Plan mode
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In plan mode, the agent maps out what it's going to do before it does it. You review the plan, adjust it, then let the agent run.
Plan mode is available when a chat runs Claude Code or the Palette agent.
What plan mode does
Without plan mode, the agent starts working as soon as you send a message. It reads, writes, and goes.
In plan mode, the agent stops at the planning step. It tells you:
- What it understands you're asking for
- The steps it would take to do it
- Any assumptions it's making along the way
You either approve the plan, edit it, or send the agent back to revise.
Only after you approve does the agent actually do the work.
When to use plan mode
Use plan mode when:
- The task is complex enough that you want to align before work happens
- You're not sure the agent fully gets what you're asking for
- The work touches a lot of files or could go wrong in expensive ways
- You want to teach the agent how you'd approach the work, not just what to do
Plan mode is also good when you're new to working with agents. Seeing the plan first builds intuition for what they're going to do.
When not to use plan mode
Skip it when:
- The task is small and obvious
- You're iterating fast and don't want to wait for plans on every step
- You already have a clear back-and-forth going in the chat
Plan mode adds a step. For quick work, that's just friction. Save it for the work that's worth slowing down for.
How it fits with sessions and chats
Plan mode is a per-chat setting for Claude Code and Palette agent chats. Toggle it on where you want it and leave it off elsewhere.
Inside a session, you might have one chat in plan mode (a bigger piece of work) and another chat without it (quick edits). They run side by side.
Editing the plan
A plan from the agent isn't the final word. You can:
- Edit the steps directly in the chat
- Tell the agent what to change and ask for a new plan
- Reject the plan and start over with different instructions
The point is alignment before action. The plan is a draft, not a contract.
Next
- Chats, where plan mode runs
- Sessions, the sandbox the agent works in once the plan is approved
- Claude Code, plan mode plus slash commands
- Palette agent, Palette's own agent with plan mode