Videos
Maybe you miss it:
Plan mode is a special operating mode in Claude Code that allows you to research, analyze, and create implementation plans without making any actual changes to your system or codebase.
What Plan Mode Does:
Research & Analysis Only:
-
Read files and examine code
-
Search through codebases
-
Analyze project structure
-
Gather information from web sources
-
Review documentation
No System Changes:
-
Cannot edit files
-
Cannot run bash commands that modify anything
-
Cannot create/delete files
-
Cannot make git commits
-
Cannot install packages or change configurations
When Plan Mode Activates:
Plan mode is typically activated when:
-
You ask for planning or analysis before implementation
-
You want to understand a codebase before making changes
-
You request a detailed implementation strategy
-
The system detects you want to plan before executing
How It Works:
-
Research Phase: I gather all necessary information using read-only tools
-
Plan Creation: I develop a comprehensive implementation plan
-
Plan Presentation: I use the exit_plan_mode tool to present the plan
-
User Approval: You review and approve the plan
-
Execution Phase: After approval, I can proceed with actual implementation
Benefits:
-
Safety: Prevents accidental changes during exploration
-
Thorough Planning: Ensures comprehensive analysis before implementation
-
User Control: You approve exactly what will be done before it happens
-
Better Outcomes: Well-planned implementations tend to be more successful
I'm new to Claude Code. I'm a longtime CursorMax user, and all the tutorials and things that I've seen have talked about plan mode, but I just don't see it anymore. I don't see how to get into it.
What I have done, I've set it to use the model I've set it to use is OpusPlan, or something like that. It's supposedly where it plans using Opus and executes using Sonnet. And I think it's working, but these days when you actually do the /models command, it only gives you two choices. So are they moving away from this?
Now I just tell it, don't do anything. Let's just talk about the task first, et cetera.
Claude Code has just stealthily integrated a plan mode by hitting shift+tab once more after enabling auto-updates. No files editable, purely read & think. No documentation or release notes anywhere yet, as far as I can see.
Likely based on this GitHub issue (and other demand) https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/982