diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/paletteIntent.ts b/frontend/src/lib/paletteIntent.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9b1f9df1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/paletteIntent.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/**
+ * Detects the intent behind a command palette query.
+ * Returns one of: 'question' | 'keyword' | 'page' | 'empty'
+ */
+
+const QUESTION_WORDS = [
+  'how', 'why', 'what', 'when', 'where', 'who', 'which',
+  'fix', 'help', 'troubleshoot', 'resolve', 'debug', 'diagnose',
+]
+
+const PAGE_NAMES = [
+  'dashboard', 'home',
+  'flows', 'trees', 'all flows',
+  'sessions', 'history',
+  'analytics', 'reports',
+  'settings', 'account', 'profile',
+  'admin', 'administration', 'users',
+  'assistant', 'ai', 'copilot', 'flowpilot',
+  'scripts', 'script generator',
+  'kb', 'knowledge base', 'kb accelerator',
+  'library', 'step library',
+]
+
+export type PaletteIntent = 'question' | 'keyword' | 'page' | 'empty'
+
+export function detectIntent(query: string): PaletteIntent {
+  const trimmed = query.trim()
+
+  if (!trimmed) {
+    return 'empty'
+  }
+
+  const lower = trimmed.toLowerCase()
+
+  // Check if it matches a known page name
+  if (PAGE_NAMES.some(p => lower === p || lower.startsWith(p + ' ') || lower.endsWith(' ' + p))) {
+    return 'page'
+  }
+
+  // Check for question indicators:
+  // - Contains a question mark
+  if (lower.includes('?')) {
+    return 'question'
+  }
+
+  // - Starts with a question word
+  const firstWord = lower.split(/\s+/)[0]
+  if (QUESTION_WORDS.includes(firstWord)) {
+    return 'question'
+  }
+
+  // - 5 or more words
+  const wordCount = trimmed.split(/\s+/).length
+  if (wordCount >= 5) {
+    return 'question'
+  }
+
+  return 'keyword'
+}