dpearson2699/app-intents

App Intents (iOS 26+)

Implement, review, and extend App Intents to expose app functionality to Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight, widgets, Control Center, and Apple Intelligence.

Contents

• Triage Workflow
• AppIntent Protocol
• @Parameter
• AppEntity
• EntityQuery (4 Variants)
• AppEnum
• AppShortcutsProvider
• Siri Integration
• Interactive Widget Intents
• Control Center Widgets (iOS 18+)
• Spotlight and IndexedEntity (iOS 18+)
• iOS 26 Additions
• Common Mistakes
• Review Checklist
• References

Triage Workflow

Step 1: Identify the integration surface

Determine which system feature the intent targets:

| Surface | Protocol | Since | |---|---|---| | Siri / Shortcuts | AppIntent | iOS 16 | | Configurable widget | WidgetConfigurationIntent | iOS 17 | | Control Center | ControlConfigurationIntent | iOS 18 | | Spotlight search | IndexedEntity | iOS 18 | | Apple Intelligence | @AppIntent(schema:) | iOS 18 | | Interactive snippets | SnippetIntent | iOS 26 | | Visual Intelligence | IntentValueQuery | iOS 26 |

Step 2: Define the data model

• Prefer AppEntity shadow models for app data exposed to the system.
• Create AppEnum types for fixed parameter choices.
• Choose the right EntityQuery variant for resolution.
• Mark searchable entities with IndexedEntity and indexingKey metadata.

Step 3: Implement the intent

• Conform to AppIntent (or a specialized sub-protocol).
• Declare @Parameter properties for all user-facing inputs.
• Implement perform() async throws -> some IntentResult.
• Add parameterSummary for Shortcuts UI.
• Register phrases via AppShortcutsProvider.

Step 4: Verify

• Build and run in Shortcuts app to confirm parameter resolution.
• Test Siri phrases with the intent preview in Xcode.
• Confirm IndexedEntity instances are indexed in a named Spotlight index.
• Check widget configuration for WidgetConfigurationIntent intents.

AppIntent Protocol

The system instantiates the struct via init(), sets parameters, then calls perform(). Declare a title and parameterSummary for Shortcuts UI.

struct OrderSoupIntent: AppIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Order Soup"
    static var description = IntentDescription("Place a soup order.")

    @Parameter(title: "Soup") var soup: SoupEntity
    @Parameter(title: "Quantity", default: 1) var quantity: Int

    static var parameterSummary: some ParameterSummary {
        Summary("Order \(\.$soup)") { \.$quantity }
    }

    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult {
        try await OrderService.shared.place(soup: soup.id, quantity: quantity)
        return .result(dialog: "Ordered \(quantity) \(soup.name).")
    }
}

Optional members: description (IntentDescription), openAppWhenRun (Bool), isDiscoverable (Bool), authenticationPolicy (IntentAuthenticationPolicy).

@Parameter

Declare each user-facing input with @Parameter. Non-optional parameters are required; the system requests values when needed. Defaults pre-fill a useful value. Optional parameters are not requested automatically, so ask for them in perform() when the intent cannot continue without a value.

// Required; the system asks for a value when needed
@Parameter(title: "Count")
var count: Int

// Required and pre-filled
@Parameter(title: "Count", default: 1)
var count: Int

// Optional; request it yourself if it becomes necessary
@Parameter(title: "Count")
var count: Int?

Supported value types

Primitives: Bool, Int, Double, String, Duration, Date, Decimal, Measurement, and URL. Collections: Array and Set of supported element types. Framework: IntentPerson, IntentFile. Custom: any AppEntity or AppEnum.

Common initializer patterns

// Basic
@Parameter(title: "Name")
var name: String

// With default
@Parameter(title: "Count", default: 5)
var count: Int

// Numeric slider
@Parameter(title: "Volume", controlStyle: .slider, inclusiveRange: (0, 100))
var volume: Int

// Options provider (dynamic list)
@Parameter(title: "Category", optionsProvider: CategoryOptionsProvider())
var category: Category

// File with content types
@Parameter(title: "Document", supportedContentTypes: [.pdf, .plainText])
var document: IntentFile

// Measurement with unit
@Parameter(title: "Distance", defaultUnit: .miles, supportsNegativeNumbers: false)
var distance: Measurement<UnitLength>

See references/appintents-advanced.md for all initializer variants.

AppEntity

Prefer shadow models that mirror app data and expose only system-facing fields. Direct model conformance is allowed when the model is lightweight, stable, and appropriate for App Intents lifecycles.

struct SoupEntity: AppEntity {
    static let defaultQuery = SoupEntityQuery()
    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Soup"
    var id: String

    @Property(title: "Name") var name: String
    @Property(title: "Price") var price: Double

    var displayRepresentation: DisplayRepresentation {
        DisplayRepresentation(title: "\(name)", subtitle: "$\(String(format: "%.2f", price))")
    }

    init(from soup: Soup) {
        self.id = soup.id; self.name = soup.name; self.price = soup.price
    }
}

Required: id, defaultQuery (static), displayRepresentation, typeDisplayRepresentation (static). Mark properties with @Property(title:) to expose for filtering/sorting. Properties without @Property remain internal.

EntityQuery (4 Variants)

1. EntityQuery (base -- resolve by ID)

struct SoupEntityQuery: EntityQuery {
    func entities(for identifiers: [String]) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.soups.filter { identifiers.contains($0.id) }.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
    func suggestedEntities() async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.featured.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

2. EntityStringQuery (free-text search)

struct SoupStringQuery: EntityStringQuery {
    func entities(matching string: String) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.search(string).map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
    func entities(for identifiers: [String]) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.soups.filter { identifiers.contains($0.id) }.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

3. EnumerableEntityQuery (finite set)

struct AllSoupsQuery: EnumerableEntityQuery {
    func allEntities() async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.allSoups.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
    func entities(for identifiers: [String]) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.soups.filter { identifiers.contains($0.id) }.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

4. UniqueAppEntityQuery (singleton, iOS 18+)

Use for single-instance entities like app settings.

struct AppSettingsEntity: UniqueAppEntity {
    static let defaultQuery = AppSettingsQuery()
    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Settings"
    var displayRepresentation: DisplayRepresentation { "App Settings" }

    var id: String { "app-settings" }
}

struct AppSettingsQuery: UniqueAppEntityQuery {
    func uniqueEntity() async throws -> AppSettingsEntity {
        AppSettingsEntity()
    }
}

See references/appintents-advanced.md for EntityPropertyQuery with filter/sort support.

AppEnum

Define fixed sets of selectable values. RawValue must conform to LosslessStringConvertible; prefer String raw values for readable, stable identifiers.

enum SoupSize: String, AppEnum {
    case small, medium, large

    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Size"

    static var caseDisplayRepresentations: [SoupSize: DisplayRepresentation] = [
        .small: "Small",
        .medium: "Medium",
        .large: "Large"
    ]
}

// Valid, but less readable in saved shortcuts and URL representations
enum Priority: Int, AppEnum {
    case low = 1, medium = 2, high = 3
}

// Preferred
enum Priority: String, AppEnum {
    case low, medium, high
    // ...
}

AppShortcutsProvider

Register pre-built shortcuts that appear in Siri and the Shortcuts app without user configuration.

struct MyAppShortcuts: AppShortcutsProvider {
    static var appShortcuts: [AppShortcut] {
        AppShortcut(
            intent: OrderSoupIntent(),
            phrases: [
                "Order \(\.$soup) in \(.applicationName)",
                "Get soup from \(.applicationName)"
            ],
            shortTitle: "Order Soup",
            systemImageName: "cup.and.saucer"
        )
    }

    static var shortcutTileColor: ShortcutTileColor = .navy
}

Phrase rules

• Every phrase MUST include \(.applicationName).
• Phrases can reference parameters: \(\.$soup).
• Call updateAppShortcutParameters() when dynamic option values change.
• Use negativePhrases to prevent false Siri activations.

Siri Integration

Donating intents

Donate intents so the system learns user patterns and suggests them in Spotlight:

let intent = OrderSoupIntent()
intent.soup = favoriteSoupEntity
try await intent.donate()

Predictable intents

Conform to PredictableIntent for Siri prediction of upcoming actions.

Interactive Widget Intents

Use AppIntent with Button/Toggle in widgets. Use WidgetConfigurationIntent for configurable widget parameters. Treat configuration intents as parameter contracts; put mutations in a separate action intent. For sensitive actions such as smart-home control, payments, or deletion, use an appropriate authenticationPolicy and/or requestConfirmation(...) before changing state.

struct ToggleFavoriteIntent: AppIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Toggle Favorite"
    @Parameter(title: "Item ID") var itemID: String

    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult {
        FavoriteStore.shared.toggle(itemID)
        return .result()
    }
}

// In widget view:
Button(intent: ToggleFavoriteIntent(itemID: entry.id)) {
    Image(systemName: entry.isFavorite ? "heart.fill" : "heart")
}

WidgetConfigurationIntent

struct BookWidgetConfig: WidgetConfigurationIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Favorite Book"
    @Parameter(title: "Book", default: "The Swift Programming Language") var bookTitle: String
}

// Connect to WidgetKit:
struct MyWidget: Widget {
    var body: some WidgetConfiguration {
        AppIntentConfiguration(kind: "FavoriteBook", intent: BookWidgetConfig.self, provider: MyTimelineProvider()) { entry in
            BookWidgetView(entry: entry)
        }
    }
}

Control Center Widgets (iOS 18+)

Expose controls in Control Center and Lock Screen with ControlConfigurationIntent and ControlWidget. Parameters without defaults must be optional. Trigger state changes from a separate AppIntent / SetValueIntent with explicit entity parameters, not from the configuration intent.

struct LightControlConfig: ControlConfigurationIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Light Control"
    @Parameter(title: "Light", default: .livingRoom) var light: LightEntity
}

struct ToggleLightIntent: AppIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Toggle Light"
    static var authenticationPolicy: IntentAuthenticationPolicy = .requiresAuthentication

    @Parameter(title: "Light") var light: LightEntity

    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult {
        try await requestConfirmation(
            actionName: .toggle,
            dialog: "Toggle \(light.name)?"
        )
        try await LightService.shared.toggle(light.id)
        return .result()
    }
}

struct LightControl: ControlWidget {
    var body: some ControlWidgetConfiguration {
        AppIntentControlConfiguration(kind: "LightControl", intent: LightControlConfig.self) { config in
            ControlWidgetToggle(config.light.name, isOn: config.light.isOn, action: ToggleLightIntent(light: config.light))
        }
    }
}

Spotlight and IndexedEntity (iOS 18+)

Conform to IndexedEntity for Spotlight search. On iOS 26+, use indexingKey for structured metadata:

struct RecipeEntity: IndexedEntity {
    static let defaultQuery = RecipeQuery()
    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Recipe"
    var id: String  // Stable recipe UUID or slug; do not use recycled row IDs

    @Property(title: "Name", indexingKey: \.title) var name: String  // iOS 26+
    @ComputedProperty(indexingKey: \.contentDescription)              // iOS 26+
    var summary: String { "\(name) -- a delicious recipe" }

    var displayRepresentation: DisplayRepresentation {
        DisplayRepresentation(title: "\(name)")
    }

    var attributeSet: CSSearchableItemAttributeSet {
        let attrs = defaultAttributeSet
        attrs.keywords = ["recipe"]
        return attrs
    }
}

struct RecipeQuery: EntityQuery {
    func entities(for identifiers: [RecipeEntity.ID]) async throws -> [RecipeEntity] {
        identifiers.compactMap { id in
            RecipeStore.shared.recipe(id: id).map(RecipeEntity.init)
        }
    }
}

struct OpenRecipeIntent: OpenIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Open Recipe"
    @Parameter(title: "Recipe") var target: RecipeEntity
}

IndexedEntity describes metadata; still index instances in a named Spotlight index, e.g. CSSearchableIndex(name: "...").indexAppEntities(entities). If you customize attributeSet, start from defaultAttributeSet; returning a fresh attribute set replaces display representation and property-derived metadata. Prefer indexingKey for metadata already exposed on the entity. Update and delete changed records in that same named index:

let recipeIndex = CSSearchableIndex(name: "Recipes")
try await recipeIndex.indexAppEntities(changedRecipes)
try await recipeIndex.deleteAppEntities(
    identifiedBy: deletedRecipeIDs,
    ofType: RecipeEntity.self
)

For large syncs, use beginBatch(), endBatch(withClientState:), and fetchLastClientState() so indexing can resume after a crash or jetsam.

iOS 26 Additions

SnippetIntent

Display interactive snippets in system UI:

struct OrderStatusSnippet: SnippetIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Order Status"
    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult & ShowsSnippetView {
        let status = await OrderTracker.currentStatus()
        return .result(view: OrderStatusSnippetView(status: status))
    }
}

struct CheckOrderStatusIntent: AppIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Check Order Status"
    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult & ShowsSnippetIntent {
        .result(snippetIntent: OrderStatusSnippet())
    }
}

The system may call perform() multiple times, including after snippet button or toggle actions; keep SnippetIntent.perform() side-effect-free and do mutations in the calling action intent or a separate button/toggle action. A snippet-only intent is not discoverable in Shortcuts or Spotlight unless isDiscoverable is true.

IntentValueQuery (Visual Intelligence)

@available(iOS 26, *)
@UnionValue
enum ShoppingVisualResult {
    case product(ProductEntity)
    case store(StoreEntity)
}

@available(iOS 26, *)
struct ShoppingVisualQuery: IntentValueQuery {
    func values(for input: SemanticContentDescriptor) async throws -> [ShoppingVisualResult] {
        try Task.checkCancellation()
        async let productMatches = ProductStore.shared.matches(
            labels: input.labels,
            pixelBuffer: input.pixelBuffer,
            limit: 5
        )
        async let storeMatches = StoreStore.shared.matches(
            labels: input.labels,
            pixelBuffer: input.pixelBuffer,
            limit: 3
        )
        let ranked = await rank(productMatches, storeMatches)
        return Array(ranked.prefix(8))
    }
}

Only one IntentValueQuery can take SemanticContentDescriptor; use @UnionValue when one query must return multiple app entity types. Treat labels as high-level English descriptors, not exhaustive synonyms or app taxonomy; combine them with pixelBuffer when available. Return small, ranked, cancellation-friendly results, and provide an OpenIntent, URL representation, or in-app search handoff for details and more results. Do not implement camera capture, Vision VN* requests, barcode classification, or Spotlight indexing inside the App Intents query; call an existing bounded app search or image-match service instead, with explicit result caps and timeouts when work may exceed a system UI budget.

Common Mistakes

1. Exposing too much app model state through AppEntity. Prefer dedicated shadow models with stable persistent IDs and only system-facing properties.

2. Missing \(.applicationName) in phrases. Every AppShortcut phrase MUST include the application name token. Siri uses it for disambiguation.

3. Treating optional @Parameter as required. Optional parameters are not requested automatically; call requestValue / needsValueError when the intent cannot proceed without one.

   // Optional, so request it yourself if needed
   @Parameter(title: "Count")
   var count: Int?
   

4. Using unstable AppEnum raw values. Int is valid, but String raw values are usually clearer for persistence and URL representations.

5. Forgetting suggestedEntities(). Without it, the Shortcuts picker shows no defaults.

6. Throwing for missing entities in entities(for:). Omit missing entities instead.

7. Stale Spotlight index. Re-index entities with a named CSSearchableIndex.

8. Missing typeDisplayRepresentation. Both AppEntity and AppEnum require it.

9. Using deprecated @Assistant* schema macros. Use @AppIntent(schema:), @AppEntity(schema:), and @AppEnum(schema:).

10. Blocking or side-effecting perform(). Use await for I/O; keep SnippetIntent.perform() side-effect-free because the system may rerun it.

11. Mutating sensitive state from system surfaces without a guard. Use confirmation and/or authentication for actions such as door locks, lights, purchases, and deletes.

Review Checklist

• [ ] Every AppIntent has a descriptive title (verb + noun, title case)
• [ ] Required @Parameter values are non-optional; optional values are requested when needed
• [ ] AppEntity types expose stable IDs and only system-facing properties
• [ ] AppEntity has displayRepresentation and typeDisplayRepresentation
• [ ] EntityQuery.entities(for:) omits missing IDs; suggestedEntities() implemented
• [ ] AppEnum prefers stable String raw values with caseDisplayRepresentations
• [ ] AppShortcutsProvider phrases include \(.applicationName); parameterSummary defined
• [ ] IndexedEntity properties use key-path indexingKey values and entities are indexed
• [ ] Control Center intents conform to ControlConfigurationIntent; widget intents to WidgetConfigurationIntent; no-default control parameters are optional
• [ ] Sensitive App Intents request confirmation and/or authentication before mutating state
• [ ] Visual Intelligence IntentValueQuery uses SemanticContentDescriptor, bounded results, opening paths, and iOS 26 availability
• [ ] No deprecated @AssistantIntent / @AssistantEntity / @AssistantEnum schema macros
• [ ] perform() uses async/await (no blocking); runs in expected isolation context; intent types are Sendable

References

• See references/appintents-advanced.md for @Parameter variants, EntityPropertyQuery, assistant schemas, focus filters, SiriKit migration, error handling, confirmation flows, authentication, URL-representable types, and Spotlight indexing details.