user asks "what do I need to do?", "what needs attention?", or similar, always mention both:

1. •Tasks needing help (needs_help status) - These need user input before the AI can continue
2. •Tasks ready for review (committed status) - These are done and waiting for the user to review

Present needs_help tasks first since they're blocking progress:

"Here's what needs your attention:

Needs help:
- <task-id>: <title> — <brief reason from description>

Ready for review:
- <task-id>: <title>

Which would you like to address?"

Important Principles

Don't Guess

If the user's guidance is still unclear after discussion, ask for more clarification rather than guessing. The whole point of needs_help is that the AI couldn't figure it out alone.

Update the Description

Always update the task description to reflect the resolution. Future sessions may need this context.

Preserve History

If there are partial commits from the failed attempt, don't try to undo them. The Execution Skill will create new commits on top.

One Task at a Time

Resolve one needs_help task before moving to the next. Don't try to batch-resolve multiple stuck tasks.