explore-plan-code

Explore-Plan-Code Skill

Trigger

Use when starting any non-trivial implementation task. This workflow prevents premature coding and significantly improves outcomes for complex problems.

The Insight

From Anthropic's Claude Code best practices: "Research and planning before implementation dramatically outperforms jumping to code."

The Anti-Pattern

Jumping straight to writing code without understanding:

• What files are involved
• How existing code works
• What patterns are already established
• What the full scope of changes will be

The Workflow

Phase 1: Explore

Read relevant files first without writing any code.

Read the authentication module and understand how sessions are currently handled.
Don't write any code yet.

Key activities:

• Read existing implementations of similar features
• Understand the data flow
• Identify all files that will need changes
• Note existing patterns and conventions

Phase 2: Plan

Request a detailed plan. Use "think" to trigger extended reasoning.

Think through how we should implement the new caching layer.
Consider:
- What components need to change
- What order to make changes
- What could go wrong
- How to test each part

Write out a detailed plan before any implementation.

The plan should include:

• Files to modify (in order)
• New files to create
• Key implementation decisions
• Testing strategy
• Rollback approach if something breaks

Phase 3: Approve

Review the plan. Ask questions. Identify risks.

Don't proceed until you're confident the plan is sound.

Questions to ask:

• Does this cover all edge cases?
• Is this the simplest approach?
• What could go wrong?
• How will we verify it works?

Phase 4: Code

Now implement, following the approved plan.

Implement the plan we discussed. Start with [first file] and work through the list.

Benefits of coding after planning:

• Fewer false starts
• Less context wasted on wrong approaches
• Clear stopping points
• Easier to course-correct

Phase 5: Commit

Review changes, write clear commit message, verify tests pass.

Template Prompt

## Task: [Description]

### Phase 1: Explore
Please read and understand these files before doing anything else:
- [file1]
- [file2]
- [relevant directory]

Summarize how [relevant system] currently works.

### Phase 2: Plan
Think through the implementation approach. Write a detailed plan including:
- Files to modify
- Order of changes
- Testing approach
- Potential risks

### Phase 3: Wait for Approval
Stop after the plan. I'll review before you implement.

When to Use Each Phase

Task Complexity	Explore	Plan	Approve	Code
Trivial fix	Skip	Skip	Skip	Do
Simple feature	Brief	Brief	Quick	Do
Complex feature	Thorough	Detailed	Careful	Do
Architecture change	Deep	Comprehensive	Multiple reviews	Do

Why This Works

• Exploration builds accurate mental model
• Planning catches issues before they're coded
• Approval creates checkpoint for course correction
• Coding becomes execution of known-good plan