Review, Edit and Save Plans
A good plan is reusable team context, not a disposable preamble.
Use the right surface
After this you can pick Plan Mode artifacts for the right job and define done.
Done means the plan can be reviewed, edited, saved and used as the implementation contract.
Use planning when a change needs research, files, checks and risk called out before edits begin.
Use Plan Mode artifacts when you need to hand work across time, teammates or agents. Keep the boundary narrow.
Start small. Name the job, attach the context that proves the point and decide what evidence would make the output trustworthy.
Read the loop before touching the controls. The first beat frames the work, the second uses Cursor, the third checks the result and the fourth leaves a handoff someone else can inspect.
Interactive diagram. Tab through its regions; each focused region shows its detail in the panel below.
Run this loop in a real repo.
- Entry point
- Plan review and saved plan workflow
- Source
- Plan Mode docs, skills docs and working-with-agents guidance
Use the source as the product reference.
Ask Cursor for an output you can inspect.
If the output cannot be checked, narrow the task before you continue.
A good run leaves a file, setting, screenshot, command result or written claim you can verify.
Takeaway. Done means the plan can be reviewed, edited, saved and used as the implementation contract.
Self-check
QWhen should you reach for Plan Mode artifacts?
Run it
After this you can do the task with clear scope and one proof point.
Treat this as a short practice loop, not a product tour. The task should be small enough that you can inspect the result without trusting the summary.
- 1Read the plan like a mini design doc, then prune steps that do not serve the task; it is editable Markdown that costs zero tokens to edit.
- 2Add test, lint or manual verification gates.
- 3Carry a reusable plan to another repo with the instruction Do not reference local files. Reference methodologies. so it stays tool-agnostic.
- 4Save the plan when it will guide future work or team review.
The exercise is complete only when the proof matches the requested outcome. If the proof is weak, reduce the scope or fix the context instead of adding more instructions.
Keep the task small enough to review.
The plan reads as tool-agnostic Markdown a teammate could run in a different repo.
Takeaway. Stop when you have proof: Every step has an owner: Agent, human or external system..
Self-check
QWhich habit makes this workflow safe to use on a real project?
Check it
After this you can find the first failed check before changing tools.
Verification decides the next move.
Interactive diagram. Tab through its regions; each focused region shows its detail in the panel below.
Pick a row to see what to look for.
Use the first failure signal as the next prompt. Broad retries usually make the run noisier; a narrow retry gives Cursor a concrete repair target.
No proof means more checking.
Use a real repo or admin setting. Save the prompt, context and proof.
Takeaway. If it fails, find the first failed check.
Self-check
QThe workflow failed. What is the best first move?