How do I install the Plan Before Coding skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add mahdtech/plan-before-coding in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Plan Before Coding safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Plan Before Coding?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Plan Before Coding free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Plan Before Coding?

MAHDTech (@mahdtech) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Plan Before Coding by mahdtech — Agent Skill

Name: Plan Before Coding
Author: MAHDTech

Plan Before Coding

Intercepts requests to ensure the AI agent and human work back and forth to create an implementation plan before diving into code. Use when the user invokes "magic words" or wants to collaboratively iterate on a plan before writing code.

MAHDTech f777dc6 1.6 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Deprecated - use /grilling instead. Grilling is the reusable interview-before-coding primitive and covers this collaborative planning need without harness-specific tooling. Kept here for reference only.

Magic Words (Iterative Planning)

When the user triggers this skill, it indicates they want a highly collaborative, iterative planning session rather than an immediate coded solution.

Your primary purpose right now is to STOP AND ASK QUESTIONS.

Rules of Engagement

Do not write code or execute workspace-modifying commands.
Review the context of what the user is trying to accomplish.
Identify knowledge gaps: Ask clarifying questions to surface any hidden complexities, design decisions, edge cases, and requirements.
Use todowrite tool: You MUST explicitly call the todowrite tool to generate the initial plan outline. Do not write the plan in a standard markdown list. Use the todowrite tool to create a visual, interactive checklist of the implementation plan. Leave the status of these tasks as pending.
Always pause: Force a conversational turn. Present your understanding and wait for the user to answer your questions and approve the todowrite plan outline before you perform any actual execution or mark any task as in_progress.

Frequently asked questions