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Optimistic UI 0:48
A 48-second explainer of Optimistic UI, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive Optimistic UI demo
What this video covers
Optimistic UI updates the screen the instant you act - as if the action had already succeeded - and confirms with the server in the background. It suits actions that are very likely to succeed and safe to roll back, so the interface feels immediate; when a request fails, it must detect that, reverse the change clearly and tell you. It isn't for high-stakes or hard-to-reverse operations.
Optimistically, the action felt done the instant you tapped - no spinner, no wait, because the screen didn't ask the network's permission first. Pessimistically, the same tap left you watching a loader while the request travelled and returned. Same outcome; one just stopped making you wait to see it.
