diff --git a/backend/igny8_core/ai/engine.py b/backend/igny8_core/ai/engine.py
index 987ae8ea..c5d3a663 100644
--- a/backend/igny8_core/ai/engine.py
+++ b/backend/igny8_core/ai/engine.py
@@ -37,6 +37,29 @@ class AIEngine:
             return f"{count} task{'s' if count != 1 else ''}"
         return f"{count} item{'s' if count != 1 else ''}"
     
+    def _build_validation_message(self, function_name: str, payload: dict, count: int, input_description: str) -> str:
+        """Build validation message with item names for better UX"""
+        if function_name == 'auto_cluster' and count > 0:
+            try:
+                from igny8_core.modules.planner.models import Keywords
+                ids = payload.get('ids', [])
+                keywords = Keywords.objects.filter(id__in=ids, account=self.account).values_list('keyword', flat=True)[:3]
+                keyword_list = list(keywords)
+                
+                if len(keyword_list) > 0:
+                    remaining = count - len(keyword_list)
+                    if remaining > 0:
+                        keywords_text = ', '.join(keyword_list)
+                        return f"Validating {keywords_text} and {remaining} more keyword{'s' if remaining != 1 else ''}"
+                    else:
+                        keywords_text = ', '.join(keyword_list)
+                        return f"Validating {keywords_text}"
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning(f"Failed to load keyword names for validation message: {e}")
+        
+        # Fallback to simple count message
+        return f"Validating {input_description}"
+    
     def _get_prep_message(self, function_name: str, count: int, data: Any) -> str:
         """Get user-friendly prep message"""
         if function_name == 'auto_cluster':
@@ -73,6 +96,18 @@ class AIEngine:
             return "Processing images"
         return "Processing results"
     
+    def _get_parse_message_with_count(self, function_name: str, count: int) -> str:
+        """Get user-friendly parse message with count"""
+        if function_name == 'auto_cluster':
+            return f"{count} cluster{'s' if count != 1 else ''} created"
+        elif function_name == 'generate_ideas':
+            return f"{count} idea{'s' if count != 1 else ''} created"
+        elif function_name == 'generate_content':
+            return f"{count} article{'s' if count != 1 else ''} created"
+        elif function_name == 'generate_images':
+            return f"{count} image{'s' if count != 1 else ''} created"
+        return f"{count} item{'s' if count != 1 else ''} processed"
+    
     def _get_save_message(self, function_name: str, count: int) -> str:
         """Get user-friendly save message"""
         if function_name == 'auto_cluster':
@@ -117,7 +152,9 @@ class AIEngine:
                 self.console_tracker.error('ValidationError', validated['error'])
                 return self._handle_error(validated['error'], fn)
             
-            validation_message = f"Validating {input_description}"
+            # Build validation message with keyword names for auto_cluster
+            validation_message = self._build_validation_message(function_name, payload, input_count, input_description)
+            
             self.console_tracker.prep("Validation complete")
             self.step_tracker.add_request_step("INIT", "success", validation_message)
             self.tracker.update("INIT", 10, validation_message, meta=self.step_tracker.get_meta())
@@ -253,6 +290,9 @@ class AIEngine:
                 else:
                     parsed_count = 1
                 
+                # Update parse message with count for better UX
+                parse_message = self._get_parse_message_with_count(function_name, parsed_count)
+                
                 self.console_tracker.parse(f"Successfully parsed {parsed_count} items from response")
                 self.step_tracker.add_response_step("PARSE", "success", parse_message)
                 self.tracker.update("PARSE", 85, parse_message, meta=self.step_tracker.get_meta())
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/common/ProgressModal.tsx b/frontend/src/components/common/ProgressModal.tsx
index 278aa61e..6eda9fbd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/common/ProgressModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/common/ProgressModal.tsx
@@ -201,15 +201,93 @@ export default function ProgressModal({
   const steps = getStepsForFunction(functionId, title);
   const currentPhase = getCurrentPhase(stepLogs, percentage);
   
+  // Format step message with counts and better formatting
+  const formatStepMessage = (stepPhase: string, stepLog: any, defaultLabel: string, allStepLogs: any[], functionId?: string, title?: string): string => {
+    const funcName = (functionId || title || '').toLowerCase();
+    const message = stepLog?.message || defaultLabel;
+    
+    // Extract counts from message
+    const extractCount = (pattern: RegExp): string => {
+      const match = message.match(pattern);
+      return match && match[1] ? match[1] : '';
+    };
+    
+    if (funcName.includes('cluster')) {
+      if (stepPhase === 'INIT') {
+        // For INIT: Message already includes keyword names from backend (e.g., "Validating keyword1, keyword2, keyword3 and 5 more keywords")
+        // Just return the message as-is since backend formats it
+        return message;
+      } else if (stepPhase === 'PREP') {
+        // For PREP: Show count of keywords being loaded
+        const keywordCount = extractCount(/(\d+)\s+keyword/i);
+        if (keywordCount) {
+          return `Loading ${keywordCount} keyword${keywordCount !== '1' ? 's' : ''} for clustering`;
+        }
+        return message;
+      } else if (stepPhase === 'AI_CALL') {
+        // For AI_CALL: Show count of keywords being sent
+        const keywordCount = extractCount(/(\d+)\s+keyword/i);
+        if (keywordCount) {
+          return `Sending ${keywordCount} keyword${keywordCount !== '1' ? 's' : ''} for clustering`;
+        }
+        return message;
+      } else if (stepPhase === 'PARSE') {
+        // For PARSE: Show count of clusters created
+        const clusterCount = extractCount(/(\d+)\s+cluster/i);
+        if (clusterCount) {
+          return `${clusterCount} cluster${clusterCount !== '1' ? 's' : ''} created`;
+        }
+        // Try to find cluster count in any step log
+        for (const log of allStepLogs) {
+          const count = log.message?.match(/(\d+)\s+cluster/i);
+          if (count && count[1]) {
+            return `${count[1]} cluster${count[1] !== '1' ? 's' : ''} created`;
+          }
+        }
+        return message;
+      } else if (stepPhase === 'SAVE') {
+        // For SAVE: Show count of clusters being saved
+        const clusterCount = extractCount(/(\d+)\s+cluster/i);
+        if (clusterCount) {
+          return `Saving ${clusterCount} cluster${clusterCount !== '1' ? 's' : ''}`;
+        }
+        return message;
+      }
+    } else if (funcName.includes('idea')) {
+      if (stepPhase === 'PARSE') {
+        const ideaCount = extractCount(/(\d+)\s+idea/i);
+        if (ideaCount) {
+          return `${ideaCount} idea${ideaCount !== '1' ? 's' : ''} created`;
+        }
+      }
+    } else if (funcName.includes('content')) {
+      if (stepPhase === 'PARSE') {
+        const articleCount = extractCount(/(\d+)\s+article/i);
+        if (articleCount) {
+          return `${articleCount} article${articleCount !== '1' ? 's' : ''} created`;
+        }
+      }
+    } else if (funcName.includes('image')) {
+      if (stepPhase === 'PARSE') {
+        const imageCount = extractCount(/(\d+)\s+image/i);
+        if (imageCount) {
+          return `${imageCount} image${imageCount !== '1' ? 's' : ''} created`;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    
+    return message;
+  };
+
   // Build checklist items with visual completion state (needed for allStepsVisuallyCompleted)
   const checklistItems = steps.map((step) => {
     const actuallyCompleted = isStepCompleted(step.phase, currentPhase, stepLogs);
     const visuallyCompleted = visuallyCompletedSteps.has(step.phase);
     const inProgress = isStepInProgress(step.phase, currentPhase) && !visuallyCompleted;
     
-    // Get user-friendly message from step logs if available (includes counts from backend)
+    // Get step log and format message
     const stepLog = stepLogs.find(log => log.stepName === step.phase);
-    const stepMessage = stepLog?.message || step.label;
+    const stepMessage = formatStepMessage(step.phase, stepLog, step.label, stepLogs, functionId, title);
     
     return {
       label: stepMessage,
@@ -329,9 +407,12 @@ export default function ProgressModal({
             <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold text-gray-900 dark:text-white mb-1">
               {title}
             </h3>
-            {!showSuccess && (
+            {!showSuccess && status !== 'completed' && (
               <p className="text-sm text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-400">{message}</p>
             )}
+            {status === 'completed' && !allStepsVisuallyCompleted && (
+              <p className="text-sm text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-400">Processing...</p>
+            )}
           </div>
         </div>