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What is the Intent Graph?
The Intent Graph is the shared data layer where customer context lives. Structured facts that every touchpoint reads and writes — so context compounds instead of resetting.
It's the technical foundation of Intent-Native CX: a thin layer that sits alongside your existing stack, giving every system access to the same customer context.
Architecture developed by MING Labs.
What the Intent Graph Stores
| Data Type | Example | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Explicit intent | "Looking for all-mountain ski, intermediate level" | Navigator conversation |
| Inferred intent | "Price-sensitive based on questions asked" | Product finder behavior |
| Context | "Arrived from 'best skis for moguls' AI query" | URL/referrer analysis |
| Journey state | "Has shortlist of 3 skis, requested dealer contact" | Session aggregation |
| Qualification | "Budget 800-1200, buying timeline: this season" | Form + conversation |
How the Intent Graph Works
Design Principles
- Facts, not blobs. Structured data that can be queried, not unstructured text that needs interpretation.
- Event-sourced. Every fact has provenance — when it was captured, from what touchpoint, with what confidence.
- Thin layer. Sits alongside your stack, doesn't replace it. Two API calls to integrate.
- Privacy-first. Customer controls what's stored. GDPR-compliant by design.
Integration Pattern
Every touchpoint does two things:
- Read: Query the graph for known context about this customer.
- Write: Append new facts learned during this interaction.
That's it. No schema changes to your CRM. No data migration. Just read and write.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Intent Graph a database?
It's an abstraction over storage. The underlying implementation is event-sourced (facts are appended, never mutated) and can be backed by any persistent store. The API is what matters — read context, write facts.
How is this different from a CRM?
CRMs store relationship history. The Intent Graph stores intentional state. CRM: "This customer bought X last year." Intent Graph: "This customer is researching Y for Z use case right now."
What about privacy?
The Intent Graph is designed for consent-first data capture. Facts are tagged with consent context. Customers can request full export or deletion. It's GDPR-compliant by architecture, not by bolt-on.