# How to review a Claude Code plan before approving it

> Where Claude Code saves plan files, how to open a plan outside the terminal, and a review workflow with a feedback prompt you can copy.

Source: https://oneclearreader.com/guides/review-claude-code-plan · Updated 28 September 2026 · One Clear Reader (Northlight Group Pty Ltd)

> [!answer] 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](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/permission-modes#analyze-before-you-edit-with-plan-mode)).

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](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/permission-modes#review-and-approve-a-plan)). 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](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/settings-reference#plansdirectory)).

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.

> [!note] Claude Code deletes plan files older than 30 days by default ([Claude Code docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/claude-directory)). 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](/guides/where-claude-saves-files-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](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/permission-modes#review-and-approve-a-plan)).

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](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/vs-code)) |
| Claude desktop app, Code tab | The app has a plan pane you can arrange beside the chat ([Claude Code docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop)) |

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](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/languages/markdown)).
- **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](/guides/change-default-app-md-mac).

## 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.

1. **Don't approve yet.** Leave the approval question on screen.
2. **Open the plan formatted.** Use ⌃G, VS Code's preview, or a reader.
3. **Read for shape first.** Skim the headings. Which files will it touch? In what order? Does the overall approach match what you asked for?
4. **Mark lines on a second pass.** Go top to bottom. Each time something is wrong, copy the exact words and write what should change.
5. **Number your points.** One point per problem. Numbers let Claude answer each one, and let you check it did.
6. **Send it back.** In the terminal, choose **No, keep planning** and paste your feedback.
7. **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](/guides/see-what-ai-changed) covers ways to spot the edits.
8. **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.

```text
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!"

> [!scribble] quote the words. never say "step 4".

## 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
- [ ] Nothing gets deleted or renamed that you didn't ask about
- [ ] It changes only what you asked for, with no bonus refactors
- [ ] Any assumption it made is one you agree with
- [ ] It says how it will check the work (tests, a build, a manual check)
- [ ] The order makes sense, with risky steps late or reversible
- [ ] Open questions are answered, not left for Claude to guess

## 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.

1. **Open the plan.** On the welcome screen, click it in **Latest from your AI**. Or press ⌘L and paste the plan's path.
2. **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.
3. **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.
4. **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.
5. **Paste into Claude Code** after choosing **No, keep planning**.
6. **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.
7. **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](/help/review-with-ai) walks through each button.

> [!note] 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

### 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.