Planning with Files

---
name: planning-with-files
description: "Manus-style persistent file-based planning for AI coding agents: keeps task_plan.md, findings.md, and progress.md on disk so work survives context loss and /clear. Use when asked to plan out, break down, or organize a multi-step project, research task, or any work requiring 5+ tool calls. Supports automatic session recovery after /clear."
user-invocable: true
allowed-tools: "Read Write Edit Bash Glob Grep"
hooks:
  UserPromptSubmit:
    - hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "SH=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/inject-plan.sh\"; [ -f \"$SH\" ] || SH=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/inject-plan.sh\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/inject-plan.sh\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); [ -n \"$SH\" ] && [ -f \"$SH\" ] && sh \"$SH\" --context=userprompt; exit 0"
  PreToolUse:
    - matcher: "Write|Edit|Bash|Read|Glob|Grep"
      hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "SH=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/inject-plan.sh\"; [ -f \"$SH\" ] || SH=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/inject-plan.sh\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/inject-plan.sh\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); [ -n \"$SH\" ] && [ -f \"$SH\" ] && sh \"$SH\" --context=pretool; exit 0"
  PostToolUse:
    - matcher: "Write|Edit"
      hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "if [ -f task_plan.md ] || [ -f .planning/.active_plan ] || ls .planning/*/task_plan.md >/dev/null 2>&1; then echo '[planning-with-files] Update progress.md with what you just did. If a phase is now complete, update task_plan.md status.'; fi"
  Stop:
    - hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "PS1_T=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/check-complete.ps1\"; [ -f \"$PS1_T\" ] || PS1_T=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/check-complete.ps1\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/check-complete.ps1\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); SH_T=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/gate-stop.sh\"; [ -f \"$SH_T\" ] || SH_T=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/gate-stop.sh\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/gate-stop.sh\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); case \"$(uname -s 2>/dev/null)\" in MINGW*|MSYS*|CYGWIN*) if [ -n \"$PS1_T\" ] && [ -f \"$PS1_T\" ]; then powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -File \"$PS1_T\" -Gate 2>/dev/null; elif [ -n \"$SH_T\" ] && [ -f \"$SH_T\" ]; then sh \"$SH_T\" 2>/dev/null; fi ;; *) if [ -n \"$SH_T\" ] && [ -f \"$SH_T\" ]; then sh \"$SH_T\" 2>/dev/null; elif [ -n \"$PS1_T\" ] && [ -f \"$PS1_T\" ]; then powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -File \"$PS1_T\" -Gate 2>/dev/null; fi ;; esac; exit 0"
  PreCompact:
    - matcher: "*"
      hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "SH=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/inject-plan.sh\"; [ -f \"$SH\" ] || SH=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/inject-plan.sh\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/inject-plan.sh\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); [ -n \"$SH\" ] && [ -f \"$SH\" ] && sh \"$SH\" --context=precompact; exit 0"
metadata:
  version: "3.9.0"
---

# Planning with Files

Work like Manus: Use persistent markdown files as your "working memory on disk."

## FIRST: Restore Context (v2.2.0)

**Before doing anything else**, check if planning files exist and read them:

1. If `task_plan.md` exists, read `task_plan.md`, `progress.md`, and `findings.md` immediately.
2. Then check for unsynced context from a previous session:

```bash
# Linux/macOS — auto-detects skill directory (plugin env or default install path)
SKILL_DIR="${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files}"
$(command -v python3 || command -v python) "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/session-catchup.py" "$(pwd)"
```

```powershell
# Windows PowerShell
& (Get-Command python -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Source "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\skills\planning-with-files\scripts\session-catchup.py" (Get-Location)
```

If catchup report shows unsynced context:
1. Run `git diff --stat` to see actual code changes
2. Read current planning files
3. Update planning files based on catchup + git diff
4. Then proceed with task

## Important: Where Files Go

- **Templates** are in `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/`
- **Your planning files** go in **your project directory**

| Location | What Goes There |
|----------|-----------------|
| Skill directory (`${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/`) | Templates, scripts, reference docs |
| Your project directory | `task_plan.md`, `findings.md`, `progress.md` |

## Quick Start

Before ANY complex task:

1. **Create `task_plan.md`** — Use [templates/task_plan.md](templates/task_plan.md) as reference
2. **Create `findings.md`** — Use [templates/findings.md](templates/findings.md) as reference
3. **Create `progress.md`** — Use [templates/progress.md](templates/progress.md) as reference
4. **Re-read plan before decisions** — Refreshes goals in attention window
5. **Update after each phase** — Mark complete, log errors

> **Note:** Planning files go in your project root, not the skill installation folder.

## The Core Pattern

```
Context Window = RAM (volatile, limited)
Filesystem = Disk (persistent, unlimited)

→ Anything important gets written to disk.
```

## File Purposes

| File | Purpose | When to Update |
|------|---------|----------------|
| `task_plan.md` | Phases, progress, decisions | After each phase |
| `findings.md` | Research, discoveries | After ANY discovery |
| `progress.md` | Session log, test results | Throughout session |

## Critical Rules

### 1. Create Plan First
Never start a complex task without `task_plan.md`. Non-negotiable.

### 2. The 2-Action Rule
> "After every 2 view/browser/search operations, IMMEDIATELY save key findings to text files."

This prevents visual/multimodal information from being lost.

### 3. Read Before Decide
Before major decisions, read the plan file. This keeps goals in your attention window.

### 4. Update After Act
After completing any phase:
- Mark phase status: `in_progress` → `complete`
- Log any errors encountered
- Note files created/modified

Whenever a phase status changes, also refresh `## Next Step` in `task_plan.md` so it names the single next action.

### 5. Log ALL Errors
Every error goes in the plan file. This builds knowledge and prevents repetition.

```markdown
## Errors Encountered
| Error | Attempt | Resolution |
|-------|---------|------------|
| FileNotFoundError | 1 | Created default config |
| API timeout | 2 | Added retry logic |
```

### 6. Never Repeat Failures
```
if action_failed:
    next_action != same_action
```
Track what you tried. Mutate the approach.

### 7. Continue After Completion
When all phases are done but the user requests additional work:
- Add new phases to `task_plan.md` (e.g., Phase 6, Phase 7)
- Log a new session entry in `progress.md`
- Continue the planning workflow as normal

## The 3-Strike Error Protocol

```
ATTEMPT 1: Diagnose & Fix
  → Read error carefully
  → Identify root cause
  → Apply targeted fix

ATTEMPT 2: Alternative Approach
  → Same error? Try different method
  → Different tool? Different library?
  → NEVER repeat exact same failing action

ATTEMPT 3: Broader Rethink
  → Question assumptions
  → Search for solutions
  → Consider updating the plan

AFTER 3 FAILURES: Escalate to User
  → Explain what you tried
  → Share the specific error
  → Ask for guidance
```

## Read vs Write Decision Matrix

| Situation | Action | Reason |
|-----------|--------|--------|
| Just wrote a file | DON'T read | Content still in context |
| Viewed image/PDF | Write findings NOW | Multimodal → text before lost |
| Browser returned data | Write to file | Screenshots don't persist |
| Starting new phase | Read plan/findings | Re-orient if context stale |
| Error occurred | Read relevant file | Need current state to fix |
| Resuming after gap | Read all planning files | Recover state |

## The 5-Question Reboot Test

If you can answer these, your context management is solid:

| Question | Answer Source |
|----------|---------------|
| Where am I? | Current phase in task_plan.md |
| Where am I going? | Remaining phases |
| What's the goal? | Goal statement in plan |
| What have I learned? | findings.md |
| What have I done? | progress.md |
| What am I about to do? | Next Step in task_plan.md |

## When to Use This Pattern

**Use for:**
- Multi-step tasks (3+ steps)
- Research tasks
- Building/creating projects
- Tasks spanning many tool calls
- Anything requiring organization

**Skip for:**
- Simple questions
- Single-file edits
- Quick lookups

## Templates

Copy these templates to start:

- [templates/task_plan.md](templates/task_plan.md) — Phase tracking
- [templates/findings.md](templates/findings.md) — Research storage
- [templates/progress.md](templates/progress.md) — Session logging

## Scripts

Helper scripts for automation:

- `scripts/init-session.sh` — Initialize planning files. With a name arg, creates an isolated plan under `.planning/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>/` for parallel task workflows. Without args, writes `task_plan.md` at project root (legacy mode, backward-compatible).
- `scripts/set-active-plan.sh` — Switch the active plan pointer (`.planning/.active_plan`). Run with a plan ID to switch; run without args to show which plan is current.
- `scripts/resolve-plan-dir.sh` — Resolve the active plan directory. Checks `$PLAN_ID` env var first, then `.planning/.active_plan`, then newest plan dir by mtime, then falls back to project root (legacy). Used internally by hooks.
- `scripts/check-complete.sh` — Verify all phases in the active plan are complete.
- `scripts/session-catchup.py` — Recover context from a previous session after `/clear` (v2.2.0).
- `scripts/attest-plan.sh` (and `.ps1`) — Lock the current `task_plan.md` content with a SHA-256 attestation (v2.37.0). Hooks then refuse to inject plan content if the file diverges from the attested hash. Use `--show` to print the stored hash, `--clear` to remove the attestation. See `/plan-attest` command.
- `scripts/plan-doctor.sh` — One-pass self-check for the mechanisms that fail silently (v3.6.0): plan resolution, hook injection, canonicalizer path shape, attestation state, install surfaces, per-fire hook latency. Run it whenever hooks seem quiet or after installing on a new machine. See `/plan-doctor` command.

### Parallel task workflow

When working on multiple tasks in the same repo simultaneously:

```bash
# Start task A
./scripts/init-session.sh "Backend Refactor"
# → .planning/2026-01-10-backend-refactor/task_plan.md

# Start task B in a second terminal
./scripts/init-session.sh "Incident Investigation"
# → .planning/2026-01-10-incident-investigation/task_plan.md

# Switch active plan
./scripts/set-active-plan.sh 2026-01-10-backend-refactor

# Or pin a terminal to a specific plan
export PLAN_ID=2026-01-10-backend-refactor

# Or pin a thread to a project root, when the shell's cwd is somewhere else
export PWF_PLAN_ROOT=/workspace/project
```

Each session reads from its own isolated plan directory. Hooks resolve the correct plan automatically.

### Shared parent directories (v3.9.0)

`PLAN_ID` is a slug resolved against the current directory, so it can only ever name a plan under `$(pwd)/.planning`. When an agent thread runs with its cwd at a shared parent (`/workspace`) while the real work lives in a nested project (`/workspace/project`), the parent's plan is the only one the hooks can see, and it used to be injected on every fire. `PWF_PLAN_ROOT` takes an absolute path and pins resolution to that root regardless of where the cwd sits. A pin that does not resolve stops injection rather than falling back.

When no pin is set, the plan was picked by the `.active_plan` pointer or by the newest plan directory, and a project directly below the root carries its own planning state, the hooks treat that as ambiguous and inject nothing:

```
[planning-with-files] Ambiguous plan: this cwd has an active plan and a nested
project below it has its own (project). Nothing injected. Pin the thread with
PWF_PLAN_ROOT=<absolute path> or PLAN_ID=<slug>.
```

Naming the plan explicitly, with either variable or an attached session, skips that check. Detection looks one directory deep, so a project nested further down is not detected.
- `scripts/session-catchup.py` — Recover context from previous session (v2.2.0). For OpenCode (v2.38.0+), reads the new SQLite store at `${XDG_DATA_HOME:-~/.local/share}/opencode/opencode.db` instead of the legacy JSON tree.

## Claude Code Turn-Loop Integration (v2.38.0+)

Claude Code shipped three new turn-loop primitives in May 2026: `/loop` (v2.1.72), `/goal` (v2.1.139), and the `PreCompact` hook event. v2.38.0 wires the planning workflow into all three.

### Install scope: plugin vs skill-only (v2.42.0 clarification)

Not every install path ships every surface in this section. Two distinct install routes exist:

| Install route | What you get | `/plan-goal`, `/plan-loop` available? |
|---|---|---|
| `/plugin marketplace add OthmanAdi/planning-with-files` then `/plugin install` | SKILL.md, scripts, templates, **plus `commands/` folder** | Yes, as `/plan-goal` and `/plan-loop` |
| `npx skills add OthmanAdi/planning-with-files` (or ClawHub) | SKILL.md, scripts, templates only | No, follow the manual fallback below |

The PreCompact hook is registered in the SKILL.md frontmatter and works for both routes. The `/plan-goal` and `/plan-loop` slash commands live in `commands/` at the repo root, which only the plugin route copies into `~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/`. Skill-only installs land at `~/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/` and do not see `commands/`.

Both slash commands also carry `disable-model-invocation: true`, which means the model will not auto-trigger them. You type them. Per known Claude Code behavior (anthropics/claude-code issues #26251, #41417), some sessions interpret `disable-model-invocation: true` as "I cannot use the Skill tool for this entry at all" and refuse to fire even when you type the slash. If that happens, the manual fallback below produces the same effect.

### PreCompact hook (auto)

The skill registers a `PreCompact` hook with matcher `"*"`. It fires on both `/compact` (manual) and autoCompact (context-full). When `task_plan.md` is present, the hook:

- Reminds the agent to flush in-context progress to `progress.md` before compaction completes.
- Prints `Plan-SHA256` if an attestation is set, so the post-compaction agent can verify the plan is still the one you approved.
- Stays silent when no plan exists. Exit code 0 always — never blocks compaction.

Compaction still proceeds. The protection model is "the plan is on disk, the plan will be re-read after compaction" — not "the plan survives compaction unchanged in context."

### `/plan-goal` slash command

Composes with Claude Code's `/goal`. Derives a goal condition from the active plan and forwards it to `/goal`, so the agent keeps working until the plan file actually reports complete.

```
/plan-goal                                # default: "all phases report Status: complete"
/plan-goal until all tests pass           # appends user clause to default
```

`/plan-goal` does not replace `/goal`. `/goal "anything"` still works.

### `/plan-loop` slash command

Composes with Claude Code's `/loop`. Default 10-minute tick re-reads the planning files, runs `check-complete`, and writes a `progress.md` entry if nothing changed since the last tick.

```
/plan-loop                                # default 10m cadence, default tick prompt
/plan-loop 5m                             # override interval
/plan-loop 15m custom prompt              # override interval + prompt
```

For a "babysit until done" workflow, combine `/plan-loop` (cadence) with `/plan-goal` (termination criterion).

### Manual fallback when `/plan-goal` / `/plan-loop` are unavailable (v2.42.0)


<!-- truncated — see the upstream repository for the complete SKILL.md -->