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Course/Modes and Safety

7 min · +110 XP

Plan first, then change

How plan mode works and when it is worth the extra minute.

By the end of this lesson

You will be able to get a plan from Claude, check it, correct it and approve it before any file changes.

In plan mode Claude studies your files and writes a plan of what it is going to change, but it does not change anything yet. You read the plan, correct it if needed, and only then let Claude start. This helps to catch a misunderstanding before it turns into a dozen edited files.

Three ways to start planning

  1. 1Say it in words, with the phrase below. Claude reads and plans, and waits for your OK before changing anything.
  2. 2Or press Shift+Tab until the line under the prompt shows "⏸ plan mode on". Then describe the task as usual.
  3. 3Or type /plan followed by the task, for example: /plan add a weekly view to my budget tool.
💬 A plan first

“Don't change anything yet. Read the project and write me a plan: what you will change, in which files, and how you will check the result. Wait for my OK before you start.”

Claude studies the files and shows a plan. Nothing is edited until you agree.

What it looks like
you ▸ /plan add a weekly view to my budget tool
claude ▸ Read(index.html) Read(app.js)
claude ▸ Plan:
1. Add a "Week / Month" switch above the chart in index.html.
2. In app.js, group expenses by week as well as by month.
3. Remember the chosen view after a reload.
4. Check: add three expenses on different days, switch views.
Files to change: index.html, app.js. No new libraries.
› Yes, and use auto mode
Yes, manually approve edits
No, keep planning

What to look for in a plan

  1. 1Is the goal understood the way you meant it?
  2. 2Which files will change? Is anything listed that you did not expect to be touched?
  3. 3Is there anything you did not ask for, such as a new library, a redesign or deleting something?
  4. 4Is there a step that checks the result at the end?

How to answer the plan

  1. 1Yes, and use auto mode: Claude starts working in auto mode. (If auto mode is not available, this option reads "Yes, auto-accept edits".)
  2. 2Yes, manually approve edits: Claude starts working and asks before each edit.
  3. 3No, keep planning: you stay in plan mode and write what to change in the plan.
  4. 4Press Ctrl+G to open the plan in your text editor and edit it directly before Claude proceeds.
  5. 5Press Shift+Tab to leave plan mode without approving anything.

When to plan and when not to

  1. 1Plan: the change touches several files, you are not sure how it should be done, or the code is unfamiliar to you.
  2. 2Plan: the change concerns something important, such as payments, user data or deleting records.
  3. 3Skip the plan: a typo, a colour, a button label, one extra line. The docs put it this way: if you could describe the change in one sentence, skip the plan.

The four steps from the documentation

The documentation describes a four-step way of working: explore, plan, implement, commit. Here it is as four phrases for one task, adding export to Excel.

💬 1. Explore (in plan mode)

“Read the project and explain in plain words how saving works.”

Claude reads the files and explains. Nothing changes.

💬 2. Plan (still in plan mode)

“I want to add export to Excel. Which files need to change? Make a plan.”

Claude proposes the steps and the files it will touch.

💬 3. Implement (after you approve the plan)

“Do it according to the plan, then check that export works and show me the result.”

Claude makes the changes and runs its check.

💬 4. Commit

“Commit the changes with a clear description.”

Claude saves a Git snapshot you can return to.

For beginners
›What "commit" means

A commit is a saved snapshot of your project in Git, with a short note about what changed. If something breaks later, you can return to that snapshot. The Git lesson in the basics module explains it from the start; you can simply ask Claude to do it.

For experienced users
✦If you are experienced

When auto mode is available, the classifier reviews shell commands during planning, so exploration is not interrupted by prompts. To make plan mode the default for a project, ask Claude to set defaultMode to plan in this project's .claude/settings.json. For larger features, ask Claude to interview you first and write the spec to a file, then implement in a fresh session. Before you call it done, a subagent can review the diff against the plan file in a clean context.

Practice: plan first, then buildTask 1 of 2

A safe practice terminal. You want a chart in your budget tool, but first you want to see the plan.

1Ask for a plan only: type /plan and the task, for example /plan add a monthly chart

›
Safe: nothing here touches your computer.
Quick check

Which task is the best candidate for plan mode?

Quick check

The plan lists a file you did not expect, and a new library you did not ask for. What do you do?

Facts checked against the official Claude Code docs October 24, 2026 · source

EAEvgenii Arsentev

Author

Evgenii Arsentev

PhD · Chief Executive Officer, digital health