Story
When the AI notices something it could help with, I want it to offer once, at a pause, with 1 clear offer, so I can say yes or no without losing my place.
Sipho, a site coordinator for a building firm in Durban, writing the weekly status email on his laptop.
- 01 Setting
Sipho is finishing a long status email for the site team.
- 02 Trigger
He stops typing. The email is 412 words - long for people on site.
- 03 Without it
A box pops up over his text mid-sentence. He loses his place, and the short version misses next week's plan.
- 04 With it
Below the email: "This email is 412 words. Shorten it to 5 lines?" with Shorten, Not now, and Stop these tips.
- 05 Outcome
He taps Shorten, checks the 5 lines, and sends. Undo is there if he wants it back.
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 | Only the work. The AI watches for 1 clear signal - here, length. | Watching. | - | - |
| 2 | The person stops typing. Nothing appears yet. | Waits about 1 s. | after typing stops | - |
| 3 | 1 small card below the work: why now, 1 offer, yes, not now, stop these tips. | Waits for an answer, or none. | at a pause | “Suggestion: shorten this email” |
| 4 | 1 tap either way. Ignoring it is also an answer - it fades when typing starts again. | Idle. | on tap | - |
| 5 | "Shortening to 5 lines", in place. | Writes. | - | - |
| 6 | "Shortened to 5 lines · Undo", or "Not now · I won't suggest this again for this email". | Idle. | when done | “Email shortened, or Suggestion dismissed” |
On each device
- phone
- The nudge is 1 line above the keyboard with 1 action and an X. Never a pop-up over the text being typed.
- tablet
- As on desktop.
- desktop
- A small card under the text or in the margin. It never takes focus, and it goes away when typing starts again.
When to use it
- The AI can see a clear, specific chance to help - a long email, an event date, a repeated task.
- The help saves real time, and 1 tap is enough to accept it.
- People may not know the feature exists.
- People are in the middle of typing or a task with a deadline - wait, or offer it when they ask. Use Inline action on selection instead.
- The offer is general, like "Need help?" - show example asks instead. Use Suggested prompts instead.
- The AI would act, not just offer - ask first, before acting. Use Approval gate instead.
The parts of the pattern
- AWhy nowThe fact that triggered it: "This email is 412 words."
- B1 specific offerWhat it will do, with a number: shorten to 5 lines.
- CAcceptNames the action. Does it in place, with Undo after.
- DNot now1 tap. The nudge does not come back for this piece of work.
- EStop these tipsTurns this kind of nudge off for good, without a trip to settings.
Do and Avoid
…if it stays dry.
412 words. Shorten to 5 lines?
Shorten · Not now · Stop these tips
Next week we pour th
412 words. Shorten to 5 lines?
Shown over the text, mid-sentence
This email is 412 words.
Shorten it to 5 lines for the site team?
Shorten · Not now
✦ Want me to help?
Try AI Pro free for 7 days
Try it · ✕
Writing and accessibility
- Start with the fact that triggered it: "This email is 412 words."
- Make 1 offer, as a question with a number: "Shorten it to 5 lines?"
- Use "Not now" to refuse, and "Stop these tips" to turn it off. Never "No, I like long emails".
- Record the answer in the past tense: "Shortened to 5 lines · Undo".
- Announce the nudge once through a live region (the part of the page a screen reader announces on its own), without interrupting: "Suggestion: shorten this email". Never move focus to it.
- Make it reachable as the next item after the text field, and dismissable with Escape.
- Do not hide it on a timer while a screen reader user may still be reaching it. Hide it when typing starts.
- Buttons are at least 44 px on touch screens, and name the action: Shorten, Not now.
Seen in real products
- Gemini in GmailWeb · Nov 2026When Gemini finds event details in an email, an Add to calendar button appears above the email.Gmail Help: Collaborate with Gemini in Gmail ↗
- Gmail summary cardsGmail · May 2025Long emails get a Gemini summary card at the top without being asked. People turn it off with Smart features in settings.TechCrunch, 30 May 2025 ↗
- Outlook Text PredictionsOutlook · Dec 2021A tip says "Outlook gives you writing suggestions as you type", with "Got it" and a button to stop the predictions.Microsoft HAX Toolkit example (screenshot from Dec 2021) ↗
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.