She says she doesn't know what she wants yet: what it means

The phrase on its own is ambiguous. What tells you more is what surrounds it. If she still asks you questions, picks up threads you dropped, or mentions plans that include you, the uncertainty is about shape, not interest. If her replies have shrunk to one word, take longer to answer, or she's only talking about logistics, the hedge is covering a slow fade. Look at whether she's still investing effort in the exchange. A person who doesn't know what they want but likes you will still lean in a bit when you're talking. A person who is backing off will mostly stop initiating.

Also notice what she's uncertain about. "I don't know what I want yet" after a bad past relationship is different from the same line said right after a first date where she seemed bored. The first is about pace and guardedness. The second may simply be a polite exit. Context from earlier in the conversation usually settles which one you're dealing with.

Your first move should be to validate that not knowing is a normal place to be, and to say you're comfortable there too. Don't interrogate the uncertainty. If you ask follow-up questions aimed at pinning her down, you turn the moment into an interview. Instead, let her uncertainty stand and show you're not anxious about it. That tells her she can be honest without setting off a chain of demands.

Then give the conversation a forward direction that doesn't require a decision. A question about something she enjoys, a light plan for something low-stakes, or a story about your own unclear patch all keep things moving. You're showing that the connection can exist in the in-between without needing a label on it yet.

After a reply like this, the timing of your next message says as much as the message itself. Give it a normal gap, roughly the same time you'd usually take to respond. Going very quickly can read as anxious, and waiting several days can read as losing interest. If she has been enthusiastic and then goes quiet after this exchange, don't send a follow-up explaining yourself. One gentle check-in a few days later is reasonable, something low-pressure that gives her an easy way back in.

If there is still no reply after that, stop. Don't keep sending messages to fill the gap or test whether she's really gone. Her not knowing what she wants may have resolved into not wanting you, and that is information you can act on. Moving on cleanly protects you both from a slow, unclear fade.