What Is an Intent Map?
An intent map is a description of why each part of a codebase exists — the purpose of a file or module and the capability it implements — as opposed to a dependency map, which shows only how the parts connect.
What it captures
Summaries at repository, file and function level; the capabilities each file contributes to; and, ideally, an evidence block that separates what was measured from the codebase from what was inferred by a model.
“Intent map” is both a general idea and the name of a Mapnostics feature. The concept is what matters here: a map of purpose, not just structure.
Why purpose is separate from structure
A dependency graph tells you that a file imports three others. It does not tell you that the file exists to enforce a billing rule. That reasoning usually lives only in the author's head, and it is the first thing lost when a team member or a vendor leaves.
Common questions
What is an intent map?
It is a description of why each part of a codebase exists — the purpose of each file and the capability it implements — rather than only how the files depend on each other.
How is an intent map different from a dependency graph?
A dependency graph shows how files connect. An intent map explains what each file is for. One is structure, the other is purpose.
Related
- Intent map — Understand why your code exists, not just what it does. The Intent Map gives you AI summaries at repository, file and function level, the capabilities each file implements, and an evidence block that separates measured facts from inference.
- Dependency graph — glossary
- Codebase intelligence — glossary
See it in your own codebase.
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