Plan mode vs direct execution
When to plan first and when to just make the change in Claude Code: the one-sentence-diff test, entering and defaulting to plan mode, the approval options and Ctrl+G, plan-then-execute, and the built-in Explore and Plan subagents that keep verbose discovery out of the main context.
Determine when to use plan mode vs direct execution
~8 min read · 11 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Choose plan mode for work with architectural implications, several valid approaches, many files or unfamiliar code, and direct execution for a clearly scoped change such as a single-file bug fix with a stack trace.
- Enter plan mode the right way for the situation:
Shift+Tab, a/planprefix,--permission-mode plan, or a committedpermissions.defaultModefor a whole project. - Pick the right option at the plan approval prompt, and edit a plan before any file changes.
- Combine plan mode for investigation with direct execution for implementation.
- Use the built-in Explore subagent to keep verbose discovery from exhausting the main context in multi-phase tasks.
Key terms: plan mode (a permission mode in which Claude researches and proposes but does not edit source until you approve); direct execution (asking Claude to make the change straight away in an editing mode); plan approval prompt (the choice Claude shows when a plan is ready); Explore subagent (a built-in, read-only research agent that returns a summary); Plan subagent (the built-in research agent plan mode delegates to).
Key facts
- Detail
- If you could describe the diff in one sentence, skip the plan
- Detail
- Blocked until the plan is approved
- Detail
Shift+Tab,/planprefix,claude --permission-mode plan
- Detail
permissions.defaultMode: "plan"in.claude/settings.json
- Detail
Ctrl+Gopens it in your default text editor
- Detail
- Stays in plan mode so you can tell Claude what to change
- Detail
- Exits plan mode into the chosen option's mode
- Detail
- Read-only; Write and Edit denied
- Detail
- Start without CLAUDE.md files and git status
- Detail
- Context, not enforced configuration
- When should you skip plan mode entirely?
- Why does plan mode beat a "do not edit files" line in CLAUDE.md for exploring legacy code?
- Which setting makes every terminal session in a repository start in plan mode?
- Why delegate a large discovery phase to Explore?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
Keep reading with the Claude Certified Architect - Foundations pack
- Core concepts
- Exam traps
- Worked scenario
The pack includes:
- All 30 lessons of the Claude Certified Architect - Foundations guide, with reading progress
- Interactive decision walks and step-by-step sequence steppers
- Inline practice questions and one-click topic practice (11 questions for this lesson)
- An official source cited for every claim
- An AI tutor that answers from the guide
- Unlimited timed practice exams
Practice for the Claude Certified Architect - Foundations exam
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