Story
When several AI agents (AIs that can take actions for me) are working for me at once, I want 1 place that shows which ones need me. Then I can unblock them first and leave the rest alone.
Siobhán, an operations lead in Dublin, checking her team's agents on her laptop on Monday morning.
- 01 Setting
Siobhán has 4 agents running: invoices, a weekly report, travel and a supplier check.
- 02 Trigger
The supplier check has been waiting for her yes since 07:15.
- 03 Without it
Each agent lives in its own chat. She opens 4 threads to find the 1 that is stuck.
- 04 With it
The list puts "Needs you" at the top, in words. She opens it beside the list.
- 05 Outcome
She approves Kente Ltd. The agent is running again, and "None need you" shows at the top.
Live demo
This demo follows a script, so it plays the same every time - there is no real AI behind it. Change a setting to see the same moment play out differently.
What happens, step by step
| State | The person sees | The AI is | When | Screen reader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A count by status, then 1 row per agent: name, what it is doing, time, status. | Agents keep working. | on open | - |
| 2 | The agent waiting for a person sits first and says so in words. | That agent is paused. | while it waits | “1 agent needs you” |
| 3 | With newest first, the waiting agent is at the bottom - on a phone, off the bottom of the screen. | Still paused. | - | - |
| 4 | The agent's work so far and its question. Pause and Stop are always there. | Paused. | on tap | - |
| 5 | The person approves. The row changes to Running. | Resumes. | on tap | - |
| 6 | The count updates: "None need you". | Agents keep working. | - | “Supplier check is running again” |
On each device
- phone
- A list, with agents that need you first. Opening 1 fills the screen, with a back link to the list. Waiting agents also send a notification.
- tablet
- As on desktop.
- desktop
- The list on the left, the open agent on the right. People can work down the list without losing their place.
When to use it
- People run 3 or more agents, or the same agent many times, and lose track of them in chat.
- Agents wait for people, and a waiting agent costs time.
- People need to start, pause or stop agents, not only read what they did.
- People run 1 task at a time. Keep its status in the chat. Use Long-running tasks and notifications instead.
- The only thing to do is say yes to 1 action. Send the question to the person, not to a dashboard. Use Approval gate instead.
- Agents run on a timetable and people only want the results. Use Scheduled and background agents instead.
The parts of the pattern
- ACountHow many agents are in each status, needs-you first.
- BStatus in wordsNeeds you, Stopped, Running, Done - with an icon, not colour alone.
- CNeeds you firstAgents waiting for a person sort to the top.
- DWhat it is doingA line of progress: "Step 3 of 5 · drafting reminders".
- ENew agentStart an agent from the same place you manage them.
Do and Avoid
Supplier check · Needs you
Travel booking · Stopped
Invoice chaser · Running
Weekly report · Done
Invoice chaser · Running
Weekly report · Done
Travel booking · Stopped
Supplier check · Needs you
Supplier check
⚠ Needs you
Supplier check
●
Writing and accessibility
- Name agents by their job, not a model name: "Invoice chaser", "Supplier check".
- Use the same 4 status words everywhere: "Needs you", "Stopped", "Running", "Done".
- Write progress as step and action: "Step 3 of 5 · drafting reminders".
- Say why an agent stopped, in 1 line: "Card declined at checkout".
- Status is a word in each row's name, not only a colour or icon.
- Announce "1 agent needs you" politely when an agent starts waiting, not on every progress change.
- Each row is 1 link or button, at least 44 px tall, named by the agent and its status.
- When an agent opens beside the list, move focus to its heading, and back to the row on close.
Seen in real products
- Gemini TaskWeb and apps · Nov 2026Task threads sit in the sidebar, and up to 15 can run at once. A progress chip opens each task's work panel. A Scheduled page lists schedules to pause or resume.Gemini Help: Tasks ↗
- Microsoft 365 CopilotWeb and desktop · May 2026The redesigned app puts agents, conversations and history in a rail on the left side.Help Net Security (29 May 2026) ↗
Each example comes from the product’s help pages, release notes or teardowns, with the month it was checked. Products change every month - tell us when 1 is out of date.
Check yourself
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