Story
When I have read an answer and am not sure what to ask next, I want 2 or 3 good next questions I can tap, so I keep learning without having to think up the words.
Kwame, a nursing student in Accra, revising for an exam on his phone on the way home.
- 01 Setting
Kwame asks how insulin works, in simple words.
- 02 Trigger
He understands it, but does not know what to ask next.
- 03 Without it
He types "more" and gets the same answer again, only longer.
- 04 With it
3 next asks sit under the answer: type 1 or type 2, too little insulin, and a quiz.
- 05 Outcome
He taps 1, gets a clear answer, and new suggestions lead him on.
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 | The answer streams in (arrives word by word). No suggestions yet. | Writes. | 0-2 s | “Generating a response” |
| 2 | "Ask next" and 3 short asks under the answer, about this answer. | Idle. | when the answer is done | “Response complete” |
| 3 | The tapped suggestion fills in. | Idle. | on tap | - |
| 4 | If a tap fills the box, the person can add words before sending. | Idle. | optional | - |
| 5 | The suggestion becomes the person's ask. The old suggestions are gone. | Writes. | - | “Generating a response” |
| 6 | 3 new asks under the new answer only. | Idle. | when done | “Response complete” |
On each device
- phone
- Suggestions stack as full-width rows under the answer, each at least 44 px tall, so they are easy to tap with a thumb.
- tablet
- A wrapping row of pills (small rounded buttons) under the answer.
- desktop
- A wrapping row of pills under the latest answer. A long suggestion shows in full on hover and focus.
When to use it
- People are learning or exploring and may not know what to ask next.
- The answer has clear next steps - go deeper, compare, apply, test yourself.
- Typing is slow, as on a phone or on the move.
- The person is deep in a focused task, like writing. Suggestions pull them away.
- No answer has been given yet - help people start instead. Use Suggested prompts instead.
- People want to change this answer, not ask a new question. Use Adjust length and tone instead.
The parts of the pattern
- ALabel"Ask next" - says these are questions to send, not part of the answer.
- BSpecific askComes from this answer, in the person's own words, ready to send.
- CSomething to doNot only questions: "Quiz me on this", "Make a checklist".
- DThe boxAlways there. Suggestions help. They never replace typing.
Do and Avoid
Insulin lets sugar move from your blood into your cells…
Ask next
How is type 1 different from type 2?
Quiz me on this
Insulin lets sugar move from your blood into your cells…
Ask next
Tell me more
Anything else?
In type 1, the body makes almost no insulin…
Which type is more common?
Insulin lets sugar move…
Tell me more · Anything else?
In type 1, the body makes…
Tell me more · Give an example
Writing and accessibility
- Write each one as the person would ask it: "How is type 1 different from type 2?"
- Give 3 at most. Mix a deeper ask, a wider ask, and something to do: "Quiz me on this".
- Never "Tell me more" or "Anything else?" - they fit every answer, so they help with none.
- If a suggestion is paid for, label it "Sponsored".
- Make suggestions a list of real buttons named by their text, after the answer in reading order, under the heading "Ask next".
- Do not read each suggestion aloud when it appears. "Response complete" is enough; people find them by moving on.
- When a tap fills the box, move focus to the box with the caret (the typing cursor) at the end.
- When old suggestions are removed, keep focus on the new message, not the top of the page.
Seen in real products
- PerplexityAnswer engine · Nov 2024Perplexity said its ads would appear as sponsored follow-up questions, labelled "sponsored". Answers to them are still written by Perplexity, not by the brand.Perplexity blog, 12 Nov 2024 ↗
- Copilot in Teams meetingsMicrosoft Teams · Nov 2024When Copilot answers a prompt in a meeting, it also suggests follow-ups to keep the conversation going (roadmap item 325858, planned for January 2025).M365 Admin: roadmap item summary, 26 Nov 2024 ↗
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
Seen this pattern done better, or a product that changed? Press Suggest next to any heading, or tell us about the whole page.