Comparison
Skeleton screenvsStreaming UX patterns
Skeleton screen
you show grey blocks the shape of the content instead of a spinner while the data loads.
A placeholder that mimics the layout of the content that is coming. It improves perceived speed and, more usefully, reserves the space so nothing shifts when the real content lands. It becomes a liability when the skeleton's shape does not match the result, which turns one layout shift into two.
Full entry →Streaming UX patterns
you render tokens as they land, show which tool is running, and handle the stream that dies halfway through.
Product techniques on top of streaming: render tokens live, show tool-use progress, allow cancel mid-generation, handle a stream that dies halfway (retry or resume). Perceived speed lives here as much as in the model.
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