Plan Mode

In Plan Mode, Syntic Code drafts an implementation plan and waits for your approval before any write tool runs. No files change, no commands execute, no PRs open until you say yes.

When to Use Plan Mode

• Unfamiliar codebase — verify the agent’s mental model matches reality
• Risky changes — migrations, refactors, anything touching auth or billing
• Multi-step work — confirm scope and order before tokens are spent executing
• Reviewing AI work — turn the agent into a planner-only collaborator

Activating Plan Mode

At session start

syntic --plan

Mid-session

Type /plan to toggle plan mode on. Type /exit-plan to exit and execute.

Via SDK

const result = await agent.run({
  prompt: '...',
  permissionMode: 'plan',
})

What Plan Mode Allows

The plan is produced as a structured markdown document with file paths, line numbers, and specific changes — not vague intentions.

Approving a Plan

When the agent presents a plan, you can:

• Approve as-is → exit plan mode, execute
• Edit the plan → revise inline, re-present
• Reject → request a different approach
• Save the plan → write it to PLAN.md for review

Plans as Artifacts

Plans are first-class artifacts. They are:

• Versionable — commit PLAN.md to git, reference it in PRs
• Reviewable — share with a teammate before execution
• Resumable — syntic --resume <session> --execute-plan continues from a saved plan

Best Practices

• Use plan mode for anything you’d code-review. If you wouldn’t merge it sight unseen, you shouldn’t execute it sight unseen.
• Plans should name files and line numbers. “Update the auth flow” is not a plan. “Edit api/auth.ts:42-58 to call verifyToken() before the DB query” is.
• One plan per feature, not per session. Don’t pile unrelated work into one plan.

Related

• Permissions — Plan mode is one of several permission modes
• Sub-Agents — The built-in Plan sub-agent