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Plan Mode

Beginner

Plan Mode makes Claude Code read-only: it can explore your codebase, run searches, and reason — but it will not edit files or run state-changing commands. Instead it produces a plan and waits for your approval.

Why it's the safest way to start​

For anything big, risky, or unfamiliar, you want to see what Claude intends before it touches your repo. Plan Mode separates thinking from doing:

You catch wrong assumptions before they become wrong code.

When to use it​

  • Always for large or multi-file changes, migrations, or refactors.
  • When working in a codebase you don't fully know yet.
  • When you want a reviewable plan to share with a teammate.

For tiny, obvious edits you can skip it — but when in doubt, plan first.

How it works in practice​

  1. Enter Plan Mode and state your goal.
  2. Claude reads relevant files and asks clarifying questions.
  3. It returns a step-by-step plan: files to change, the approach, and how to verify.
  4. You approve (or refine). Only then does it switch to making changes.

:::tip Pair it with CLAUDE.md A good CLAUDE.md makes plans sharper — Claude plans with your conventions and guardrails already in mind. :::

Plan Mode vs Permissions​

They solve different problems and work together:

  • Plan Mode = "investigate and propose, don't act yet." (This page.)
  • Permissions = once acting, which actions are allowed without asking.

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