Auto-Fix vs Ask-User Findings in no-mistakes: Understanding Pipeline Decisions

In no-mistakes, auto-fix findings are applied automatically by the engine for safe, non-functional issues, while ask-user findings pause execution at the fix_review gate and require manual approval for any change affecting functional behavior or product intent.

The no-mistakes engine classifies every issue discovered during a pipeline run as a finding, with each entry carrying an action field that dictates how the repair proceeds. Understanding the distinction between auto-fix and ask-user classifications lets you predict when the CLI resolves issues silently versus when it demands human intervention. This logic is implemented across the kunchenguid/no-mistakes repository, from type definitions in internal/types/findings.go to the execution engine in internal/pipeline/steps/review.go.

Defining Auto-Fix and Ask-User Actions

Auto-Fix: Safe, Automated Repairs

The auto-fix action indicates that an issue is safe to repair automatically without human interruption. According to the contractual definition in [internal/pipeline/steps/review.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/pipeline/steps/review.go#L163-L169), these are "non-functional, non-user-visible issues" that can be fixed "without any discussion about the author's intent." When a step returns only auto-fix findings, the executor enters an auto-fix loop, repeatedly invoking the repair agent until the findings disappear or the maximum retry count is reached. This behavior is verified in [internal/pipeline/executor_autofix_test.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/pipeline/executor_autofix_test.go#L351-L371).

Ask-User: Human Review for Ambiguous Changes

The ask-user action marks findings that require a human decision because they touch functional requirements, product behavior, or any change that could be controversial. As defined in [internal/pipeline/steps/review.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/pipeline/steps/review.go#L207-L215), even if an issue "seems obviously wrong," the pipeline defaults to asking for review when intent is unclear. If any ask-user findings remain after auto-fix rounds, the pipeline parks at the fix_review gate, displaying a "🛑 ask-user" badge in the PR summary ([internal/pipeline/steps/prsummary.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/pipeline/steps/prsummary.go#L1023-L1025)) and waiting for commands like axi respond or axi approve to resume.

Source Code Implementation Details

Action Constants and Defaults

The string constants ActionAutoFix = "auto-fix" and ActionAskUser = "ask-user" are declared in [internal/types/findings.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/types/findings.go#L12-L13). The helper function actionOrDefault ensures that any finding with an empty or missing action field defaults to ask-user ([internal/types/findings.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/types/findings.go#L232-L235)), guaranteeing the pipeline never silently auto-fixes ambiguous issues.

User-Facing Documentation

The CLI help text generated from [internal/skill/skill.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/skill/skill.go#L162-L166) explicitly states that review auto-fix is disabled by default and that ask-user findings park for your decision ([internal/skill/skill.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/skill/skill.go#L310)). This aligns with the engine's safety-first approach of requiring explicit opt-in for automatic repairs.

Pipeline Execution Behavior

The Auto-Fix Loop

When a step returns exclusively auto-fix findings, the executor immediatly begins applying fixes without stopping. The loop continues until all findings are resolved or the configured retry limit is reached. Tests in [executor_autofix_test.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/pipeline/executor_autofix_test.go) verify that this loop only initiates when no ask-user findings are present.

Parking at the Fix Review Gate

If ask-user findings exist, the pipeline halts at the fix_review gate. The approval flow demonstrated in [executor_approval_test.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/pipeline/executor_approval_test.go#L81-L88) shows how the run remains in a pending state until explicitly approved, rejected, or edited by the user.

Practical Examples

Auto-Fix Finding JSON Structure

{
  "findings": [
    {
      "id": "lint-1",
      "severity": "error",
      "description": "missing error check",
      "action": "auto-fix"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "1 lint issue"
}

Ask-User Finding JSON Structure

{
  "findings": [
    {
      "id": "review-1",
      "severity": "warning",
      "description": "hard-coded API URL; should be configurable",
      "action": "ask-user"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "1 issue requiring review"
}

CLI Interaction Patterns

# Run pipeline; auto-fix findings resolve automatically

no-mistakes run

# Pipeline pauses with ask-user findings; manual intervention required

axi respond  # or axi approve, axi reject

Summary

• Auto-fix applies to non-functional, mechanical, or low-risk code-quality issues that do not alter author intent, allowing the pipeline to proceed without interruption.
• Ask-user applies to functional changes, design choices, or ambiguous issues where the pipeline cannot safely infer intent, causing the run to park at the fix_review gate.
• Missing or empty action fields default to ask-user via the actionOrDefault helper in internal/types/findings.go, preventing silent automatic repairs.
• The executor enters an auto-fix loop for eligible findings but parks for approval when ask-user items remain, rendering a "🛑 ask-user" badge in the PR summary.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if a finding has no action field specified?

The actionOrDefault function in [internal/types/findings.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/types/findings.go#L232-L235) treats empty or missing action fields as ask-user. This safety default ensures the pipeline never automatically fixes an issue unless explicitly marked as safe to do so.

Can I enable auto-fix for review findings that default to ask-user?

Yes, but it requires explicit configuration. According to the skill documentation in [internal/skill/skill.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/skill/skill.go#L162-L166), review auto-fix is disabled by default. You can adjust the auto_fix.review flag in your configuration to change this behavior, though ask-user remains the recommended default for functional changes.

How do I resume a pipeline paused at the fix_review gate?

When ask-user findings park the execution, use the axi respond command to provide feedback, or axi approve to accept the proposed changes. The approval workflow is demonstrated in [executor_approval_test.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/pipeline/executor_approval_test.go#L81-L88), showing that the run only continues after explicit human action.

Where does the "🛑 ask-user" badge appear in the output?

The badge is rendered in the PR summary UI within [internal/pipeline/steps/prsummary.go](https://github.com/kunchenguid/no-mistakes/blob/main/internal/pipeline/steps/prsummary.go#L1023-L1025). This visual indicator appears alongside any findings that require manual review, making it clear which issues blocked the automatic pipeline completion.

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