Structured answer cards
Review the available card shapes and how source pages and answer text appear as a response loads.
Answer card shapes
For eligible questions in the Help Center and Messenger, Cactus chooses a card shape from the answer. A structured shape appears when the model’s top choice reaches 0.5; otherwise, or when no supported shape fits, the answer stays in prose.
| Shape | What appears | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Short explanation | The answer in prose, without a special card shape. | When no other shape fits, or the model’s choice is weak or absent. |
| Numbered steps | Steps in order, with a number badge for each step. | The answer has one numbered list starting at 1, with at least two items. |
| Settings path | Each part of the path appears in its own chip, joined by a chevron. The answer’s words stay with the path. | The answer contains a click path through at least two screen names, and no earlier shape applies. |
| Yes or No | A check mark for Yes or a cross for No, with the reason underneath. | The answer opens with Yes or No as a word of its own. Cactus checks this shape first. |
| Comparison | A table with its column names as headers. If it contains one value, that value appears as a large figure, with the first column name as a caption when present. | The answer has exactly one table, and no row has more cells than the header. Otherwise, Cactus uses another shape. |
| Code | A code block in the language given in the answer, with Copy the code. | The answer has exactly one code block. |
Numbered steps appear as separate tiles. A table with several values can scroll sideways inside its card when it’s too wide, and its cells wrap. Table answers use a raised, warm-paper surface; other shapes use a prominent headline treatment. A one-value table appears as a large figure without the paper surface.
Sources and loading
On eligible Help Center and Messenger questions, an answer card can arrive before its answer is ready. It starts with a title and up to three source pages. While Cactus checks the code, the source line reads Checking the code… instead of showing source links; the links appear after the check finishes.
Source names appear under the title. Cactus lists at most three pages.
If a page title matches the card title, its section heading appears instead. Blank or repeated names are left out.
In Messenger, a completed card can appear while the rest of the answer is still arriving. The card fills with the answer’s own words; it doesn’t replace or omit them.