---
{
  "n": 6,
  "title": "Inbox and questions - the user's message box and questions as their own resource",
  "abstract": "Ruled 2026-09-13: a per-environment inbox the agent processes into to-dos and other entries, and questions as a numbered resource linkable to any resource",
  "refs": [],
  "seen": [
    "agent"
  ],
  "data": {},
  "created": 1789309002.0,
  "updated": 1789309002.0,
  "deleted": 0.0,
  "completed": 1789745298.543824,
  "outcome": "",
  "type": "doc"
}
---
Ruled by the user on 2026-09-13. Both features live on the web-interface environment and are built as part of the web interface, with CLI verbs alongside.

## The inbox

- A place the user dumps messages for the agent without interrupting it: instructions, follow-ups, corrections, things to remember, new work. It is not only for to-dos.
- Per environment. The web viewer has the environment selected; the CLI writes to the active environment.
- Nudges:
  - At the agent's next stop, a high-priority stop-hook nudge: the user left N messages, process them. It sits just after `claimed` (4) and `environment` (5), since filing needs an environment.
  - On tool use, a soft mention that a message is waiting. Never forced, never blocks, said once per new message rather than on every call.
- Processing: the agent dissects each message into parts. Each part it understands becomes the right thing — a to-do, a work update, a pin, a reminder or rule, or an acknowledgement. Parts it does not understand stay, and a question is created referencing that part.
- A message is never deleted. It is marked processed, and each part records what it became (to-do 22, pin 16, question 4).
- A new request in a message follows the same rule as chat: it is a to-do unless the message says to do it now.
- The inbox box is a browser write, and the user ruled browser writes are allowed (old pin 5, "the web viewer MVP is read-only", was struck).

## Questions

- A question is a resource of its own: numbered, with its text, who asked, status (open or answered), and the answer.
- Many-to-many links: a question can reference any number of resources (to-dos, docs, doc parts, pins, rules, inbox messages), and any resource can have any number of questions.
- `todos ask` stops storing the question on the to-do; it creates a question linked to the to-do. A to-do with any open linked question is waiting on the user, and auto skips it until all are answered.
- When the user answers, the agent is told at its next stop, as today.
- Existing asks and answers stored on to-dos migrate into questions.
- Scope: everything for these features is on the web-interface environment.