# What Does the disable-model-invocation Flag Do in i-have-adhd?

> Learn what the disable-model-invocation flag does in i-have-adhd. Prevent automatic skill activation and take control of when i-have-adhd runs for a better workflow.

- Repository: [Ayoub Ghriss/i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-08-06

---

**The `disable-model-invocation` flag prevents the i-have-adhd skill from automatically activating when the repository loads, requiring users to explicitly invoke it via commands like `/i-have-adhd` before its specialized behavior takes effect.**

The `disable-model-invocation` flag is a metadata directive in the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository that controls when the skill's "action-first" output style applies. Defined in the skill's manifest file, this flag ensures that AI assistants such as GitHub Copilot and Claude Code do not silently modify their responses until the user explicitly requests the skill's assistance.

## Where the Flag Is Defined

In [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), the flag appears at line 4 within the skill's YAML frontmatter:

```yaml
---
name: i-have-adhd
description: ADHD-friendly output formatting
disable-model-invocation: true
license: MIT
---

```

Setting `disable-model-invocation: true` signals to the hosting AI assistant that this skill should remain dormant during standard interactions, waiting for explicit user activation rather than applying automatically.

## How Explicit Invocation Works

When `disable-model-invocation` is enabled, the skill's behavior is applied **only after explicit user action**. Instead of automatically formatting every response, the model maintains its default style until you type the activation command.

To invoke the skill manually, use:

```bash
/i-have-adhd

```

This command activates the skill temporarily, applying its action-first output style to subsequent interactions. According to the source code documentation in [`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/INSTALL.md), both Copilot and Claude Code respect this flag identically: "nothing applies until you invoke the skill."

## OpenAI Configuration Equivalent

For environments using OpenAI-specific configurations, the repository provides an equivalent control in [`skills/i-have-adhd/agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/agents/openai.yaml) at line 7:

```yaml
policy:
  allow_implicit_invocation: false

```

This `policy.allow_implicit_invocation: false` setting mirrors the behavior of `disable-model-invocation: true`, ensuring the skill is never implicitly activated regardless of the hosting platform's specific implementation.

## Why Use disable-model-invocation?

Controlling when the skill activates provides several advantages:

- **User agency**: Prevents the AI from applying ADHD-specific formatting when you're asking general coding questions
- **Context switching**: Allows normal conversational assistance until you specifically need the structured, action-first output style
- **Cross-platform consistency**: Ensures predictable behavior across Copilot, Claude Code, and other AI assistants that parse the skill metadata

## Summary

- The `disable-model-invocation` flag in [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) stops automatic skill activation at line 4
- Users must explicitly invoke the skill with `/i-have-adhd` to enable its specialized behavior
- OpenAI configurations use `policy.allow_implicit_invocation: false` in [`agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/agents/openai.yaml) for equivalent control
- The flag is respected by GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and other compatible assistants according to [`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/INSTALL.md)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I activate the i-have-adhd skill if disable-model-invocation is set to true?

Type `/i-have-adhd` in your chat interface. This explicit command overrides the disabled state and applies the skill's action-first formatting to the current conversation, as documented in the repository's installation guide.

### What happens if I remove the disable-model-invocation flag from SKILL.md?

Removing the flag or setting it to `false` allows the AI assistant to implicitly invoke the skill whenever it detects relevant context, potentially applying the action-first style to all responses without requiring the explicit `/i-have-adhd` command.

### Does the disable-model-invocation flag work with all AI assistants?

According to the [`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/INSTALL.md) documentation in the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository, Copilot and Claude Code fully respect this flag. Other assistants that follow the skill metadata specification should also honor it, though behavior may vary by platform implementation.

### Where can I find the OpenAI-specific configuration for this setting?

The equivalent setting for OpenAI agents is located in [`skills/i-have-adhd/agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/agents/openai.yaml) at line 7, using `policy.allow_implicit_invocation: false` to prevent automatic skill activation in OpenAI-compatible environments.