Learn one feature at a time

Understand the change
before making it.

Use Plan mode to explore a project, identify decisions, and review an implementation plan.

What Plan is for

Plan mode is for analysis before project edits. Claude can inspect the project and build an approach. Some inspection commands can still run, subject to the session’s controls. Treat Plan as a workflow mode, not complete isolation from your machine or connected tools.

Start in Plan

Choose Plan in your interface’s mode control. For a terminal session, you can start with:

claude --permission-mode plan

Explain how this project works for a beginner. Then propose adding a search field. Identify files likely to change, open questions, tests, and a recovery plan. Do not implement the change yet.

What to check in the plan

1. Outcome: does it solve your actual request?
2. Scope: are unrelated files and features excluded?
3. Unknowns: are assumptions stated clearly?
4. Verification: what will demonstrate success?
5. Recovery: what can you undo if it fails?

Correct the plan in ordinary language. When ready, approve the specific work and review the editing mode offered by Claude. Approval to implement does not need to include permission to merge or publish.

Read the approval option

In the terminal, Yes, and use auto mode approves the plan and switches to Auto. Its wording changes if Auto is unavailable or bypass permissions are enabled. Choose Yes, manually approve edits to keep individual edit prompts, or keep planning. Ctrl+G opens the proposed plan in your text editor. Read the option each time rather than accepting the first item by habit.

A useful beginner habit

Ask Claude to explain one term you do not understand before proceeding. Keep the first approved change small enough that you can inspect every changed file.

References

• Anthropic. (n.d.-f). Choose a permission mode. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from https://code.claude.com/docs/en/permission-modes
• Anthropic. (n.d.-k). Commands. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands