hermes - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Feature]: Add per-call countdown control to the `clarify` tool [1 participants]

Problem or Use Case

The clarify tool currently has a global clarify.timeout setting in config.yaml that applies to all clarification prompts. When the timeout expires, the tool auto-selects an option (typically the first choice), which can lead to unintended actions.

Real-world scenario: I was being asked to choose between 3 options (e.g., which approach to take for a feature). I needed time to think and compare the options, but the 120-second countdown expired and auto-selected an answer I didn't intend. This happened repeatedly because there's no way to distinguish between:

• Quick decisions where a countdown is helpful (e.g., "Is this correct? Yes/No")
• Deliberate decisions where I need time to think (e.g., "Which architectural approach do you prefer?" with 3+ options)

Currently the only workaround is to either:

1. Set clarify.timeout to a very high value globally (losing the benefit of countdowns for quick decisions)
2. Avoid using the clarify tool entirely and ask questions in plain text (losing the structured choice UI)

Proposed Solution

Add two optional parameters to the clarify tool that let the agent control countdown behavior on a per-call basis:

Example usage:

// Quick decision — use short timeout with auto-select
{
  "question": "Is this fix correct?",
  "choices": ["Yes", "No"],
  "timeout": 30,
  "auto_select": true
}

// Deliberate decision — disable countdown entirely
{
  "question": "Which approach do you prefer?",
  "choices": ["Option A", "Option B", "Option C"],
  "timeout": 0,
  "auto_select": false
}

Behavior notes:

• When timeout is omitted, the global clarify.timeout from config.yaml is used (backward compatible)
• When timeout: 0, the prompt waits indefinitely until I respond (or the agent session ends)
• When auto_select: false and timeout expires, the tool returns a timeout status so the agent can handle it gracefully (e.g., retry, ask again in plain text, or proceed with a default)
• When auto_select: true (current behavior), the first option is selected on timeout — no behavior change from today

This gives the agent fine-grained control: quick decisions get fast defaults, while important decisions get as much time as I need.

Alternatives Considered

No response

Feature Type

Configuration option

Scope

None

Contribution

• I'd like to implement this myself and submit a PR

Debug Report (optional)