---
title: "Pending Messages"
sidebarTitle: "Pending Messages"
description: "Inject user messages mid-execution to steer agents between tool-call steps."
---

## Overview

When an AI agent is executing tool calls, users may want to send a message that **steers the agent mid-execution** — adding context, correcting course, or refining the request without waiting for the response to finish.

By default (without `pendingMessages`), a message sent while the agent is responding never interrupts the in-flight response: it's buffered and processed as its own turn once the current turn completes, with multiple messages running sequentially in arrival order.

The `pendingMessages` option enables steering instead, injecting user messages between tool-call steps via the AI SDK's `prepareStep`. Messages that arrive during streaming are queued and injected at the next step boundary. If there are no more step boundaries (single-step response or final text generation), the message becomes the next turn automatically.

## How it works

1. User sends a message while the agent is streaming
2. The message is sent to the backend via input stream (`transport.sendPendingMessage`)
3. The backend queues it in the steering queue
4. At the next `prepareStep` boundary (between tool-call steps), `shouldInject` is called
5. If it returns `true`, the message is injected into the LLM's context
6. A `data-pending-message-injected` stream chunk confirms injection to the frontend
7. If `prepareStep` never fires (no tool calls), the message becomes the next turn

## Backend: chat.agent

Add `pendingMessages` to your `chat.agent` configuration:

```ts
import { chat } from "@trigger.dev/sdk/ai";
import { streamText, stepCountIs } from "ai";
import { anthropic } from "@ai-sdk/anthropic";

export const myChat = chat.agent({
  id: "my-chat",
  pendingMessages: {
    // Only inject when there are completed steps (tool calls happened)
    shouldInject: ({ steps }) => steps.length > 0,
  },
  run: async ({ messages, signal }) => {
    return streamText({
      ...chat.toStreamTextOptions({ registry }),
      messages,
      tools: { /* ... */ },
      abortSignal: signal,
      stopWhen: stepCountIs(15),
    });
  },
});
```

The `prepareStep` for injection is automatically included when you spread `chat.toStreamTextOptions()`. If you provide your own `prepareStep` after the spread, it overrides the auto-injected one.

### Options

| Option | Type | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `shouldInject` | `(event: PendingMessagesBatchEvent) => boolean` | Decide whether to inject the batch. Called once per step boundary. If absent, no injection happens. |
| `prepare` | `(event: PendingMessagesBatchEvent) => ModelMessage[]` | Transform the batch before injection. Default: convert each message via `convertToModelMessages`. |
| `onReceived` | `(event) => void` | Called when a message arrives during streaming (per-message). |
| `onInjected` | `(event) => void` | Called after a batch is injected. |

### shouldInject

Called once per step boundary with the full batch of pending messages. Return `true` to inject all of them, `false` to skip (they'll be available at the next boundary or become the next turn).

```ts
pendingMessages: {
  // Always inject
  shouldInject: () => true,

  // Only inject after tool calls
  shouldInject: ({ steps }) => steps.length > 0,

  // Only inject if there's one message
  shouldInject: ({ messages }) => messages.length === 1,
},
```

The event includes:

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| `messages` | `UIMessage[]` | All pending messages (batch) |
| `modelMessages` | `ModelMessage[]` | Current conversation |
| `steps` | `CompactionStep[]` | Completed steps |
| `stepNumber` | `number` | Current step (0-indexed) |
| `chatId` | `string` | Chat session ID |
| `turn` | `number` | Current turn |
| `clientData` | `unknown` | Frontend metadata |

### prepare

Transform the batch of pending messages before they're injected into the LLM's context. By default, each UIMessage is converted to ModelMessages individually. Use `prepare` to combine multiple messages or add context:

```ts
pendingMessages: {
  shouldInject: ({ steps }) => steps.length > 0,
  prepare: ({ messages }) => [{
    role: "user",
    content: messages.length === 1
      ? messages[0].parts[0]?.text ?? ""
      : `The user sent ${messages.length} messages:\n${
          messages.map((m, i) => `${i + 1}. ${m.parts[0]?.text}`).join("\n")
        }`,
  }],
},
```

### Stream chunk

When messages are injected, the SDK automatically writes a `data-pending-message-injected` stream chunk containing the message IDs and text. The frontend uses this to:
- Confirm which messages were injected
- Remove them from the pending overlay
- Render them inline at the injection point in the assistant response

A "pending message injected" span also appears in the run trace.

## Backend: chat.createSession

Pass `pendingMessages` to the session options:

```ts
const session = chat.createSession(payload, {
  signal,
  idleTimeoutInSeconds: 60,
  pendingMessages: {
    shouldInject: () => true,
  },
});

for await (const turn of session) {
  const result = streamText({
    model: anthropic("claude-sonnet-4-5"),
    messages: turn.messages,
    abortSignal: turn.signal,
    prepareStep: turn.prepareStep(), // Handles injection + compaction
    stopWhen: stepCountIs(15),
  });

  await turn.complete(result);
}
```

Use `turn.prepareStep()` to get a prepareStep function that handles both injection and compaction. Users who spread `chat.toStreamTextOptions()` get it automatically.

## Backend: MessageAccumulator (raw task)

Pass `pendingMessages` to the constructor and wire up the message listener manually:

```ts
const conversation = new chat.MessageAccumulator({
  pendingMessages: {
    shouldInject: () => true,
    prepare: ({ messages }) => [{
      role: "user",
      content: `[Steering]: ${messages.map(m => m.parts[0]?.text).join(", ")}`,
    }],
  },
});

for (let turn = 0; turn < 100; turn++) {
  // The wire payload carries at most one new message per turn.
  const messages = await conversation.addIncoming(
    payload.message ? [payload.message] : [],
    payload.trigger,
    turn
  );

  // Listen for steering messages during streaming
  const sub = chat.messages.on(async (msg) => {
    if (msg.message) await conversation.steerAsync(msg.message);
  });

  const result = streamText({
    model: anthropic("claude-sonnet-4-5"),
    messages,
    prepareStep: conversation.prepareStep(), // Handles injection + compaction
    stopWhen: stepCountIs(15),
  });

  const { message, status, error } = await chat.pipeAndCapture(result);
  sub.off();

  // Keep any partial output, then branch on the outcome: pipeAndCapture no
  // longer throws, so rethrow a real failure and don't complete a failed turn.
  if (message) await conversation.addResponse(message);
  if (status === "error") throw error;

  await chat.writeTurnComplete();
}
```

### MessageAccumulator methods

| Method | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| `steer(message, modelMessages?)` | Queue a UIMessage for injection (sync) |
| `steerAsync(message)` | Queue a UIMessage, converting to model messages automatically |
| `drainSteering()` | Get and clear unconsumed steering messages |
| `prepareStep()` | Returns a prepareStep function handling injection + compaction |

## Frontend: usePendingMessages hook

The `usePendingMessages` hook manages all the frontend complexity — tracking pending messages, detecting injections, and handling the turn lifecycle.

```tsx
import { useChat } from "@ai-sdk/react";
import { useTriggerChatTransport, usePendingMessages } from "@trigger.dev/sdk/chat/react";

function Chat({ chatId }: { chatId: string }) {
  const transport = useTriggerChatTransport({
    task: "my-chat",
    accessToken: ({ chatId }) => mintChatAccessToken(chatId),
    startSession: ({ chatId, clientData }) =>
      startChatSession({ chatId, clientData }),
  });

  const { messages, setMessages, sendMessage, stop, status } = useChat({
    id: chatId,
    transport,
  });

  const pending = usePendingMessages({
    transport,
    chatId,
    status,
    messages,
    setMessages,
    sendMessage,
    metadata: { model: "gpt-4o" },
  });

  return (
    <div>
      {/* Render messages */}
      {messages.map((msg) => (
        <div key={msg.id}>
          {msg.role === "assistant" ? (
            msg.parts.map((part, i) =>
              pending.isInjectionPoint(part) ? (
                // Render injected messages inline at the injection point
                <div key={i}>
                  {pending.getInjectedMessages(part).map((m) => (
                    <div key={m.id} className="injected-message">{m.text}</div>
                  ))}
                </div>
              ) : (
                <Part key={i} part={part} />
              )
            )
          ) : (
            <UserMessage msg={msg} />
          )}
        </div>
      ))}

      {/* Render pending messages */}
      {pending.pending.map((msg) => (
        <div key={msg.id}>
          <span>{msg.text}</span>
          <span>{msg.mode === "steering" ? "Steering" : "Queued"}</span>
          {msg.mode === "queued" && status === "streaming" && (
            <button onClick={() => pending.promoteToSteering(msg.id)}>
              Steer instead
            </button>
          )}
        </div>
      ))}

      {/* Send form */}
      <form onSubmit={(e) => {
        e.preventDefault();
        pending.steer(input); // Steers during streaming, sends normally when ready
        setInput("");
      }}>
        <input value={input} onChange={(e) => setInput(e.target.value)} />
        <button type="submit">Send</button>
        {status === "streaming" && (
          <button type="button" onClick={() => { pending.queue(input); setInput(""); }}>
            Queue
          </button>
        )}
      </form>
    </div>
  );
}
```

### Hook API

| Property/Method | Type | Description |
|----------------|------|-------------|
| `pending` | `PendingMessage[]` | Current pending messages with `id`, `text`, `mode`, and `injected` status |
| `steer(text)` | `(text: string) => void` | Send a steering message during streaming, or normal message when ready |
| `queue(text)` | `(text: string) => void` | Queue for next turn during streaming, or send normally when ready |
| `promoteToSteering(id)` | `(id: string) => void` | Convert a queued message to steering (sends via input stream immediately) |
| `isInjectionPoint(part)` | `(part: unknown) => boolean` | Check if an assistant message part is an injection confirmation |
| `getInjectedMessageIds(part)` | `(part: unknown) => string[]` | Get message IDs from an injection point |
| `getInjectedMessages(part)` | `(part: unknown) => InjectedMessage[]` | Get messages (id + text) from an injection point |

### PendingMessage

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| `id` | `string` | Unique message ID |
| `text` | `string` | Message text |
| `mode` | `"steering" \| "queued"` | How the message is being handled |
| `injected` | `boolean` | Whether the backend confirmed injection |

### Message lifecycle

- **Steering messages** are sent via `transport.sendPendingMessage()` immediately. They appear as purple pending bubbles. If injected, they disappear from the overlay and render inline at the injection point. If not injected (no more step boundaries), they auto-send as the next turn when the response finishes.

- **Queued messages** stay client-side until the turn completes, then auto-send as the next turn via `sendMessage()`. They can be promoted to steering mid-stream by clicking "Steer instead".

- **Promoted messages** are queued messages that were converted to steering. They get sent via input stream immediately and follow the steering lifecycle from that point.

## Transport: sendPendingMessage

The `TriggerChatTransport` exposes a `sendPendingMessage` method for sending messages via input stream without disrupting the active stream subscription:

```ts
const sent = await transport.sendPendingMessage(chatId, {
  id: crypto.randomUUID(),
  role: "user",
  parts: [{ type: "text", text: "and compare to vercel" }],
}, { model: "gpt-4o" });
```

Unlike `sendMessage()` from useChat, this does NOT:
- Add the message to useChat's local state
- Cancel the active stream subscription
- Start a new response stream

The `usePendingMessages` hook calls this internally — you typically don't need to use it directly.

## Coexistence with compaction

Pending message injection and compaction both use `prepareStep`. When both are configured, the auto-injected `prepareStep` handles them in order:

1. **Compaction** runs first — checks threshold, generates summary if needed
2. **Injection** runs second — pending messages are appended to either the compacted or original messages

This means injected messages are always included after compaction, ensuring the LLM sees both the compressed history and the new steering input.
