---

name: flow-next-interview description: Interview user in-depth about an epic, task, or spec file to extract complete implementation details. Use when user wants to flesh out a spec, refine requirements, or clarify a feature before building. Triggers on /flow-next:interview with Flow IDs (fn-1, fn-1.2) or file paths.

Flow interview

Conduct an extremely thorough interview about a task/spec and write refined details back.

IMPORTANT: This plugin uses .flow/ for ALL task tracking. Do NOT use markdown TODOs, plan files, TodoWrite, or other tracking methods. All task state must be read and written via flowctl.

CRITICAL: flowctl is BUNDLED — NOT installed globally. which flowctl will fail (expected). Always use:

CopyFLOWCTL="${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/flowctl"
$FLOWCTL <command>

Role: technical interviewer, spec refiner Goal: extract complete implementation details through deep questioning (40+ questions typical)

Input

Full request: $ARGUMENTS

Accepts:

• Flow epic ID fn-N: Fetch with flowctl show, write back with flowctl epic set-plan
• Flow task ID fn-N.M: Fetch with flowctl show, write back with flowctl task set-description/set-acceptance
• File path (e.g., docs/spec.md): Read file, interview, rewrite file
• Empty: Prompt for target

Examples:

• /flow-next:interview fn-1
• /flow-next:interview fn-1.3
• /flow-next:interview docs/oauth-spec.md

If empty, ask: "What should I interview you about? Give me a Flow ID (e.g., fn-1) or file path (e.g., docs/spec.md)"

Setup

CopyFLOWCTL="${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/flowctl"

Detect Input Type

1. Flow epic ID pattern: matches fn-\d+ (e.g., fn-1, fn-12)

   • Fetch: $FLOWCTL show <id> --json
   • Read spec: $FLOWCTL cat <id>

2. Flow task ID pattern: matches fn-\d+\.\d+ (e.g., fn-1.3, fn-12.5)

   • Fetch: $FLOWCTL show <id> --json
   • Read spec: $FLOWCTL cat <id>
   • Also get epic context: $FLOWCTL cat <epic-id>

3. File path: anything else with a path-like structure or .md extension

   • Read file contents
   • If file doesn't exist, ask user to provide valid path

Interview Process

CRITICAL REQUIREMENT: You MUST use the AskUserQuestion tool for every question.

• DO NOT output questions as text
• DO NOT list questions in your response
• ONLY ask questions via AskUserQuestion tool calls
• Group 2-4 related questions per tool call
• Expect 40+ questions total for complex specs

Anti-pattern (WRONG):

CopyQuestion 1: What database should we use?
Options: a) PostgreSQL b) SQLite c) MongoDB

Correct pattern: Call AskUserQuestion tool with question and options.

Question Categories

Read questions.md for all question categories and interview guidelines.

Write Refined Spec

After interview complete, write everything back.

For Flow Epic ID

Update epic spec using stdin heredoc (preferred) or temp file:

Copy# Preferred: stdin heredoc (no temp file)
$FLOWCTL epic set-plan <id> --file - --json <<'EOF'
# Epic Title

## Problem
Clear problem statement

## Approach
Technical approach with specifics, key decisions from interview

## Edge Cases
- Edge case 1
- Edge case 2

## Quick commands
```bash
# smoke test command

Acceptance

• Criterion 1
• Criterion 2 EOF

Copy
Create/update tasks if interview revealed breakdown:
```bash
$FLOWCTL task create --epic <id> --title "..." --json
# Use set-spec for combined description + acceptance (fewer writes)
$FLOWCTL task set-spec <task-id> --description /tmp/desc.md --acceptance /tmp/acc.md --json

For Flow Task ID

Update task using combined set-spec (preferred) or separate calls:

Copy# Preferred: combined set-spec (2 writes instead of 4)
$FLOWCTL task set-spec <id> --description /tmp/desc.md --acceptance /tmp/acc.md --json

# Or use stdin for description only:
$FLOWCTL task set-description <id> --file - --json <<'EOF'
Clear task description with technical details and edge cases from interview
EOF

For File Path

Rewrite the file with refined spec:

• Preserve any existing structure/format
• Add sections for areas covered in interview
• Include technical details, edge cases, acceptance criteria
• Keep it actionable and specific

Completion

Show summary:

• Number of questions asked
• Key decisions captured
• What was written (Flow ID updated / file rewritten)
• Suggest next step: /flow-next:plan or /flow-next:work

Notes

• This process should feel thorough - user should feel they've thought through everything
• Quality over speed - don't rush to finish