Plan Mode should include the goal, constraints, affected files or systems, implementation steps, risks, and validation checks before an AI agent starts editing files. The plan should be specific enough to review, but flexible enough to adapt when the agent finds new context.
This matters because many AI coding failures start before coding begins. If the prompt is unclear, the agent may build the wrong feature quickly. Plan Mode creates a checkpoint where the user can review scope, edge cases, task order, and risks before code changes happen.
Verdent's Plan Mode is central to its Plan-First positioning. It is useful for large features, architecture changes, refactors, and tasks where the user wants to approve direction before execution. Direct coding is still useful for simple fixes. A good Plan Mode output should make the next coding step obvious and reviewable.
