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Plan Mode & Ask Mode
Think Before You Build
The agent input has a mode picker - press Shift+Tab to rotate between Agent, Plan, and Ask, or use the dropdown / Ctrl+. menu. Choosing the right mode is the difference between a surgical change and an expensive wrong turn.
Plan Mode
In Plan Mode, the agent doesn't write code. Instead it:
- Researches your codebase - reads the relevant files and understands the architecture
- Asks clarifying questions when the requirements are ambiguous
- Generates a structured plan you can review and edit before anything runs
Plans are saved to your home directory by default, with a "Save to workspace" option to keep them in the repo. Once you approve the plan, the agent executes it step by step.
Ask Mode
Ask Mode is read-only: the agent can search and read your codebase but cannot modify files or run state-changing commands. It's the safe mode for onboarding onto an unfamiliar codebase, architecture discussions, and code archaeology.
Choosing a Mode
| Situation | Mode | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small, well-defined change | Agent | Just do it - checkpoints have your back |
| Large feature or refactor | Plan | Align on approach before spending compute |
| "How does X work?" | Ask | Zero risk of accidental modifications |
Pro Tip: For anything touching more than a handful of files, Plan first. Editing a plan takes seconds; unwinding a wrong 40-file refactor takes much longer - and a reviewed plan doubles as documentation for your PR.
SYNAPSE VERIFICATION
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How do you switch between Agent, Plan, and Ask modes?
Restart Cursor
Press Shift+Tab to rotate modes, or use the mode picker dropdown
Edit settings.json
It's automatic only