Answering CLIO's questions
When CLIO needs your judgment, it can ask a question in the conversation. Your answer stays with that question and goes to the agent that asked it, including when a delegated agent needs your input.
See the different question types
Section titled “See the different question types”Choose a tab or use the arrows to browse seven question types.
Choose one offered option. Use its + to add a clarification or change to that choice, then Send response.
CLIO’s ordinary questions support text, a single choice and confirmations. Connected tools can also request multiple selections, structured forms and browser steps. Visual context can accompany a question; it is independent of the answer format and whether the agent waits for you.
Several open questions are separate decisions. A form groups related fields into one response; multiple selection lets you choose several items for one question.
Keep a choice and add context
Section titled “Keep a choice and add context”You do not need to choose Something else just to explain or amend one of CLIO’s suggestions. In choice, confirmation and multiple-choice questions, each option has a + at its right edge, including before you have selected it.
- Choose + beside the option you want. It selects that option and opens its comment field.
- Write the clarification or change. For example, “Compare the groups, but show missing measurements before drawing conclusions.”
- Check the selected option and comment, then choose Send response.
| What you mean | How to answer |
|---|---|
| “Option 1, with this clarification.” | Use + on that option and add the clarification. |
| “Option 2, but change this part.” | Use + on that option and describe the change. |
| “Neither option; take a different approach.” | Choose Something else, when offered, and write the alternative. |
For multiple selections, each selected option keeps its own comment. Comments on options you leave unselected are not included in the submitted answer. Switching choices or folding a field keeps its draft; selecting an option or writing a comment does not submit it by itself.
Questions render emphasis, code, links and equations. Long prompts scroll within the heading so you can reach the answer controls. Read the full question before sending, especially when several decisions are open.
Give a different answer
Section titled “Give a different answer”If none of the choices fits and Something else is offered, select it and write your answer in Your response. Here, the answer asks CLIO to inspect missing measurements before deciding which comparison to make.
For a text question, type directly in Your response. Where Answer in message box is offered, it moves your answer into the conversation’s composer. Check which question is selected before sending.
Questions with images and interactive views
Section titled “Questions with images and interactive views”Questions linked to a dashboard leave it in its original view. The question notice shows Go to question. Choose it to reveal the view and select the tab containing its answer control. Your other tabs and entered values stay in place. Buttons, filters and sliders alone do not make a dashboard a pending question; the agent must explicitly ask. Small forms can explicitly appear inside a question instead.
CLIO can put visual evidence beside a question. This is sometimes called an A2UI question: the agent supplies an interactive view as part of the question. You can ask in ordinary language:
Compare these two plots. Show both images and ask me which one to keep, with space for a comment.Other useful combinations include a chart with a choice of time ranges, a table with checkboxes, or an image with a text field for your explanation. The layout and available controls depend on the question and connected tool.
In the gallery’s Visual question example, the chart shows morning changes at fictional bike stations. Inspect it, choose Hill stations or Downtown stations, add a comment if useful, then use Send response.
Changing a filter, zooming a plot or adjusting a field does not by itself answer the question. Use its submit or answer control when ready. A completed chart or dashboard can remain interactive after the question is answered.
Try the choice picker, checkbox and text field examples. To send a selection from a finished view back to CLIO, see Human-agent interaction.
Does CLIO wait for me?
Section titled “Does CLIO wait for me?”Asking a question leaves it open while CLIO can do independent work. When the agent needs the answer, it explicitly waits on the question’s task handle. An answer already submitted is available immediately.
These labels distinguish ordinary questions from permission and connected-tool gates:
| Question status | What happens |
|---|---|
| Answer needed to continue | The agent that asked is waiting for your answer before continuing. |
| Answer when ready | The question stays open while independent work continues. Your answer reaches the next eligible model iteration, or wakes an idle agent. |
An answer from CLIO does not necessarily close an Answer when ready question. Check the open question count when you return to a conversation. A waiting child agent can also need your answer while other work continues.
You can make the dependency clear in your request:
Ask me which region to analyze. While I decide, check the column names and missing values.If the work depends on your answer, say so: “Wait for my choice before running the analysis.” Stopping its wait leaves the question open. Closing the answer dialog also leaves it open. To cancel a question, use its cancellation control in Work and confirm the question you intend to close. Cancellation is different from answering “No” or stopping the current turn.
Cancel an open question
Find an unanswered question
Section titled “Find an unanswered question”Hover over or open the question count near the conversation to see Open questions. Each entry has a short preview, a control to show the full question, and actions to answer or go to its location in the conversation. The list also appears in the full Work view.
After submission, the recorded answer remains in the conversation. A question from a delegated agent identifies its owner; the response goes back to that agent.
Permission requests, plan review and choosing between generated drafts have their own controls. A normal confirmation question does not replace approval for a protected action.