Plan a feature before writing any code

This prompt makes the AI act as a tech lead and plan before anyone writes code. You get the approach, the files and data that change, the risks and a step-by-step build order, plus one simpler alternative.

text-code-plan-before-coding — claude — 89 words

Act as a tech lead. Before we write code, help me plan.

Feature: [WHAT AND WHY]
Current system: [SHORT DESCRIPTION OR RELEVANT CODE]
Constraints: [e.g. must ship in 1 week, no new services, must work offline]

Give me: a short summary of the approach, the files and parts that change, the data model changes, risks and unknowns, and a step-by-step build order where each step can be tested on its own. Offer one simpler alternative and say when it would be the better choice. Do not write code yet.

Edit in the builder Copy & open Claude ↗Copy & open ChatGPT ↗Copy & open Claude Code ↗

In Claude Code, use plan mode for this. Agree on the plan, then say "go ahead with step 1".

Get a better result

What you will get

A plan you can review before any code exists: a short summary of the approach, the parts that change, data model changes, risks and unknowns, a step-by-step build order with testable steps and one simpler alternative.

Common mistake

The AI starts writing code anyway.

Fix: Add “stop after the plan and end with: Ready for step 1?” In Claude Code, plan mode keeps the agent from editing files until you agree.

Also watch for

The plan names files and functions that do not exist. A chat tool cannot see your repo. Paste the folder tree and the relevant files, or run the prompt inside an agent that can read the project.
The steps are too big to test separately. Reply “split every step so it ends with a command I can run to see that it works”. A step you cannot check is a step you may have to redo.

Try a variation: review my plan

Paste your own plan and send “find where this plan is most likely to fail, what I have not thought about, and the one step I should do first to find out”. It makes the AI a critic, not an author.

Still not right? Reply with this

Do not write code. Split the plan into steps that each end with a command I can run to check it, and mark which steps depend on files you have not seen.