# Intent and Its Role in Chart Generation

### **What is Intent?**

Intent represents the **primary objective** of your chart—it defines **what insights** the visualization should display. This is determined based on:

* **AI Builder:** Extracted from natural language prompts (*e.g., "Show sales by month"*)
* **Manual Drag-and-Drop Builder:** Inferred from **selected tables and columns**
* **SQL Data Explorer:** Derived from the **written SQL query**

Intent acts as the **foundation of your chart**, influencing data selection, SQL generation, and visualization type.

📌 *A well-defined intent ensures the system generates the most relevant and accurate chart for your needs.*

***

### **How Intent Affects Manual Chart Building & SQL-Based Charts**

For **Manual Builder and SQL Explorer**, intent is inferred **directly from the query and data sources**.

* If you select different **tables or fields**, the **intent automatically updates**.
* If the **SQL query changes**, the intent adjusts to match the new dataset.

#### **Changing Intent Triggers a Full Cycle Update**

When you modify the **intent**, the system follows a structured update process:

1. **Checks the Data Sources** – Ensures the relevant tables and columns are selected.
2. **Generates SQL** – Creates or updates the SQL query based on the new intent.
3. **Updates Data Components** – Adjusts the dataset, aggregations, and filters.
4. **Creates a New Visualization** – Automatically regenerates the chart to match the updated intent.

📌 *Changing the intent is a powerful way to refine your visualization without manually adjusting each component.*

***

### **How to Modify Intent in Chart Configuration**

#### **Steps to Update Intent**

1. Click on the **Intent field** at the top of the configuration page.
2. Modify the description to better match your desired chart output.
3. Click **Apply** to trigger the update cycle.

<figure><img src="/files/XOCrooyBy77f73rydnhD" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### **When Should You Modify Intent?**

* If the **chart type doesn’t match** the expected visualization.
* If the **wrong data fields** are included in the dataset.
* If the **generated SQL query is incorrect or incomplete**.

📌 *By refining intent, you ensure that your chart aligns perfectly with your analytical needs.*

***

Intent is the **driving force** behind Infinity’s chart-building capabilities. Whether you're using **AI Builder, Manual Builder, or SQL Data Explorer**, defining and adjusting intent ensures that the system:

* Selects the **right data sources**
* Generates **optimized SQL queries**
* Constructs **accurate, insightful visualizations**

🚀 **Next, we’ll dive into how to modify data sources and tables for further customization.**


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