/plan
Switch to Plan mode — the agent researches your codebase, asks clarifying questions, and produces a reviewable implementation plan before writing code.
About
Plan mode works best for complex features, multi-file changes, unclear requirements, and architectural decisions. Agent asks questions → researches codebase → generates plan → you review/edit → build when ready. Also accessible via Shift+Tab or --mode=plan flag.
When to use
- ▸Complex features requiring architectural decisions before coding
- ▸Multi-file changes where sequence matters
- ▸When requirements are ambiguous and you need the agent to ask questions
More Cursor CLI commands
exploration
/ask
Switch to Ask mode for read-only exploration — the agent searches and answers questions without editing any files.
configuration
/auto-run
Toggle auto-run (default) or set explicitly on/off/status. Controls whether tools run without asking for confirmation.
setup
/commands
Create or edit custom slash commands for repetitive workflows.
context-management
/compress
Summarize conversation to free context window space while keeping a high-level record of what happened.