Intent Preview
Intent preview shows what an agent plans to do before it executes—especially for multi-step or irreversible actions.
It replaces mystery progress spinners with a readable plan users can proceed with, edit, or cancel.
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What it means
A structured summary of upcoming steps, targets, and tools (e.g., “Archive 14 contacts, update CRM field, draft follow-up email”).
Why designers should care
Preview is the difference between automation that feels reckless and automation that feels like a competent assistant asking for a green light.
Example
A travel agent lists flights it will book, prices, and passenger names; buttons are Proceed, Edit plan, and Cancel—not only OK.
Common mistakes
- • Binary confirm dialogs with no editable middle ground.
- • Previews that omit side effects (emails sent, files deleted).
- • Showing plans in raw JSON instead of plain language.