In plan mode, Claude investigates your code and proposes a plan, but it does not edit source until you approve. You use it to check the direction before a big change.
How it works
Plan mode is a permission mode in which Claude researches and proposes changes but does not apply them. Claude can read files, run exploratory shell commands, and write a plan. Source edits are blocked until you approve the plan.
Which shell commands run in plan mode depends on your session settings, so a command outside the read-only range may trigger an approval prompt. A long plan can run into compaction, but a plan written in plan mode is re-injected from disk after compaction.
How to enter it
- Shift+Tab: cycles through permission modes. Press it until plan mode on appears in the status bar.
- /plan: enters plan mode straight from the prompt. If you add a description, it enters and starts on that task right away.
- claude --permission-mode plan: starts the session in plan mode.
- Set permissions.defaultMode to plan in .claude/settings.json and terminal sessions in that project start in plan mode.
/plan fix the auth bug
claude --permission-mode plan
{
"permissions": {
"defaultMode": "plan"
}
}Approving and editing the plan
When the plan is ready, Claude asks how to proceed. There are three choices: approve and run in auto mode (or auto-accept edits if auto mode is not available), approve each edit manually, or keep planning. If showClearContextOnPlanAccept is on, an option to clear the planning context and approve is added at the top. Approving takes you out of plan mode and into the mode you chose.
Before approving, press Ctrl+G to edit the proposed plan yourself in your default text editor. To leave without approving, press Shift+Tab again. Once you approve a plan, the session gets a title based on it.
How it relates to nearby features
Shift+Tab cycles through permission modes, and plan mode is one stop in that cycle. The order is default, acceptEdits, plan. If you start in auto, the first Shift+Tab goes to default. Optional modes come after plan. /plan is a shortcut into the same mode.
/model opusplan is an alias that uses opus in plan mode and sonnet for execution, so the two work well together. The cost docs also recommend using plan mode first for complex tasks, to cut down on rework when the direction turns out to be wrong.
Real examples
You are about to hand off an auth change that spans many files and want to see which files will change first
/plan Make a plan to replace session cookie auth with JWT
It enters plan mode, and Claude reads the related code and proposes a plan. No source is edited before you approve. If you do not like the direction, choose keep planning and ask for changes.
You want to drop one or two steps from the proposed plan
Press Ctrl+G on the plan screen
The plan opens in your default text editor so you can edit it. Save and close, then approve, and Claude proceeds with the edited plan.
You entered plan mode by accident and want Claude to start fixing code right away
Shift+Tab (without approving a plan)
You leave plan mode and move to the next mode. Because you did not approve anything, no plan is applied.
Common mistakes and when not to use it
- Using plan mode for every small fix. For a one-line change, the approval step only slows you down. Use it for work that touches several files or involves design choices.
- Thinking plan mode stays on after you approve. Approving takes you out of it and into the permission mode you chose.
- Treating plan mode as a complete safeguard. It blocks source edits, but exploratory shell commands can still run. Which commands run without a prompt depends on your session settings.
- Approving what the plan says without checking it. A plan is a proposal. Read the list of files and the order of steps, and confirm they make sense before you approve.
FAQ
What is the difference between /plan and Shift+Tab?
Both get you into plan mode. /plan goes in directly, and if you add a description it starts on that task right away. Shift+Tab cycles through permission modes and you stop when you reach plan.
How do I leave plan mode?
Approving the plan switches you to the mode you chose. To leave without approving, press Shift+Tab again.
If I resume a plan session, does it stay in plan mode?
A session that ended in plan mode can be restored to plan mode when you resume it. It is not restored if you pass --permission-mode or use --fork-session.
Checked against the official docs on 2026-10-30. Sources: Claude Code docs: Permission modes, Claude Code docs: Common workflows, Claude Code docs: Commands, Claude Code docs: Explore the context window, Claude Code docs: Manage sessions. How we write