By default Claude can start editing files as soon as you send a prompt. If its first guess is wrong, you pay for the re-work. Anthropic's cost guide points to plan mode for complex tasks: Claude explores and proposes an approach for your approval first, which the docs say prevents expensive re-work when the initial direction is wrong.
Step 1: turn plan mode on
- Press Shift+Tab until the status bar under the prompt says "plan mode on". The cycle runs manual, accept edits, plan.
- Or start a single prompt with /plan.
- Or start a whole session in it with: claude --permission-mode plan
- Press Shift+Tab again to leave plan mode without approving a plan.
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