Buyer feature
Save your buying need before the item exists.
A product intent captures a structured buying need — item, quantity, delivery, budget — before a matching offer exists. It is not a purchase.
Who this is for
The problem
Buyers browse without a committed seller. Without a way to record intent, unmet needs go untracked — and sellers can't discover real demand. Intent lets buyers state a structured need and wait for a match.
Audience
Buyers who know what they need — item, quantity, budget, delivery — but haven't found the right offer yet. Product intent holds their requirement in a structured form while matching happens.
What it does
Structured need. Informed matching.
A product intent is a structured record of what a buyer needs — not a cart item, not a wishlist. It includes specific fields: item and quantity, delivery location, required-by date, and a budget ceiling that applies to all-in cost.
When a potential match is found, AI may ask clarifying questions — such as confirming the exact Friday, or whether the budget ceiling includes delivery — before an offer is presented. All offers are shown to the buyer, including those that exceed the stated ceiling.
Intent states
Key facts
- ·Intent ≠ purchase authorisation. Saving an intent does not commit you to buy.
- ·An edit ≠ cancelling a committed order automatically. Edits to an intent are not the same as cancelling a downstream order.
- ·Over-budget offers are shown, not hidden.
Interactive example
Ada's intent: 4 blue office chairs, Lagos, by Friday, ₦80,000 all-in
Buyer: Ada · Intent saved, not a purchase
Illustrative example
Controls and outcomes
What you can do at each stage
Create intent
State item, quantity, delivery location, required-by date, and budget ceiling. Intent is saved — not a purchase.
Answer clarifications
AI may ask questions to sharpen the intent before matching. Your answers refine the requirement.
Review offers
All offers are presented to you — including those over budget. Nothing is auto-accepted.
Edit intent
You can update a saved intent before offers arrive. Edits do not automatically cancel downstream commitments.
Cancel intent
Cancel while in Saved or Awaiting Match state. Once an offer is received, cancellation may affect the offer process.
Approve or decline
Approving a specific offer moves it forward. Declining leaves the intent active for further matching.
Comparison
Intent vs Saved Search vs Cart
| Product Intent | Saved Search | Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Records specific need | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Includes budget ceiling | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Requires matching item to exist | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Invites targeted offers | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Constitutes purchase intent | ✗ | ✗ | Partial |
| Requires explicit approval to progress | ✓ | N/A | At checkout |
FAQs
Common questions
Ready to explore buying?
See how product intent fits into the full buyer journey — from need to offer to approval.
How buying works →