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Planning with Files

Keeps task_plan.md, findings.md, and progress.md on disk so the agent never loses its goal or progress across long, multi-step work.

AutomationIntermediate★ 27,074⑂ 2,254AI score 10/10Last updated: Sep 22, 2026

What it does

Brings the Manus-style "working memory on disk" pattern to Claude Code: the context window is RAM, the filesystem is disk.

  • Creates task_plan.md (phases and decisions), findings.md (research), and progress.md (session log) in your project directory
  • Lifecycle hooks (UserPromptSubmit, PreToolUse, PostToolUse, PreCompact, Stop) inject the current plan back into context automatically
  • Helper scripts: init-session.sh, check-complete.sh, set-active-plan.sh --list, and session-catchup.py --metadata/--replay for resuming past sessions
  • Concrete operating rules: the 2-Action save rule, the 3-Strike error protocol, a read-vs-write decision matrix, and an anti-pattern table

Who it's for

  • Anyone running research, refactors, or greenfield builds that take 5+ tool calls
  • Users frustrated by lost context after compaction or a closed session
  • Teams running parallel tasks who need separate plans pinned via PLAN_ID or git worktrees

Examples

  1. "Migrate the billing module to Stripe" → a phased task_plan.md is written first, and each phase flips to complete as work lands.
  2. A 20-source research sweep → findings are flushed to findings.md every two lookups, so nothing is lost when context fills up.
  3. Resuming yesterday's work → run session-catchup.py --metadata and set-active-plan.sh --list to pick the right plan and continue.

· · · Install guide · · ·

Try it now, no install

Paste this into Claude to use the skill without installing anything.

Read the instructions in this file and follow them to help me:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OthmanAdi/planning-with-files/HEAD/.codebuddy/skills/planning-with-files/SKILL.md

What I want: (describe your task here)

If Claude can't open the link, open it yourself and paste the contents instead.

↓ If it works for you, download the ZIP below and install it. Then it runs on its own — no pasting each time.

Install in the Claude app (no terminal)
  1. Download the ZIP with the button below.
  2. In Claude, open Settings → Capabilities and turn on 'Code execution and file creation'. (one time)
  3. Go to Customize → Skills → + → 'Upload a skill' and upload the ZIP.
↓ Download ZIP
Install in Claude Code

Let Claude do it — paste this into Claude Code

Install the skill I found on Claude Skill Mart.
Copy the .codebuddy/skills/planning-with-files folder from the GitHub repo OthmanAdi/planning-with-files into my ~/.claude/skills/othmanadi-planning-with-files/.
When it's done, tell me in one line what this skill can do.

Install with a command instead

git clone https://github.com/OthmanAdi/planning-with-files.git /tmp/pwf && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r /tmp/pwf/.codebuddy/skills/planning-with-files ~/.claude/skills/ && rm -rf /tmp/pwf

⚠ This is a third-party skill. Check the source repository before installing.

  1. Open a terminal.
  2. Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/OthmanAdi/planning-with-files.git /tmp/pwf
  3. Create the skills folder: mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
  4. Copy the skill: cp -r /tmp/pwf/.codebuddy/skills/planning-with-files ~/.claude/skills/
  5. Make scripts executable: chmod +x ~/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/*.sh
  6. Verify Python is available with python3 --version (needed by the session-catchup script).
  7. If you installed elsewhere, export PWF_SCRIPT_DIR pointing at the skill's scripts directory so the hooks resolve.
  8. Restart Claude Code, cd into a project root, and ask it to "plan this before starting" to confirm the plan files appear.
View source on GitHub ↗License: MIT