Plan Mode is a read-only working mode in Claude Code where Claude investigates your request — reading files, searching the codebase, and reasoning about an approach — but does not make changes. Instead of editing files or running state-changing commands, it presents a proposed plan and waits for you to review and approve it before any action is taken.
While in Plan Mode, file edits and other side-effecting actions are held back, so it acts as a safe, exploratory phase for non-trivial or risky tasks. You typically enter Plan Mode in an interactive session by cycling permission modes with Shift+Tab. Once you approve the plan, Claude exits the mode and begins executing — applying edits and running commands subject to your permissions. See the official Claude Code docs for the current key bindings and exact behavior.
Plan Mode pairs well with extended thinking for harder problems and with project context in your CLAUDE.md, which lets Claude form a more accurate plan up front. Because both Claude Code and its modes evolve quickly, check the changelog for updates to how Plan Mode works.
Why it matters
Plan Mode gives you a checkpoint to review Claude's intended approach before it touches your code, which reduces surprise edits, makes large or ambiguous tasks safer, and lets you correct the direction early instead of cleaning up afterward.
Deep dive: What Is Claude Code? A Beginner's Guide
Related terms
See Plan Mode in action across releases — browse the Claude Code changelog.
Get release alerts