---
title: "Interaction Guidance"
description: "Full dimensional adaptation rules per skill axis -- platform navigation, API integration, automation concepts, domain expertise -- with growth tracking protocol"
loadWhen: "Unsure how to adapt for a skill combination"
---

This reference defines how to adapt every interaction based on the dimensions in `.claude/memory/profile/skills.md`. Read it when the compact directive in CLAUDE.md is not enough to decide how to handle an unusual skill combination.

---

## Skill Dimensions

The user profile stores four independent skill dimensions. Each dimension has its own adaptation rules. Do not collapse them into a single beginner/intermediate/advanced rating.

### Platform Navigation (none / oriented / comfortable)

**none** -- Never used the Command Center. Does not know where pages are.

- Walk through each page step by step before directing the user there
- Provide exact navigation paths (e.g., "Open the Command Center, then click Execution Runner in the left sidebar")
- Explain what each page does before asking them to use it
- Do not assume they can find a page by name alone

**oriented** -- Has explored the Command Center, knows the main sections.

- Reference pages by name (Execution Runner, Command Queue, Task Scheduler)
- Briefly remind the user what a page does on first mention in a session
- Trust them to navigate once you name the destination

**comfortable** -- Regularly uses the Command Center without guidance.

- Reference pages by name only, no reminders needed
- Focus on advanced filtering, schedule types, and log detail navigation
- Trust them to explore and navigate independently

---

### API and Integration (none / basic / proficient)

**none** -- Has not called an API directly. Uses tools with built-in integrations.

- Explain what credentials are and why they exist before any integration code
- Walk through credential creation in the platform command center step by step
- Explain what "calling an API" means in plain English
- Explain why `.env` exists and what `ELEVASIS_PLATFORM_KEY` is for
- Do not assume they understand HTTP methods, JSON, or authentication headers

**basic** -- Has used APIs with documentation or built simple integrations.

- Show `platform.call()` patterns with brief notes on credential names
- Reference the platform credential system for setup without full walkthrough
- Explain SDK-specific credential patterns (how the platform injects secrets server-side)

**proficient** -- Has built production integrations, understands REST and auth patterns.

- Just the code and credential name
- Trust them to set up credentials in the command center without guidance
- Focus on SDK-specific behavior (timeout, error types, server-side injection)

---

### Automation Concepts (none / low-code / custom)

**none** -- Has not used automation tools. Thinks in manual processes.

- Use analogies before any technical explanation (see Analogies section)
- Explain the execution model early: "Your code runs on Elevasis servers, not your computer"
- Define Workflow, Step, Trigger, Schema, Credential on first use
- Explain why automation is valuable for their specific use case before building anything
- Explain deploy: "After deploy, your workflow is live and can be triggered"

**low-code** -- Has used Zapier, Make, or similar tools.

- Map Elevasis concepts to tools they know: "Steps are like Zapier actions. The workflow is the Zap."
- Focus on what is different: code is more flexible but requires TypeScript
- Explain schema validation: "Zapier has field mapping; Elevasis has schemas that validate the shape of data"

**custom** -- Has written custom automation scripts or integrations.

- Skip analogies
- Focus on the SDK execution model: worker threads, postMessage, ephemeral processes
- Explain the credential security model (server-side injection, no env vars in workers)
- Discuss error handling patterns and retry behavior

---

### Domain Expertise

Domain expertise is not a code skill. It is the user's depth of knowledge in their industry or business function (sales, finance, operations, marketing, etc.).

When domain expertise is high:

- Ask for business process descriptions before designing schemas
- Let them drive the "what" (business logic); you handle the "how" (implementation)
- Translate their process description into workflow steps, schemas, and tool choices
- Validate your understanding: "So the workflow should: receive a new lead from the CRM, score it based on these criteria, and send a Slack alert if the score is above 80?"
- Trust their judgment on what the workflow should do; never second-guess business logic

When domain expertise is low:

- Ask clarifying questions about the business process before designing anything
- Do not assume what "a lead" or "a deal" or "an invoice" means in their context
- Confirm edge cases explicitly: "What should happen if the lead has no email address?"

---

## Analogies for Non-Technical Users

Use these when programming level is none or minimal, or when automation level is none.

| Concept       | Analogy                                                                                                     |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Workflow      | A recipe: ingredients go in (input), steps are instructions, finished dish comes out (output)               |
| Step          | One instruction in a recipe: "add salt," "stir for 2 minutes"                                               |
| Schema        | A form template: it defines what fields exist and what type of data each field accepts                      |
| Deployment    | Publishing: like publishing a document so others can access it                                              |
| Execution     | One run: like baking the recipe once                                                                        |
| Platform tool | A kitchen appliance: you use the mixer (tool) without knowing how it works inside                           |
| Credential    | A key: you give Elevasis the key to your Gmail account; it unlocks the door when needed                     |
| Assembly line | Raw material goes in one end (input), each station does one job (step), finished product comes out (output) |

Choose the analogy that fits the user's domain. A sales operations person will relate more to "a form template" than a developer would.

---

## Growth Tracking Protocol

### Observations

During each session, note behaviors that reveal skill level changes. Examples:

- User wrote a handler without asking for help
- User suggested using StepType.CONDITIONAL without prompting
- User asked a question that shows they now understand the execution model
- User navigated to the correct Command Center page without being directed
- User filtered Execution Logs by resource independently to diagnose a failure
- User created a Task Scheduler entry unassisted

### Promotion Rules

Do not automatically update the skill profile for every observation. Update when:

- The user independently performs a task they previously needed explicit help with
- The behavior is consistent across at least two instances (not a one-off)
- The observation demonstrates understanding, not just copying a pattern

### Update Format

When updating `.claude/memory/profile/skills.md` Growth Log:

```
| Date | Observation | Dimension | Change |
| 2026-03-01 | Navigated to Execution Logs and filtered by resource without direction | platformNavigation | none -> oriented |
```

Also update the dimension's Level and Since fields in the Dimensions table.

### Celebration

When growth is observed, acknowledge it briefly:

- "You found that on your own -- looks like you've got the Command Center navigation down."
- "Good catch on the optional field -- that is exactly the kind of thing that trips people up."

Keep it natural. One sentence is enough. Do not over-celebrate.

---

## When This Reference is Needed

Load this file when:

- Starting `/meta init` to understand how to phrase the competency assessment questions
- The user's skill combination is unusual and the compact CLAUDE.md directive is not enough to decide how to respond
- Reassessing skill levels after several sessions
- Writing the initial profile during onboarding

For routine sessions, the compact directive in CLAUDE.md plus the user's stored `skills.md` is sufficient.

---

**Last Updated:** 2026-02-26
