Plan mode
Also called planning mode
A mode in AI coding tools where the agent researches the project and proposes a step-by-step plan for your approval before it edits any files.
Before you change any code, write a plan for adding email sign-in: the steps, the files you will create or edit, any database changes, and how you will test it. Wait for my approval before starting.
Paste into Layerwise or any AI coding tool.
What is Plan mode?
In plan mode, the agent reads the project and may ask questions, but it leaves the files alone. It answers with a plan: the steps it will take, the files it will touch, and anything it needs you to decide. You can push back or refine the plan, and building starts only once you approve it.
Use it for anything bigger than a small tweak, such as a new feature, a refactor, or a database change. A minute spent reading the plan catches a misunderstanding before it turns into dozens of edited files.
Many AI coding tools have a plan mode, and asking for a plan first works anywhere. In Layerwise, turn on Plan mode from the / menu, review the plan, then choose Implement plan.
Related terms
All termsAI agent
An AI model that works toward a goal on its own by planning, using tools, checking the results, and repeating until the task is done.
Prompt
The instruction you give an AI model. In AI coding tools, the prompt describes what to build or change, and its detail shapes the result.
Checkpoint
A snapshot of your project that an AI coding tool saves as it works, so you can rewind the code to an earlier point when a change goes wrong.
Vibe coding
A way of building software by describing what you want to an AI model and steering the result in conversation, without writing the code yourself.
Build it with Layerwise
Describe your app, watch it run in a live preview, and publish it with a database, storage, and sign-in built in.