Plan When the Approach or Consequences Are Unclear

A one-line change can alter authorization for every user. A hundred-line generated update can be routine. Diff length is a poor substitute for understanding consequences.

Use Plan Mode when the approach, dependencies or permitted effects are unclear. Start with claude --permission-mode plan, or cycle modes until the status indicator confirms it. A prompt that merely says 'plan first' is not the same mode selection.

Ask for the current behavior, proposed change, affected interfaces and checks that would reveal a regression. Review those decisions before allowing implementation.

For a small, understood and reversible edit, a separate planning exchange may add little. Keep the necessary verification either way. The documented workflow separates exploration from editing; your judgment determines how much planning the actual risk warrants.