Plan first. Code second.
Plan mode makes Claude Code research and propose before it touches a single file. It's the cheapest place to catch a bad idea.
01
Switch to plan mode
Press Shift + Tab until it says plan mode, then describe the task.
02
Read the plan
Which files? What new pieces? Anything you didn't ask for?
03
Question it
“Is there a simpler way?” “What could go wrong?” “What's missing?”
04
Approve, then build
Only when the plan matches what you want. Then let it work.
Source: Anthropic Claude Code Docs ↗
A five-minute plan saves a five-hour rebuild.