> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.garden.finance/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Intents

> Garden's intent-based approach pushes the boundaries of cross-chain interactions

Intents offer a fundamentally user-centric approach to on-chain interactions. Instead of signing a raw transaction—a rigid sequence of machine-readable instructions dictating what actions to take (as seen on platforms like Uniswap or Aave)—users define an overarching objective, or "intent," and sign that instead. This intent encapsulates the desired outcome in a structured message. For Garden, this means specifying parameters such as assets, chains, and amounts for the swap.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/garden-e60e7dd0/qAdHuYcXB8fubp8M/images/transaction-requirements.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=qAdHuYcXB8fubp8M&q=85&s=af0f4865c749b2fb80eadb167990ebba" alt="Intent vs Transaction Requirements" width="1920" height="1080" data-path="images/transaction-requirements.png" />
</Frame>

By abstracting away the granular steps, intents align the interaction more closely with desired goals, making the process both intuitive and efficient. This approach is increasingly adopted as a standard in the industry, with Across using intents-based bridging and CoW Protocol applying intents for DEX trading.

## Why do we choose intents?

Intents bring flexibility, security, and efficiency to on-chain interactions:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Enhanced liquidity" icon="droplet">
    Intents enable solvers to tap into any on-chain/off-chain liquidity, including private order flows, **boosting accessible liquidity** compared to conventional methods.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Direct user matching" icon="handshake">
    Solvers can **match users directly** against each other, potentially offering better prices without relying solely on external liquidity pools.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MEV protection" icon="shield">
    Intents **shield users from MEV** bots and public mempool vulnerabilities by operating in a safe, walled-garden environment.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Gasless experience" icon="gas-pump">
    Users can execute orders across chains without needing to hold the native gas token like ETH, making cross-chain interactions **seamless and gasless**.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pay for success" icon="medal">
    Users only **pay for successful executions**, eliminating wasted fee costs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cost efficiency" icon="coins">
    Intents enable solvers to batch multiple orders, **reducing execution costs** and passing savings to users through better quotes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="No custodians" icon="lock-open">
    They **remove the need for custodians** (centralized or decentralized), mitigating liquidity risks and enhancing trustlessness in the system.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Competitive execution" icon="trophy">
    Multiple solvers **compete to fulfill your intent**, driving innovation in execution strategies and ensuring you get the **best possible price and speed** through market forces.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>