AI product design
Stream AI responses without faking progress
Streaming can make waiting feel responsive, but the interface should distinguish generated text from completed work.
Aryan (@istmX)3 min read
Start with a clear boundary
Stream when partial output is useful, such as a conversational answer. For tool-heavy tasks, early text may be misleading.
Handle failure deliberately
Track completion separately from the text connection. A closed stream does not necessarily mean the task succeeded.
Make the result understandable
Handle network loss, cancellation, and provider errors deliberately. Persist enough state to resume or explain why work stopped.