Cursor adds Plan Mode to steer long-horizon coding work
Cursor introduced Plan Mode to give agents a stronger research and specification phase before generating code for multi-step tasks. The update leans on the observation that the latest frontier models perform better at long-horizon tasks when guided by a clear plan; Plan Mode aims to supply that guidance by having the agent study the codebase and produce an editable spec.
How Plan Mode works
When the agent is prompted in Plan Mode, it conducts deep research into the repository: reading files, reviewing documentation, and posing clarifying questions. After alignment on an approach, the agent produces a complete markdown plan that includes relevant code snippets, file paths, and implementation details. That plan is presented inside an interactive editor where developers can edit steps, add or remove to-dos, and refine the spec before any implementation begins.
Key features:
- Deep codebase research — reading files and docs to inform the plan.
- Clarifying questions — the agent requests additional details to reduce ambiguity.
- Editable markdown spec — the agent generates a plan with snippets and paths that is modifiable inline.
- Repository persistence — plans can be saved in the repository for future reference and collaboration.
How to use Plan Mode
- Open Plan Mode with Shift + Tab from the prompt input, or accept it when Cursor suggests it automatically for complex tasks.
- Respond to the agent’s clarifying questions so the proposed plan matches project requirements.
- Review and edit the implementation steps the agent proposes in the interactive plan editor.
- When ready, build directly from the plan; plans can also be saved in the repo to serve as documentation or a handoff artifact.
Plan Mode is positioned to bring stronger research and clearer direction to multi-step coding tasks by separating spec creation from implementation. The workflow encourages alignment on a detailed plan before code is produced, and the ability to save that plan in the repository supports team collaboration and future reference.
Documentation for Plan Mode is available at the Cursor docs: https://cursor.com/docs/agent/modes#plan
Original source: https://cursor.com/blog/plan-mode
