Stage Tracker
Where the agent is, not just what it is thinking
Long agent runs need structural progress, not just streaming reasoning text. Stage Tracker breaks the run into named phases — Researching → Drafting → Reviewing → Polishing — and shows which one is live, what is done, and what is still ahead. Each phase is inspectable so users can dip in without breaking flow.
Framing
The problem
Long agent runs go silent for minutes — users do not know whether the agent is stuck, working, or almost done.
The pattern
Declare named phases up front and show live status per phase, with completed phases inspectable on demand.
Why chat breaks here
A streaming "thinking…" indicator is not progress — it is decoration. Chat has no structural surface for multi-stage runs.
Risks
Phases that do not match the agent's real structure become theatre; over-detailed phases drown the signal.
Avoid when
The task is single-shot and short enough that any progress UI costs more than it informs.
Use when
Agent runs have distinct phases and users need to know whether the system is stuck or progressing.
DOPE evaluation
- Directability
- Click any completed phase to inspect its output without stopping the run
- Observability
- A timeline of named phases shows where the agent is right now and what is queued
- Predictability
- The phase list is declared up front; the user knows the shape before the run starts
- Explainability
- Each phase carries a one-line description of its job and the artefact it produces
In the wild
- Devin Plan View (Cognition) — Devin 2.0/2.2 panel with Progress / Shell / Browser / Editor tabs; interactive timelapse with live progress bar and phase-decomposed DAG. The strongest example in the category.
- Manus AI Phases (Manus) — Live replay across planning → browsing → code execution → file management sub-agents, each a distinct, inspectable phase with live status badges.
- OpenAI Deep Research Progress (OpenAI) — Real-time progress shown by phase; redesigned sidebar + fullscreen report explicitly added in 2026. Plan-first contract feeds directly into phase-tracked execution.
FAQ
When should I use the Stage Tracker pattern?
Agent runs have distinct phases and users need to know whether the system is stuck or progressing.
When should I avoid the Stage Tracker pattern?
The task is single-shot and short enough that any progress UI costs more than it informs.
What problem does Stage Tracker solve?
Long agent runs go silent for minutes — users do not know whether the agent is stuck, working, or almost done.
Why is chat the wrong fit for this?
A streaming "thinking…" indicator is not progress — it is decoration. Chat has no structural surface for multi-stage runs.
Related patterns
- Alternative to: Reasoning Trace — Phases tell you where the agent is; reasoning tells you what it is thinking. Two views of the same long run.
- Extends: Agentic Dashboard — A dashboard for one run is exactly a stage tracker — phases, status, artefacts on the same surface.
- Often paired with: Editable Plan — Plan declares the phases up front; tracker reports live as each phase plays out.