Question resume recipe — pause the agent for an answer

Specimen

Preview the live recipe, then copy HTML or Install. CSS is composition-only: copy the listed component stylesheets.

Preview

Plan paused: the agent found two valid release channels and will not choose one silently.

Without JavaScript, the form posts the selected value to the host. The host validates the answer before resuming work.

Code

question-resume.html

<form class="au-ask-user-question" method="post" data-au-state="waiting">
  <p class="au-ask-user-question__eyebrow">needs your input</p>
  <h2 class="au-ask-user-question__title">Which release channel should the agent target?</h2>
  <fieldset class="au-ask-user-question__options">
    <legend class="sr-only">Release channel</legend>
    <label class="au-ask-user-question__option"><input type="radio" name="channel" value="internal" checked> Internal preview</label>
    <label class="au-ask-user-question__option"><input type="radio" name="channel" value="public"> Public release</label>
  </fieldset>
  <div class="au-ask-user-question__footer">
    <span class="au-ask-user-question__hint">The answer resumes the plan.</span>
    <button class="au-btn au-btn--primary" type="submit" name="decision" value="continue">Continue</button>
  </div>
</form>

Composition only — copy component CSS from ask-user-question and button. Do not treat recipes.css as product CSS.

Install

head.html

<link rel="stylesheet" href="tokens.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="themes.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="components/button/button.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="components/ask-user-question/ask-user-question.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="host-chrome.css">

Static state matrix

native controls stay visible

The question remains legible in every state. The host owns validation, persistence, and the decision to resume the plan.

waiting answer required

needs your input

Choose a release channel.

The plan is paused until you answer.

answered plan resumed

answered

Internal preview selected.

The host accepted the answer and resumed the plan.

error answer needs review

answer needs review

That channel is no longer available.

Keep the answer visible and ask the host for a valid replacement.

cancelled plan remains paused

cancelled

The user stopped the plan.

No answer is treated as approval to continue.

Contract and safety

Install: tokens · ask-user-question · button
States: waiting · answered · error · cancelled
Host: Validate answer and resume work

For agents

question-resume.contract

# agent-ui / recipe / question-resume
recipe: question-resume
purpose: Pause for a bounded answer, then resume host-owned work from a native form POST.

install:
  - tokens.css
  - ask-user-question.css
  - button.css (submit)

states: waiting | answered | error | cancelled
no_javascript: Native form posts the selected value. Refresh still shows the question and labels.
accessibility: Use fieldset + legend; label every option; keep submit concrete; announce resumed state.
security: Answers are untrusted. Validate allowed values, authorization, and stale plan versions on the server.
host_owns: answer validity and what work may resume. Component only renders the decision point.

rules:
  - Prefer bounded options over free-text when resuming a plan.
  - Compose with approval-gate for a judgement pause — do not invent a checkpoint primitive.
  - No answer is not approval to continue.

Compose with an approval gate

A judgement pause is approval-gate + this question form — not a separate checkpoint primitive. See compose a judgement pause on the tool approval recipe.

Source map

Use the question after the agent has enough context to ask one bounded question. Avoid turning missing information into a silent guess.

ask-user-question docs standalone fixture Pair with tool approval