singularity-forge/docs/user-docs/remote-questions.md

# Remote Questions

Remote questions allow SF to ask for user input via Slack, Discord, or Telegram when the current run-control mode and permission profile require a human decision. When SF encounters a decision point that needs human input, it posts the question to your configured channel and polls for a response.

## Setup

### Discord

```
/remote discord
```

The setup wizard:
1. Prompts for your Discord bot token
2. Validates the token against the Discord API
3. Lists servers the bot belongs to (or lets you pick)
4. Lists text channels in the selected server
5. Sends a test message to confirm permissions
6. Saves the configuration to `~/.sf/PREFERENCES.md`

**Bot requirements:**
- A Discord bot application with a token (from [Discord Developer Portal](https://discord.com/developers/applications))
- Bot must be invited to the target server with these permissions:
  - Send Messages
  - Read Message History
  - Add Reactions
  - View Channel
- The `DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN` environment variable must be set (the setup wizard handles this)

### Slack

```
/remote slack
```

The setup wizard:
1. Prompts for your Slack bot token (`xoxb-...`)
2. Validates the token
3. Lists channels the bot can access (with manual ID fallback)
4. Sends a test message to confirm permissions
5. Saves the configuration

**Bot requirements:**
- A Slack app with a bot token (from [Slack API](https://api.slack.com/apps))
- Bot must be invited to the target channel
- Typical scopes for public/private channels: `chat:write`, `reactions:read`, `reactions:write`, `channels:read`, `groups:read`, `channels:history`, `groups:history`

### Telegram

```
/remote telegram
```

The setup wizard:
1. Prompts for your Telegram bot token (from [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather))
2. Validates the token against the Telegram API
3. Prompts for the chat ID (group or private chat)
4. Sends a test message to confirm permissions
5. Saves the configuration

**Bot requirements:**
- A Telegram bot token from [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather)
- Bot must be added to the target group chat (or use private chat with the bot)
- The `TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN` environment variable must be set

## Configuration

Remote questions are configured in `~/.sf/PREFERENCES.md`:

```yaml
remote_questions:
  channel: discord          # or slack or telegram
  channel_id: "1234567890123456789"
  timeout_minutes: 5        # 1-30, default 5
  poll_interval_seconds: 5  # 2-30, default 5
```

## How It Works

1. SF encounters a decision point during autonomous mode
2. The question is posted to your configured channel as a rich embed (Discord) or Block Kit message (Slack)
3. SF polls for a response at the configured interval
4. You respond by:
   - **Reacting** with a number emoji (1️⃣, 2️⃣, etc.) for single-question prompts
   - **Replying** to the message with a number (`1`), comma-separated numbers (`1,3`), or free text
5. SF picks up the response and continues execution
6. A ✅ reaction is added to the prompt message to confirm receipt

### Response Formats

**Single question:**
- React with a number emoji (single-question prompts)
- Reply with a number: `2`
- Reply with free text (captured as a user note)

**Multiple questions:**
- Reply with semicolons: `1;2;custom text`
- Reply with newlines (one answer per line)

### Timeouts

If no response is received within `timeout_minutes`, the prompt times out and SF continues with a timeout result. The LLM handles timeouts according to the task context — typically by making a conservative default choice or pausing autonomous mode.

## Commands

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `/remote` | Show remote questions menu and current status |
| `/remote slack` | Set up Slack integration |
| `/remote discord` | Set up Discord integration |
| `/remote status` | Show current configuration and last prompt status |
| `/remote disconnect` | Remove remote questions configuration |

## Discord vs Slack Feature Comparison

| Feature | Discord | Slack |
|---------|---------|-------|
| Rich message format | Embeds with fields | Block Kit |
| Reaction-based answers | ✅ (single-question) | ✅ (single-question) |
| Thread-based replies | Message replies | Thread replies |
| Message URL in logs | ✅ | ✅ |
| Answer acknowledgement | ✅ reaction on receipt | ✅ reaction on receipt |
| Multi-question support | Text replies (semicolons/newlines) | Text replies (semicolons/newlines) |
| Context source in prompt | ✅ (footer) | ✅ (context block) |
| Server/channel picker | ✅ (interactive) | ✅ (interactive + manual fallback) |
| Token validation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Test message on setup | ✅ | ✅ |

## Troubleshooting

### "Remote auth failed"
- Verify your bot token is correct and not expired
- For Discord: ensure the bot is still in the server
- For Slack: ensure the bot token starts with `xoxb-`

### "Could not send to channel"
- Verify the bot has Send Messages permission in the target channel
- For Discord: check the bot's role permissions in Server Settings
- For Slack: ensure the bot is invited to the channel (`/invite @botname`)

### No response detected
- Ensure you're **replying to** the prompt message (not posting a new message)
- For reactions: only number emojis (1️⃣-5️⃣) on single-question prompts are detected
- Check that `timeout_minutes` is long enough for your response time

### Channel ID format
- **Slack:** 9-12 uppercase alphanumeric characters (e.g., `C0123456789`)
- **Discord:** 17-20 digit numeric snowflake ID (e.g., `1234567890123456789`)
- Enable Developer Mode in Discord (Settings → Advanced) to copy channel IDs