> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.useshape.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Plan

> Agree on the steps before Shape edits files.

Use Plan when the work is large enough that you want to see the steps first. A rename in one file does not need Plan. A new settings page across several files does.

## What it writes

Plan writes the approach into `.shape/plans/` and shows it in the thread. It does not start editing until you continue.

The plan is a file you can read and change. If a step is wrong, fix it in the thread before you build.

## How to run it

1. Switch the composer to **Plan**.
2. Describe the change in the same way you would in Code. Include the goal, the files you know about, and anything that must not change.
3. Wait for the plan in the thread.
4. Edit the plan if a step is off. Say which step and why.
5. Continue when you want Shape to build it.

If you already know the change is one file, skip Plan and use [Code](/docs/agent/overview).

## What to put in the request

Good Plan prompts name the outcome and the limits:

* “Add a password field to account settings. Do not change billing.”
* “Split the homepage hero into its own component. Keep the current copy.”

Weak prompts skip the limit. Shape will fill in the blanks, and you will spend a turn undoing that.

## After you continue

Building uses the plan as the checklist. If the implementation drifts, say so in the same thread. Start a new Plan only if the goal itself changed.

When the build is done, read the diffs the same way you would after Code. Keep or skip each file. Commit when you are ready. See [Commits](/git/commits).


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