Plan Generation

Guide for generating high-quality plans from meta-prompt templates.

When to Use

• Generating plans from /chore, /bug, /feature templates
• Reviewing generated plans for completeness
• Ensuring plans follow team standards
• Improving plan quality and specificity

Plan Generation Process

Step 1: Understand the Request

Parse the high-level description:

Input: "Add user authentication with OAuth"

Extract:
- Domain: Authentication
- Scope: User-facing, OAuth protocol
- Complexity: Medium-high (external integration)

Step 2: Activate Reasoning

Use extended thinking for complex planning:

THINK HARD about:
- What files need to change?
- What are the dependencies?
- What could go wrong?
- How will we verify success?

Step 3: Explore the Codebase

Gather context before planning:

• Read README for project structure
• Identify relevant existing patterns
• Find test examples to follow
• Locate configuration files

Step 4: Fill the Template

Complete every section with specifics:

## Relevant Files
- src/auth/OAuthProvider.ts (create)
- src/auth/index.ts (modify - add export)
- src/config/oauth.ts (create)
- tests/auth/oauth.test.ts (create)

Step 5: Validate Plan Quality

Check against quality criteria before finalizing.

Quality Criteria

Every plan should meet these standards:

Specificity

Bad: "Update the component" Good: "Update UserProfile.tsx to add loading state on line 45"

Actionability

Bad: "Handle errors appropriately" Good: "Add try/catch in fetchUser(), log errors with console.error, show ErrorBoundary"

Completeness

All template sections filled:

• Description explains what and why
• Relevant Files lists all files to touch
• Tasks are numbered and specific
• Validation Commands are executable
• Notes capture edge cases

Testability

Every plan must include validation:

## Validation Commands

- Run `npm test -- auth` to verify unit tests pass
- Run `npm run e2e -- oauth` to verify integration
- Manual: Complete OAuth flow in browser

Plan Types and Focus Areas

Chore Plans

Focus on:

• Clear scope boundaries
• Idempotent operations
• Low-risk execution
• Quick validation

Bug Plans

Focus on:

• Root cause analysis
• Reproduction steps
• Regression prevention
• Before/after verification

Feature Plans

Focus on:

• User story alignment
• Implementation phases
• Testing strategy
• Acceptance criteria

Common Issues and Fixes

Vague Tasks

Problem: "Implement the feature" Fix: Break into specific sub-tasks with file references

## Step by Step Tasks
1. Create AuthContext in src/contexts/AuthContext.tsx
2. Add useAuth hook in src/hooks/useAuth.ts
3. Wrap App component with AuthProvider in src/App.tsx
4. Add login route in src/routes/index.tsx

Missing Files

Problem: Plan doesn't mention test files Fix: Always include test file creation/modification

## Relevant Files
- src/components/Login.tsx (create)
- src/components/Login.test.tsx (create) # Tests!

Unclear Validation

Problem: "Make sure it works" Fix: Specific commands with expected outcomes

## Validation Commands
- Run `npm test` - expect 0 failures
- Run `npm run build` - expect successful build
- Run `npm run lint` - expect 0 errors

Scope Creep

Problem: Plan addresses more than requested Fix: Stay focused on original request, note related work in Notes

## Notes
- Related: Login form could use accessibility improvements (separate chore)
- Related: Password reset flow needs similar OAuth option (separate feature)

Extended Thinking Triggers

Note: Extended thinking is enabled by default in Claude Code (31,999 tokens). Phrases like "think", "think hard", "ultrathink" are prompt instructions that signal your expectations but don't control token allocation. Use Alt+T to toggle thinking or MAX_THINKING_TOKENS to adjust budget.

Use "THINK HARD" in meta-prompts as a prompt instruction to signal the need for careful reasoning:

Phrase	When to Use
"THINK HARD"	Medium-to-high complexity, encourage careful reasoning

Output Guidelines

Naming Convention

specs/[type]-[descriptive-name].md

Examples:
- specs/chore-update-dependencies.md
- specs/bug-fix-login-race-condition.md
- specs/feature-oauth-authentication.md

File Location

Always write plans to specs/ directory (or project-specific equivalent).

Format Consistency

Match the template's Plan Format exactly - don't add or remove sections.

Related Memory Files

• @template-engineering.md - How templates work
• @meta-prompt-patterns.md - Prompt hierarchy
• @plan-format-guide.md - Standard plan structures
• @fresh-agent-rationale.md - Why plan then implement separately

Version History

• v1.0.0 (2025-12-26): Initial release

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Last Updated

Date: 2025-12-26 Model: claude-opus-4-5-20251101