# What is an intent in Provely?

> What the user asked for, stated before any action. The Provely definition, with an example.

Canonical: https://provely.sh/glossary/intent  
Last reviewed: 2026-09-05  

**Intent is what the user asked for. It is the first of the five concepts. A contract records the intent statement and the input schema, so the verdict can compare the outcome with the ask, not with the call.**

Example: "Refund USD 142.00 to customer cus_8k2." The intent names the amount and the customer. The action names an endpoint. The two differ, and the difference is where false success hides.

## Read next

- [Read the definition of Action](https://provely.sh/glossary/action)
- [Read the definition of Completion](https://provely.sh/glossary/completion)
- [See every glossary term](https://provely.sh/glossary)
- [Read how Provely works](https://provely.sh/how-it-works)