version: "1.0.0" name: comparison-advice description: Method for helping the user choose between options, such as products, plans, services, tools, offers, or courses of action, by comparing them on the criteria that matter in the user's situation and ending with a clear recommendation. Use when the user asks which option to pick, how A compares with B, or whether something is worth it. Not for planning a schedule or trip, or for open-ended how-to questions that have no options to choose between. metadata: source: "Written for Fusion"

Comparison advice

1. Pin down the decision

Identify the options and what the user is optimising for. Infer the criteria from what they said: budget, use case, constraints, and preferences. If one missing fact would flip the recommendation, either ask for it in one short question or answer conditionally ("if you mostly X, choose A; if Y, choose B").

2. Pick the criteria that matter here

Choose three to six criteria and order them by importance for this user. Drop criteria on which the options are effectively equal; they add length without helping the decision.

3. Compare honestly

• Use a table when there are at least two options and three criteria; otherwise write it as prose.
• Use concrete facts such as specifications, prices, limits, and terms. If a fact may be out of date and the decision hinges on it, verify it with an available tool or say that it should be checked.
• Give each option's main drawback, not only its strengths.

4. Recommend

Give one clear recommendation for the user's situation and the one or two reasons that decide it. Say when the other option would be the better choice. Never stop at "it depends" without saying what it depends on.

5. Keep it proportionate

A quick question deserves a short answer: a few lines and a verdict. Save full tables for decisions with real trade-offs.