To review a Claude Code plan before approving it, open the plan outside the terminal: press ⌃G to open it in your text editor, or open the Markdown file, saved by default in ~/.claude/plans, in a reader to see it formatted. Then choose "No, keep planning" and paste numbered feedback that quotes each line you want changed.
What is Claude Code plan mode?
Plan mode is Claude Code's "look, don't touch" setting. Claude reads your files, runs commands to explore, and writes a plan, but it doesn't edit your source until you approve (Claude Code docs).
Three ways to turn it on:
- Press ⇧Tab until the status bar shows
⏸ plan mode on. - Start one message with
/plan, for example/plan fix the login bug. - Start a session with
claude --permission-mode plan.
When the plan is ready, Claude asks what to do. This table lists the three choices in the docs (Claude Code docs). If auto mode isn't available to you, the first one reads Yes, auto-accept edits instead.
| Choice | What happens |
|---|---|
| Yes, and use auto mode | Claude starts work, and a safety check reviews each action instead of asking you |
| Yes, manually approve edits | Claude starts work and asks before each edit |
| No, keep planning | Claude stays in plan mode and waits for your changes |
No, keep planning is the one this guide is about. It's where your feedback goes.
Where does Claude Code save the plan file?
Claude Code saves the plan file in ~/.claude/plans unless you changed it. ~ means your home folder, so on most Macs that's /Users/yourname/.claude/plans. The plansDirectory setting moves plans somewhere else, relative to your project folder (Claude Code docs).
The folder is hidden because .claude starts with a dot. In Finder, press ⇧⌘G, paste ~/.claude/plans, and press Return. Plans from every project share this folder, so sort by Date Modified to find the newest.
Claude Code deletes plan files older than 30 days by default (Claude Code docs). Copy a plan into your project if you want to keep it.
More on the hidden folders Claude uses: where Claude saves files on your Mac.
How do I open a Claude Code plan outside the terminal?
To open a Claude Code plan outside the terminal, press ⌃G (Control and G) while the approval question is showing. Claude Code opens the proposed plan "in your default text editor" so you can "edit it directly before Claude proceeds" (Claude Code docs).
That gives you a full window, scrolling that behaves, and the file itself. Whether you see it formatted depends on the editor. A code editor shows the raw Markdown with its # and **.
This table shows the best free way to read the plan, depending on where you run Claude Code.
| Where you run Claude Code | Best free way to read the plan |
|---|---|
| Terminal | ⌃G to open it in your editor, or open the file from ~/.claude/plans in a reader |
| VS Code extension | Built in. VS Code "automatically opens the plan as a full Markdown document where you can add inline comments" (Claude Code docs) |
| Claude desktop app, Code tab | The app has a plan pane you can arrange beside the chat (Claude Code docs) |
If you already run Claude Code inside VS Code, use its built-in plan view. It's free and it's where you already are.
How do I read a Claude Code plan with formatting?
To read a Claude Code plan with formatting, open the plan file in any app that shows Markdown as a page. Headings, numbered steps and tables are much easier to follow than raw symbols in a terminal.
- VS Code: open the file, then press ⇧⌘V for the preview (VS Code docs).
- One Clear Reader: the welcome screen's Latest from your AI list checks
~/.claude/plans, so the plan you just got is near the top. Click it and it opens formatted.
If a .md file opens as symbols when you double-click it, change the default app for .md files.
What's the best way to review a Claude Code plan?
The best way to review a Claude Code plan is two reading passes, then one message back. Here is the whole loop.
- Don't approve yet. Leave the approval question on screen.
- Open the plan formatted. Use ⌃G, VS Code's preview, or a reader.
- Read for shape first. Skim the headings. Which files will it touch? In what order? Does the overall approach match what you asked for?
- Mark lines on a second pass. Go top to bottom. Each time something is wrong, copy the exact words and write what should change.
- Number your points. One point per problem. Numbers let Claude answer each one, and let you check it did.
- Send it back. In the terminal, choose No, keep planning and paste your feedback.
- Read only what changed. Claude rewrites the plan. Check your numbered points were handled, and that nothing else moved. How to see what your AI changed covers ways to spot the edits.
- Approve when it's right. Pick the approve option that matches how closely you want to watch the edits.
Quoting the exact words matters most. "Step 4 is wrong" makes Claude guess which step 4 you mean after it renumbers. A quote can't drift.
Is there a feedback template for Claude Code plans?
Yes, here is a feedback template for Claude Code plans. Paste it into Claude Code after No, keep planning, then fill it in.
Before doing anything, please revise the plan.
1. Quote: "<copy the exact words from the plan>"
Change: <what you want instead>
2. Quote: "<exact words>"
Change: <what you want instead>
3. Quote: "<exact words>"
Question: <something you need answered before approving>
Keep everything else the same. Show me the updated plan,
then list which numbered points you changed and how.The last line is the useful one. It gives you a checklist to match against your own numbers, instead of a vague "Updated the plan!"
What should I check in a Claude Code plan before approving it?
Check a Claude Code plan for anything that is expensive to undo later. Tick these off before you approve:
- Every file it will create, change or delete is named (to do)
- Nothing gets deleted or renamed that you didn't ask about (to do)
- It changes only what you asked for, with no bonus refactors (to do)
- Any assumption it made is one you agree with (to do)
- It says how it will check the work (tests, a build, a manual check) (to do)
- The order makes sense, with risky steps late or reversible (to do)
- Open questions are answered, not left for Claude to guess (to do)
How do I review a Claude Code plan in One Clear Reader?
One Clear Reader turns steps 2 to 7 of the plan review into select, note, copy. Here's the same loop with its real features.
- Open the plan. On the welcome screen, click it in Latest from your AI. Or press ⌘L and paste the plan's path.
- Select the words that are wrong. A small bubble appears. Choose Add note (⌥⌘N), type what should change, and press ⌘Return to save. The words stay highlighted on the page.
- Repeat down the plan. The Review button shows how many notes you have. The Review notes panel lists them, with Show and Remove for each.
- Choose Copy as prompt. It copies one prompt with the plan's file path, each quoted passage and each note. That is the feedback template above, built for you.
- Paste into Claude Code after choosing No, keep planning.
- Watch the revision arrive. The app watches the open file. When Claude rewrites the plan, the page reloads and says how many sections are new or changed since the last refresh. Use Next change to jump between them, or Show only changes to hide the rest.
- Check your notes. A note whose text Claude changed shows "This text has changed", so you can see which points were handled.
Want to keep the review? Save as file writes plan-name.notes.md beside the plan, as readable Markdown. For one quick comment, ⇧⌘C copies the file, the section, your selected text and a "My feedback:" line.
Free users get 3 notes per document. Pro has no limit. Copy as prompt, Save as file and the change markers are in the free version. Review with AI walks through each button.
Other tools do this too, and some go further. Plannotator is free and sends plan notes straight back to Claude Code, with no copy and paste. Peekdown ($4.99) and the free Imark also let you comment and send notes back. Checked 28 September 2026. If you live in VS Code, its built-in plan view may be all you need.
Questions people ask
Where does Claude Code save plans?
Claude Code saves plans in ~/.claude/plans by default, as Markdown files. The plansDirectory setting can point them at a folder inside your project instead.
What does Ctrl+G do in Claude Code plan mode?
Ctrl+G in Claude Code plan mode opens the proposed plan in your default text editor. You can read it in a full window and edit it directly before Claude starts work.
Can I edit the plan file myself instead of giving feedback?
Yes, you can edit a Claude Code plan file yourself. Press Control and G at the approval question and change the plan in your editor. Feedback in a message is better when you want Claude to rethink its approach, since it explains why.
How do I tell Claude what to change without approving the plan?
Choose "No, keep planning" at the approval question. Claude stays in plan mode, reads your message, and writes a revised plan.
Why is my old plan missing from ~/.claude/plans?
Claude Code deletes plan files older than the cleanupPeriodDays setting, which is 30 days by default. Copy plans you want to keep into your project.
Do I need VS Code to review a Claude Code plan?
No, you don't need VS Code to review a Claude Code plan. Any text editor opened with Control and G works, and any Markdown reader can show the plan formatted. If you already use the Claude Code extension in VS Code, its plan view has inline comments built in.