diff --git a/src/classes/IOClient.ts b/src/classes/IOClient.ts
index f706b3f..3c95d76 100644
--- a/src/classes/IOClient.ts
+++ b/src/classes/IOClient.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import { IOPromise, ExclusiveIOPromise } from './IOPromise'
 import IOError from './IOError'
 import spreadsheet from '../components/spreadsheet'
 import { selectTable, displayTable } from '../components/table'
-import findAndSelectUser from '../components/selectUser'
 import selectSingle from '../components/selectSingle'
 import search from '../components/search'
 import selectMultiple from '../components/selectMultiple'
@@ -30,7 +29,10 @@ import {
   ExclusiveIOComponentFunction,
   ComponentRenderer,
   IOComponentDefinition,
+  RequiredPropsIOComponentFunction,
+  RequiredPropsExclusiveIOComponentFunction,
 } from '../types'
+import { stripUndefined } from '../utils/deserialize'
 
 interface ClientConfig {
   logger: Logger
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ export class IOClient {
           toRender: components
             .map(c => c.getRenderInfo())
             .map(({ props, ...renderInfo }) => {
-              const { json, meta } = superjson.serialize(props)
+              const { json, meta } = superjson.serialize(stripUndefined(props))
               return {
                 ...renderInfo,
                 props: json,
@@ -237,8 +239,29 @@ export class IOClient {
     Output = T_IO_RETURNS<MethodName>
   >(
     methodName: MethodName,
+    propsRequired?: false,
     componentDef?: IOComponentDefinition<MethodName, Props, Output>
-  ): IOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output> {
+  ): IOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output>
+  createIOMethod<
+    MethodName extends T_IO_METHOD_NAMES,
+    Props extends object = T_IO_PROPS<MethodName>,
+    Output = T_IO_RETURNS<MethodName>
+  >(
+    methodName: MethodName,
+    propsRequired?: true,
+    componentDef?: IOComponentDefinition<MethodName, Props, Output>
+  ): RequiredPropsIOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output>
+  createIOMethod<
+    MethodName extends T_IO_METHOD_NAMES,
+    Props extends object = T_IO_PROPS<MethodName>,
+    Output = T_IO_RETURNS<MethodName>
+  >(
+    methodName: MethodName,
+    _propsRequired = false,
+    componentDef?: IOComponentDefinition<MethodName, Props, Output>
+  ):
+    | IOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output>
+    | RequiredPropsIOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output> {
     return (label: string, props?: Props) => {
       let internalProps = props ? (props as T_IO_PROPS<MethodName>) : {}
       let getValue = (r: T_IO_RETURNS<MethodName>) => r as unknown as Output
@@ -280,7 +303,16 @@ export class IOClient {
    * ExclusiveIOPromise, which cannot be rendered in a group.
    */
   makeExclusive<MethodName extends T_IO_METHOD_NAMES, Props, Output>(
-    inner: IOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output>
+    inner: IOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output>,
+    propsRequired: false
+  ): ExclusiveIOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output>
+  makeExclusive<MethodName extends T_IO_METHOD_NAMES, Props, Output>(
+    inner: IOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output>,
+    propsRequired?: true
+  ): RequiredPropsExclusiveIOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output>
+  makeExclusive<MethodName extends T_IO_METHOD_NAMES, Props, Output>(
+    inner: IOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output>,
+    _propsRequired = false
   ): ExclusiveIOComponentFunction<MethodName, Props, Output> {
     return (label: string, props?: Props) => {
       return new ExclusiveIOPromise(inner(label, props))
@@ -296,7 +328,7 @@ export class IOClient {
 
       confirm: this.makeExclusive(this.createIOMethod('CONFIRM')),
 
-      search: this.createIOMethod('SEARCH', search),
+      search: this.createIOMethod('SEARCH', true, search),
 
       input: {
         text: this.createIOMethod('INPUT_TEXT'),
@@ -306,28 +338,36 @@ export class IOClient {
         richText: this.createIOMethod('INPUT_RICH_TEXT'),
       },
       select: {
-        single: this.createIOMethod('SELECT_SINGLE', selectSingle),
-        multiple: this.createIOMethod('SELECT_MULTIPLE', selectMultiple),
-        table: this.createIOMethod('SELECT_TABLE', selectTable(this.logger)),
+        single: this.createIOMethod('SELECT_SINGLE', true, selectSingle),
+        multiple: this.createIOMethod('SELECT_MULTIPLE', true, selectMultiple),
+        table: this.createIOMethod(
+          'SELECT_TABLE',
+          true,
+          selectTable(this.logger)
+        ),
       },
       display: {
         heading: this.createIOMethod('DISPLAY_HEADING'),
         markdown: this.createIOMethod('DISPLAY_MARKDOWN'),
         link: this.createIOMethod('DISPLAY_LINK'),
         object: this.createIOMethod('DISPLAY_OBJECT'),
-        table: this.createIOMethod('DISPLAY_TABLE', displayTable(this.logger)),
+        table: this.createIOMethod(
+          'DISPLAY_TABLE',
+          true,
+          displayTable(this.logger)
+        ),
       },
       experimental: {
-        spreadsheet: this.createIOMethod('INPUT_SPREADSHEET', spreadsheet),
-        findAndSelectUser: this.createIOMethod(
-          'SELECT_USER',
-          findAndSelectUser
+        spreadsheet: this.createIOMethod(
+          'INPUT_SPREADSHEET',
+          true,
+          spreadsheet
         ),
-        date: this.createIOMethod('INPUT_DATE', date),
+        date: this.createIOMethod('INPUT_DATE', false, date),
         time: this.createIOMethod('INPUT_TIME'),
-        datetime: this.createIOMethod('INPUT_DATETIME', datetime),
+        datetime: this.createIOMethod('INPUT_DATETIME', false, datetime),
         input: {
-          file: this.createIOMethod('UPLOAD_FILE', file),
+          file: this.createIOMethod('UPLOAD_FILE', false, file),
         },
       },
     }
diff --git a/src/classes/IOPromise.ts b/src/classes/IOPromise.ts
index 9601e5c..4fe77ed 100644
--- a/src/classes/IOPromise.ts
+++ b/src/classes/IOPromise.ts
@@ -77,8 +77,19 @@ export class IOPromise<
     )
   }
 
-  optional(): OptionalIOPromise<MethodName, Props, Output> {
-    return new OptionalIOPromise(this)
+  optional(isOptional?: true): OptionalIOPromise<MethodName, Props, Output>
+  optional(isOptional?: false): IOPromise<MethodName, Props, Output>
+  optional(
+    isOptional?: boolean
+  ):
+    | OptionalIOPromise<MethodName, Props, Output>
+    | IOPromise<MethodName, Props, Output>
+  optional(
+    isOptional = true
+  ):
+    | OptionalIOPromise<MethodName, Props, Output>
+    | IOPromise<MethodName, Props, Output> {
+    return isOptional ? new OptionalIOPromise(this) : this
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/search.ts b/src/components/search.ts
index c0de7e6..3943dba 100644
--- a/src/components/search.ts
+++ b/src/components/search.ts
@@ -14,9 +14,8 @@ type InternalResults = T_IO_PROPS<'SEARCH'>['results']
 export default function search<Result = any>({
   onSearch,
   initialResults = [],
-  placeholder,
   renderResult,
-  helpText,
+  ...rest
 }: {
   placeholder?: string
   helpText?: string
@@ -54,8 +53,7 @@ export default function search<Result = any>({
   }
 
   const props: T_IO_PROPS<'SEARCH'> = {
-    placeholder,
-    helpText,
+    ...rest,
     results: renderResults(initialResults),
   }
 
diff --git a/src/components/selectUser.ts b/src/components/selectUser.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 6ac041f..0000000
--- a/src/components/selectUser.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-import type { T_IO_PROPS, T_IO_STATE } from '../ioSchema'
-
-export default function findAndSelectUser(
-  props: T_IO_PROPS<'SELECT_USER'> & {
-    onSearch: (query: string) => Promise<T_IO_PROPS<'SELECT_USER'>['userList']>
-  }
-) {
-  return {
-    async onStateChange(newState: T_IO_STATE<'SELECT_USER'>) {
-      const filteredUsers = await props.onSearch(newState.queryTerm)
-      return { userList: filteredUsers }
-    },
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/examples/basic/index.ts b/src/examples/basic/index.ts
index ae6a333..7359e43 100644
--- a/src/examples/basic/index.ts
+++ b/src/examples/basic/index.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ const prod = new Interval({
   actions: {
     ImportUsers: {
       backgroundable: true,
+      name: 'Import users',
+      description: "Doesn't actually import users",
       handler: async io => {
         console.log("I'm a live mode action")
         const name = await io.input.text('Enter the name for a user')
diff --git a/src/internalRpcSchema.ts b/src/internalRpcSchema.ts
index 74c3f6c..183bcc5 100644
--- a/src/internalRpcSchema.ts
+++ b/src/internalRpcSchema.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ export type LoadingState = z.input<typeof LOADING_STATE>
 
 export const ACTION_DEFINITION = z.object({
   slug: z.string(),
+  name: z.string().optional(),
+  description: z.string().optional(),
   backgroundable: z.boolean().optional(),
 })
 
diff --git a/src/ioSchema.ts b/src/ioSchema.ts
index 415215e..1a808cd 100644
--- a/src/ioSchema.ts
+++ b/src/ioSchema.ts
@@ -388,25 +388,6 @@ export const ioSchema = {
     state: z.null(),
     returns: z.array(labelValue),
   },
-  SELECT_USER: {
-    props: z.object({
-      userList: z.array(
-        z.object({
-          id: z.union([z.string(), z.number()]),
-          name: z.string(),
-          email: z.string().optional(),
-          imageUrl: z.string().optional(),
-        })
-      ),
-    }),
-    state: z.object({ queryTerm: z.string() }),
-    returns: z.object({
-      id: z.union([z.string(), z.number()]),
-      name: z.string(),
-      email: z.string().optional(),
-      imageUrl: z.string().optional(),
-    }),
-  },
   DISPLAY_HEADING: {
     props: z.object({}),
     state: z.null(),
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 9d39642..3155ea1 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -54,12 +54,32 @@ export interface IntervalActionStore {
 export interface ExplicitIntervalActionDefinition {
   handler: IntervalActionHandler
   backgroundable?: boolean
+  name?: string
+  description?: string
 }
 
 export type IntervalActionDefinition =
   | IntervalActionHandler
   | ExplicitIntervalActionDefinition
 
+export type RequiredPropsIOComponentFunction<
+  MethodName extends T_IO_METHOD_NAMES,
+  Props,
+  Output = ComponentReturnValue<MethodName>
+> = (
+  label: string,
+  props: Props
+) => IOPromise<MethodName, T_IO_PROPS<MethodName>, Output>
+
+export type RequiredPropsExclusiveIOComponentFunction<
+  MethodName extends T_IO_METHOD_NAMES,
+  Props,
+  Output = ComponentReturnValue<MethodName>
+> = (
+  label: string,
+  props: Props
+) => ExclusiveIOPromise<MethodName, T_IO_PROPS<MethodName>, Output>
+
 export type IOComponentFunction<
   MethodName extends T_IO_METHOD_NAMES,
   Props,
diff --git a/src/utils/deserialize.ts b/src/utils/deserialize.ts
index 8e0bdf7..87e3139 100644
--- a/src/utils/deserialize.ts
+++ b/src/utils/deserialize.ts
@@ -55,3 +55,20 @@ export function deserializeDates<V extends any>(
 
   return ret
 }
+
+export function stripUndefined<
+  K extends string | number | symbol,
+  V,
+  T extends Record<K, V> | undefined
+>(obj: T): T {
+  if (!obj) return obj
+
+  const newObj = { ...obj } as Exclude<typeof obj, undefined>
+  for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(newObj)) {
+    if (val === undefined) {
+      delete newObj[key as K]
+    }
+  }
+
+  return newObj
+}