Planning with Files
Keeps task_plan.md, findings.md and progress.md on disk so an agent's multi-step work survives /clear, compaction and context loss.
What it does
Brings the Manus-style "working memory on disk" pattern to Claude Code. Before any complex task it creates task_plan.md (phases and status), findings.md (research) and progress.md (session log) in your project root, then enforces updates after every phase.
- Automatic context injection: UserPromptSubmit, PreToolUse and PreCompact hooks re-inject the plan head so the agent stays on goal.
- Session recovery: after
/clear,session-catchup.pyfinds unsynced context and reconciles it withgit diff. - 3-strike error protocol: never repeat a failing action, escalate to the user after three attempts.
- Parallel plans: isolated
.planning/<date-slug>/directories, pinned viaPLAN_IDorPWF_PLAN_ROOT. - Safety layers: plan content is wrapped in BEGIN/END data delimiters, and SHA-256 attestation blocks injection if the plan file is modified outside the approved flow.
Who it's for
- Anyone running long agent sessions (refactors, migrations, builds) with dozens of tool calls
- Users frustrated by agents losing the goal after auto-compaction
- Researchers who want findings written to files, not buried in chat scrollback
- Teams juggling several concurrent work threads in one repository
Examples
- Large refactor:
init-session.sh "Backend Refactor"creates a six-phase plan; even after/clear, the next turn re-reads the plan and picks up where it left off. - Long research task: the 2-action rule forces findings to
findings.mdafter every two view/search operations, so screenshot and PDF content becomes durable text. - Unattended run:
init-session.sh --gated "Build Pipeline"enables the completion gate so the agent won't stop while a phase is still in_progress, with a block cap and stall detection as guardrails.
· · · 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/.pi/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)
- Download the ZIP with the button below.
- In Claude, open Settings → Capabilities and turn on 'Code execution and file creation'. (one time)
- Go to Customize → Skills → + → 'Upload a skill' and upload the 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 .pi/skills/planning-with-files folder from the GitHub repo OthmanAdi/planning-with-files into my ~/.claude/skills/pi-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/planning-with-files && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r /tmp/planning-with-files/.pi/skills/planning-with-files ~/.claude/skills/⚠ This is a third-party skill. Check the source repository before installing.
- Open a terminal and clone the repo:
git clone https://github.com/OthmanAdi/planning-with-files.git /tmp/planning-with-files - Copy the skill into place:
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r /tmp/planning-with-files/.pi/skills/planning-with-files ~/.claude/skills/ - Make the helper scripts executable:
chmod +x ~/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/*.sh - If you also want the
/plan-goaland/plan-loopslash commands, use the plugin route instead: run/plugin marketplace add OthmanAdi/planning-with-filesin Claude Code, then/plugin install. - Restart Claude Code, open any project and ask it to "plan out this task"; confirm that
task_plan.mdappears in the project root. - If the hooks seem silent or behave oddly, run the self-check:
sh ~/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/plan-doctor.sh - (Optional) Install
python3if you want the post-/clearsession recovery feature.