Swift-ios-skills app-intents

Implement App Intents for Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight, widgets, Control Center, and Apple Intelligence on iOS. Covers AppIntent actions, AppEntity and EntityQuery models, AppShortcutsProvider phrases, IndexedEntity Spotlight indexing, WidgetConfigurationIntent, SnippetIntent, and assistant schemas. Use when exposing app actions or entities to system surfaces.

install

source · Clone the upstream repo

git clone https://github.com/dpearson2699/swift-ios-skills

Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/

T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/dpearson2699/swift-ios-skills "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/app-intents" ~/.claude/skills/dpearson2699-swift-ios-skills-app-intents && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: skills/app-intents/SKILL.md

source content

App Intents (iOS 26+)

Implement, review, and extend App Intents to expose app functionality to Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight, widgets, Control Center, and Apple Intelligence.

Triage Workflow
AppIntent Protocol
@Parameter
AppEntity
EntityQuery (4 Variants)
AppEnum
AppShortcutsProvider
Siri Integration
Interactive Widget Intents
Control Center Widgets (iOS 18+)
Spotlight and IndexedEntity (iOS 18+)
iOS 26 Additions
Common Mistakes
Review Checklist
References

Triage Workflow

Step 1: Identify the integration surface

Determine which system feature the intent targets:

Surface	Protocol	Since
Siri / Shortcuts	`AppIntent`	iOS 16
Configurable widget	`WidgetConfigurationIntent`	iOS 17
Control Center	`ControlConfigurationIntent`	iOS 18
Spotlight search	`IndexedEntity`	iOS 18
Apple Intelligence	`@AppIntent(schema:)`	iOS 18
Interactive snippets	`SnippetIntent`	iOS 26
Visual Intelligence	`IntentValueQuery`	iOS 26

Step 2: Define the data model

Create
```
AppEntity
```
shadow models (do NOT conform core data models directly).
Create
```
AppEnum
```
types for fixed parameter choices.
Choose the right
```
EntityQuery
```
variant for resolution.
Mark searchable entities with
```
IndexedEntity
```
and
```
@Property(indexingKey:)
```
.

Step 3: Implement the intent

Conform to
```
AppIntent
```
(or a specialized sub-protocol).
Declare
```
@Parameter
```
properties for all user-facing inputs.

Implement

perform() async throws -> some IntentResult

Add
```
parameterSummary
```
for Shortcuts UI.
Register phrases via
```
AppShortcutsProvider
```
.

Step 4: Verify

Build and run in Shortcuts app to confirm parameter resolution.
Test Siri phrases with the intent preview in Xcode.
Confirm Spotlight results for
```
IndexedEntity
```
types.
Check widget configuration for
```
WidgetConfigurationIntent
```
intents.

AppIntent Protocol

The system instantiates the struct via

init()

, sets parameters, then calls

perform()

. Declare a

title

and

parameterSummary

for Shortcuts UI.

struct OrderSoupIntent: AppIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Order Soup"
    static var description = IntentDescription("Place a soup order.")

    @Parameter(title: "Soup") var soup: SoupEntity
    @Parameter(title: "Quantity", default: 1) var quantity: Int

    static var parameterSummary: some ParameterSummary {
        Summary("Order \(\.$soup)") { \.$quantity }
    }

    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult {
        try await OrderService.shared.place(soup: soup.id, quantity: quantity)
        return .result(dialog: "Ordered \(quantity) \(soup.name).")
    }
}

Optional members:

description

(

IntentDescription

openAppWhenRun

(

Bool

isDiscoverable

(

Bool

authenticationPolicy

(

IntentAuthenticationPolicy

@Parameter

Declare each user-facing input with

@Parameter

. Optional parameters are not required; non-optional parameters with a

default

are pre-filled.

// WRONG: Non-optional parameter without default -- system cannot preview
@Parameter(title: "Count")
var count: Int

// CORRECT: Provide a default or make optional
@Parameter(title: "Count", default: 1)
var count: Int

@Parameter(title: "Count")
var count: Int?

Supported value types

Primitives:

Int

Double

Bool

String

URL

Date

DateComponents

. Framework:

Currency

Person

IntentFile

. Measurements:

Measurement<UnitLength>

Measurement<UnitTemperature>

, and others. Custom: any

AppEntity

AppEnum

Common initializer patterns

// Basic
@Parameter(title: "Name")
var name: String

// With default
@Parameter(title: "Count", default: 5)
var count: Int

// Numeric slider
@Parameter(title: "Volume", controlStyle: .slider, inclusiveRange: (0, 100))
var volume: Int

// Options provider (dynamic list)
@Parameter(title: "Category", optionsProvider: CategoryOptionsProvider())
var category: Category

// File with content types
@Parameter(title: "Document", supportedContentTypes: [.pdf, .plainText])
var document: IntentFile

// Measurement with unit
@Parameter(title: "Distance", defaultUnit: .miles, supportsNegativeNumbers: false)
var distance: Measurement<UnitLength>

See references/appintents-advanced.md for all initializer variants.

AppEntity

Create shadow models that mirror app data -- never conform core data model types directly.

struct SoupEntity: AppEntity {
    static let defaultQuery = SoupEntityQuery()
    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Soup"
    var id: String

    @Property(title: "Name") var name: String
    @Property(title: "Price") var price: Double

    var displayRepresentation: DisplayRepresentation {
        DisplayRepresentation(title: "\(name)", subtitle: "$\(String(format: "%.2f", price))")
    }

    init(from soup: Soup) {
        self.id = soup.id; self.name = soup.name; self.price = soup.price
    }
}

Required:

id

defaultQuery

(static),

displayRepresentation

typeDisplayRepresentation

(static). Mark properties with

@Property(title:)

to expose for filtering/sorting. Properties without

@Property

remain internal.

EntityQuery (4 Variants)

1. EntityQuery (base -- resolve by ID)

struct SoupEntityQuery: EntityQuery {
    func entities(for identifiers: [String]) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.soups.filter { identifiers.contains($0.id) }.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
    func suggestedEntities() async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.featured.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

2. EntityStringQuery (free-text search)

struct SoupStringQuery: EntityStringQuery {
    func entities(matching string: String) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.search(string).map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
    func entities(for identifiers: [String]) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.soups.filter { identifiers.contains($0.id) }.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

3. EnumerableEntityQuery (finite set)

struct AllSoupsQuery: EnumerableEntityQuery {
    func allEntities() async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.allSoups.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
    func entities(for identifiers: [String]) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.soups.filter { identifiers.contains($0.id) }.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

4. UniqueAppEntityQuery (singleton, iOS 18+)

Use for single-instance entities like app settings.

struct AppSettingsEntity: UniqueAppEntity {
    static let defaultQuery = AppSettingsQuery()
    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Settings"
    var displayRepresentation: DisplayRepresentation { "App Settings" }

    var id: String { "app-settings" }
}

struct AppSettingsQuery: UniqueAppEntityQuery {
    func entity() async throws -> AppSettingsEntity {
        AppSettingsEntity()
    }
}

See references/appintents-advanced.md for

EntityPropertyQuery

with filter/sort support.

AppEnum

Define fixed sets of selectable values. Must be backed by a

LosslessStringConvertible

raw value (use

String

enum SoupSize: String, AppEnum {
    case small, medium, large

    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Size"

    static var caseDisplayRepresentations: [SoupSize: DisplayRepresentation] = [
        .small: "Small",
        .medium: "Medium",
        .large: "Large"
    ]
}

// WRONG: Using Int raw value
enum Priority: Int, AppEnum { // Compiler error -- Int is not LosslessStringConvertible
    case low = 1, medium = 2, high = 3
}

// CORRECT: Use String raw value
enum Priority: String, AppEnum {
    case low, medium, high
    // ...
}

AppShortcutsProvider

struct MyAppShortcuts: AppShortcutsProvider {
    static var appShortcuts: [AppShortcut] {
        AppShortcut(
            intent: OrderSoupIntent(),
            phrases: [
                "Order \(\.$soup) in \(.applicationName)",
                "Get soup from \(.applicationName)"
            ],
            shortTitle: "Order Soup",
            systemImageName: "cup.and.saucer"
        )
    }

    static var shortcutTileColor: ShortcutTileColor = .navy
}

Phrase rules

Every phrase MUST include
```
\(.applicationName)
```
.
Phrases can reference parameters:
```
\(\.$soup)
```
.
Call
```
updateAppShortcutParameters()
```
when dynamic option values change.
Use
```
negativePhrases
```
to prevent false Siri activations.

Siri Integration

Donating intents

Donate intents so the system learns user patterns and suggests them in Spotlight:

let intent = OrderSoupIntent()
intent.soup = favoriteSoupEntity
try await intent.donate()

Predictable intents

Conform to

PredictableIntent

for Siri prediction of upcoming actions.

Interactive Widget Intents

Use

AppIntent

with

Button

Toggle

in widgets. Use

WidgetConfigurationIntent

for configurable widget parameters.

struct ToggleFavoriteIntent: AppIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Toggle Favorite"
    @Parameter(title: "Item ID") var itemID: String

    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult {
        FavoriteStore.shared.toggle(itemID)
        return .result()
    }
}

// In widget view:
Button(intent: ToggleFavoriteIntent(itemID: entry.id)) {
    Image(systemName: entry.isFavorite ? "heart.fill" : "heart")
}

WidgetConfigurationIntent

struct BookWidgetConfig: WidgetConfigurationIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Favorite Book"
    @Parameter(title: "Book", default: "The Swift Programming Language") var bookTitle: String
}

// Connect to WidgetKit:
struct MyWidget: Widget {
    var body: some WidgetConfiguration {
        AppIntentConfiguration(kind: "FavoriteBook", intent: BookWidgetConfig.self, provider: MyTimelineProvider()) { entry in
            BookWidgetView(entry: entry)
        }
    }
}

Control Center Widgets (iOS 18+)

Expose controls in Control Center and Lock Screen with

ControlConfigurationIntent

and

ControlWidget

struct LightControlConfig: ControlConfigurationIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Light Control"
    @Parameter(title: "Light", default: .livingRoom) var light: LightEntity
}

struct ToggleLightIntent: AppIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Toggle Light"
    @Parameter(title: "Light") var light: LightEntity
    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult {
        try await LightService.shared.toggle(light.id)
        return .result()
    }
}

struct LightControl: ControlWidget {
    var body: some ControlWidgetConfiguration {
        AppIntentControlConfiguration(kind: "LightControl", intent: LightControlConfig.self) { config in
            ControlWidgetToggle(config.light.name, isOn: config.light.isOn, action: ToggleLightIntent(light: config.light))
        }
    }
}

Spotlight and IndexedEntity (iOS 18+)

Conform to

IndexedEntity

for Spotlight search. On iOS 26+, use

indexingKey

for structured metadata:

struct RecipeEntity: IndexedEntity {
    static let defaultQuery = RecipeQuery()
    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Recipe"
    var id: String

    @Property(title: "Name", indexingKey: .title) var name: String   // iOS 26+
    @ComputedProperty(indexingKey: .description)                      // iOS 26+
    var summary: String { "\(name) -- a delicious recipe" }

    var displayRepresentation: DisplayRepresentation {
        DisplayRepresentation(title: "\(name)")
    }
}

iOS 26 Additions

SnippetIntent

Display interactive snippets in system UI:

struct OrderStatusSnippet: SnippetIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Order Status"
    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult & ShowsSnippetView {
        let status = await OrderTracker.currentStatus()
        return .result(view: OrderStatusSnippetView(status: status))
    }
    static func reload() { /* notify system to refresh */ }
}

// A calling intent can display this snippet via:
// return .result(snippetIntent: OrderStatusSnippet())

IntentValueQuery (Visual Intelligence)

struct ProductValueQuery: IntentValueQuery {
    typealias Input = String
    typealias Result = ProductEntity
    func values(for input: String) async throws -> [ProductEntity] {
        ProductStore.shared.search(input).map { ProductEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

Common Mistakes

Conforming core data models to AppEntity. Create dedicated shadow models instead. Core models carry persistence logic that conflicts with intent lifecycle.
Missing
```
\(.applicationName)
```
in phrases. Every
```
AppShortcut
```
phrase MUST include the application name token. Siri uses it for disambiguation.

Non-optional @Parameter without default. The system cannot preview or pre-fill such parameters. Make non-optional parameters have a

default

, or mark them optional.

// WRONG
@Parameter(title: "Count")
var count: Int

// CORRECT
@Parameter(title: "Count", default: 1)
var count: Int

Using Int raw value for AppEnum.

AppEnum

requires

RawRepresentable

where

RawValue: LosslessStringConvertible

. Use

String

Forgetting
```
suggestedEntities()
```
. Without it, the Shortcuts picker shows no defaults.
Throwing for missing entities in
```
entities(for:)
```
. Omit missing entities instead.
Stale Spotlight index. Call
```
updateAppShortcutParameters()
```
when entity data changes.

Missing

typeDisplayRepresentation

. Both

AppEntity

and

AppEnum

require it.

Using deprecated

@AssistantEntity(schema:)

/
@AssistantEnum(schema:)
. Use

@AppEntity(schema:)

and

@AppEnum(schema:)

instead. Note:

@AssistantIntent(schema:)

is still active.

Blocking perform().
```
perform()
```
is async -- use
```
await
```
for I/O.

Review Checklist

Every
```
AppIntent
```
has a descriptive
```
title
```
(verb + noun, title case)
```
@Parameter
```
types are optional or have defaults for system preview
```
AppEntity
```
types are shadow models, not core data model conformances

AppEntity

has

displayRepresentation

and

typeDisplayRepresentation

EntityQuery.entities(for:)

omits missing IDs;

suggestedEntities()

implemented

```
AppEnum
```
uses
```
String
```
raw value with
```
caseDisplayRepresentations
```

AppShortcutsProvider

phrases include

\(.applicationName)

;

parameterSummary

defined

```
IndexedEntity
```
properties use
```
@Property(indexingKey:)
```
on iOS 26+
Control Center intents conform to
```
ControlConfigurationIntent
```
; widget intents to
```
WidgetConfigurationIntent
```

No deprecated

@AssistantEntity

@AssistantEnum

macros (note:

@AssistantIntent(schema:)

is still active)

```
perform()
```
uses async/await (no blocking); runs in expected isolation context; intent types are
```
Sendable
```

References

See references/appintents-advanced.md for @Parameter variants, EntityPropertyQuery, assistant schemas, focus filters, SiriKit migration, error handling, confirmation flows, authentication, URL-representable types, and Spotlight indexing details.