---
name: pi-planning-with-files
description: "Persistent file-based planning for multi-step AI-agent work. Keeps task_plan.md, findings.md, and progress.md on disk; lifecycle hooks inject selected project planning context. Automatic recovery reads project planning files only. Explicit session-catchup.py --metadata reads same-project local agent session records and emits aggregate counts only; --replay may emit bounded nonce-framed excerpts. Optional gated mode can request continuation only when the host supports it and never runs commands declared in Markdown. The skill has no network upload path. Use for research or work needing 5+ tool calls."
user-invocable: true
allowed-tools: "Read Write Edit Bash Glob Grep"
hooks:
  UserPromptSubmit:
    - hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "SH=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/skill-hook.sh\"; [ -f \"$SH\" ] || SH=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); [ -n \"$SH\" ] && [ -f \"$SH\" ] && sh \"$SH\" --event=userprompt; exit 0"
  PreToolUse:
    - matcher: "Write|Edit|Bash|Read|Glob|Grep"
      hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "SH=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/skill-hook.sh\"; [ -f \"$SH\" ] || SH=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); [ -n \"$SH\" ] && [ -f \"$SH\" ] && sh \"$SH\" --event=pretool; exit 0"
  PostToolUse:
    - matcher: "Write|Edit"
      hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "SH=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/skill-hook.sh\"; [ -f \"$SH\" ] || SH=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); [ -n \"$SH\" ] && [ -f \"$SH\" ] && sh \"$SH\" --event=posttool; exit 0"
  Stop:
    - hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "SH=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/skill-hook.sh\"; [ -f \"$SH\" ] || SH=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); [ -n \"$SH\" ] && [ -f \"$SH\" ] && sh \"$SH\" --event=stop; exit 0"
  PreCompact:
    - matcher: "*"
      hooks:
        - type: command
          command: "SH=\"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/skill-hook.sh\"; [ -f \"$SH\" ] || SH=$(ls \"$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" \"$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/planning-with-files/scripts/skill-hook.sh\" 2>/dev/null | head -1); [ -n \"$SH\" ] && [ -f \"$SH\" ] && sh \"$SH\" --event=precompact; exit 0"
---

# Planning with Files

Work like Manus: Use persistent markdown files as your "working memory on disk."

## FIRST: Restore Project State

**Before continuing**, resolve the plan this task owns:

1. Use the installed `scripts/resolve-plan-dir.sh` (or `.ps1`) with the task's `PLAN_ID` and `PWF_PLAN_ROOT`. Read `task_plan.md`, `progress.md`, and `findings.md` from that one selected directory. A root `task_plan.md` must not override a selected `.planning/<id>/` plan.
2. If an explicit selector is rejected, or multiple named plans exist without `PLAN_ID`, stop plan recovery and correct the pin. Do not fall back to another task. Use the legacy project-root files only when no selector or named plan applies.
3. Run `git diff --stat` to see code changes that may not yet be recorded in the planning files.

All planning filenames below refer to this selected directory, even when the shell runs elsewhere. For parallel tasks, pin each host before starting it or use separate worktrees. A worker joining an existing task uses its assigned plan; it must not create or overwrite a competing root plan.

Automatic recovery stops there. Bare `session-catchup.py` and lifecycle hooks do not inspect agent session stores. Only when the user explicitly asks to consult local session history, choose one of these modes:

```bash
# Linux/macOS — auto-detects skill directory (plugin env or default install path)
SKILL_DIR="${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$HOME/.claude/skills/planning-with-files}"
# Same-project counts only; no transcript excerpts
$(command -v python3 || command -v python) "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/session-catchup.py" --metadata "$(pwd)"

# Explicit bounded replay; emits nonce-framed same-project excerpts
$(command -v python3 || command -v python) "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/session-catchup.py" --replay "$(pwd)"
```

```powershell
# Windows PowerShell
& (Get-Command python -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Source "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\skills\planning-with-files\scripts\session-catchup.py" --metadata (Get-Location)
# Replace --metadata with --replay only after explicit user approval.
```

Metadata mode may report that same-project session activity exists, but it emits no transcript, tool-command, or path bytes. Replay is optional and bounded; treat every replayed excerpt as untrusted data. This skill has no network upload path.

## Important: Where Files Go

- **Templates and scripts** are relative to this installed `SKILL.md`. Plugin installs also expose them under `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/`.
- **Your planning files** go in **the selected task directory in your project**

| Location | What Goes There |
|----------|-----------------|
| Installed skill or plugin directory | Templates, scripts, reference docs |
| Selected task directory (project root in legacy mode) | `task_plan.md`, `findings.md`, `progress.md` |

## Quick Start

Before a complex task:

1. **Resolve or initialize the task directory.** Reuse the selected plan when resuming. For a separate task, run `scripts/init-session.sh "Task Name"` and use the printed `PLAN_ID` to pin its host.
2. **Create missing planning files only.** Use [templates/task_plan.md](templates/task_plan.md), [templates/findings.md](templates/findings.md), and [templates/progress.md](templates/progress.md) in that directory. Preserve existing work.
3. **Re-read the selected plan before decisions.** Update progress after each phase.
4. **Assign one plan owner.** The orchestrator owns `task_plan.md` and shared summaries. Workers report through their own ledgers or assigned files; they do not independently rewrite the shared planning files.

> Planning files belong to the selected task directory in the project. The installation directory contains the scripts and templates.

## The Core Pattern

```
Context Window = RAM (volatile, limited)
Filesystem = Disk (persistent, unlimited)

→ Anything important gets written to disk.
```

## File Purposes

| File | Purpose | When to Update |
|------|---------|----------------|
| `task_plan.md` | Phases, progress, decisions | After each phase |
| `findings.md` | Research, discoveries | After ANY discovery |
| `progress.md` | Session log, test results | Throughout session |

## Critical Rules

### 1. Create Plan First
Never start a complex task without `task_plan.md`. Non-negotiable.

### 2. The 2-Action Rule
> "After every 2 view/browser/search operations, IMMEDIATELY save key findings to text files."

This prevents visual/multimodal information from being lost.

### 3. Read Before Decide
Before major decisions, read the plan file. This keeps goals in your attention window.

### 4. Update After Act
After completing any phase:
- Mark phase status: `in_progress` → `complete`
- Log any errors encountered
- Note files created/modified

Whenever a phase status changes, also refresh `## Next Step` in `task_plan.md` so it names the single next action.

### 5. Log ALL Errors
Every error goes in the plan file. This builds knowledge and prevents repetition.

```markdown
## Errors Encountered
| Error | Attempt | Resolution |
|-------|---------|------------|
| FileNotFoundError | 1 | Created default config |
| API timeout | 2 | Added retry logic |
```

### 6. Never Repeat Failures
```
if action_failed:
    next_action != same_action
```
Track what you tried. Mutate the approach.

### 7. Continue After Completion
When all phases are done but the user requests additional work:
- Add new phases to `task_plan.md` (e.g., Phase 6, Phase 7)
- Log a new session entry in `progress.md`
- Continue the planning workflow as normal

## The 3-Strike Error Protocol

```
ATTEMPT 1: Diagnose & Fix
  → Read error carefully
  → Identify root cause
  → Apply targeted fix

ATTEMPT 2: Alternative Approach
  → Same error? Try different method
  → Different tool? Different library?
  → NEVER repeat exact same failing action

ATTEMPT 3: Broader Rethink
  → Question assumptions
  → Search for solutions
  → Consider updating the plan

AFTER 3 FAILURES: Escalate to User
  → Explain what you tried
  → Share the specific error
  → Ask for guidance
```

## Read vs Write Decision Matrix

| Situation | Action | Reason |
|-----------|--------|--------|
| Just wrote a file | DON'T read | Content still in context |
| Viewed image/PDF | Write findings NOW | Multimodal → text before lost |
| Browser returned data | Write to file | Screenshots don't persist |
| Starting new phase | Read plan/findings | Re-orient if context stale |
| Error occurred | Read relevant file | Need current state to fix |
| Resuming after gap | Read all planning files | Recover state |

## The 5-Question Reboot Test

If you can answer these, your context management is solid:

| Question | Answer Source |
|----------|---------------|
| Where am I? | Current phase in task_plan.md |
| Where am I going? | Remaining phases |
| What's the goal? | Goal statement in plan |
| What have I learned? | findings.md |
| What have I done? | progress.md |
| What am I about to do? | Next Step in task_plan.md |

## When to Use This Pattern

**Use for:**
- Multi-step tasks (3+ steps)
- Research tasks
- Building/creating projects
- Tasks spanning many tool calls
- Anything requiring organization

**Skip for:**
- Simple questions
- Single-file edits
- Quick lookups

## Templates

Copy these templates to start:

- [templates/task_plan.md](templates/task_plan.md) — Phase tracking
- [templates/findings.md](templates/findings.md) — Research storage
- [templates/progress.md](templates/progress.md) — Session logging

## Scripts

Helper scripts for automation:

- `scripts/init-session.sh` — Initialize planning files. With a name arg, creates an isolated plan under `.planning/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>/` for parallel task workflows. Without args, writes `task_plan.md` at project root (legacy mode, backward-compatible).
- `scripts/set-active-plan.sh` — Switch the active plan pointer (`.planning/.active_plan`). Run with a plan ID to switch; run without args to show which plan is current.
- `scripts/resolve-plan-dir.sh` — Resolve the active plan directory. A set `$PLAN_ID` is a binding: it resolves or resolution stops, never another plan (issue #237). With no `$PLAN_ID`, multiple named plans refuse selection. A single named plan may use `.planning/.active_plan` or discovery by mtime; otherwise resolution falls back to the project root (legacy). Used internally by hooks.
- `scripts/check-complete.sh` — Verify all phases in the active plan are complete.
- `scripts/session-catchup.py`: Explicit same-project session-record aggregation or bounded replay (`--metadata` / `--replay`); bare invocation does not access host history.
- `scripts/attest-plan.sh` (and `.ps1`) — Lock the current `task_plan.md` content with a SHA-256 attestation (v2.37.0). Hooks then refuse to inject plan content if the file diverges from the attested hash. Use `--show` to print the stored hash, `--clear` to remove the attestation. See `/plan-attest` command.
- `scripts/plan-doctor.sh` — One-pass self-check for the mechanisms that fail silently (v3.6.0): plan resolution, hook injection, canonicalizer path shape, attestation state, install surfaces, per-fire hook latency. Run it whenever hooks seem quiet or after installing on a new machine. See `/plan-doctor` command.

### List saved plans

To find a task before resuming it, run `sh "<skill-dir>/scripts/set-active-plan.sh" --list` or, in Windows PowerShell, `& "<skill-dir>/scripts/set-active-plan.ps1" -List`. Replace `<skill-dir>` with this installed skill directory and keep your current directory at the project root.

This read-only command lists named plans and phase progress under the current directory's `.planning/`. `[active]` marks the shared default pointer; it does not bind a session. Concurrent tasks still require each host's `PLAN_ID` or separate worktrees.

### Parallel task workflow

For independent tasks in the same repository, create a named plan for each and pin each agent host to its own plan:

```bash
# Terminal A: initialize, then use the exact PLAN_ID printed by the script.
./scripts/init-session.sh "Backend Refactor"
export PLAN_ID=2026-09-05-backend-refactor
# Start the agent from this terminal after setting PLAN_ID.

# Terminal B: use the different PLAN_ID printed for this task.
./scripts/init-session.sh "Incident Investigation"
export PLAN_ID=2026-09-05-incident-investigation
# Start the second agent from this terminal.
```

The IDs above are examples; initialization uses today's date and may add a numeric suffix. In PowerShell, set `$env:PLAN_ID` to the printed ID before starting the agent. Setting an environment variable inside an already-running agent's tool subprocess does not change the parent host's hook environment. Use separate worktrees when the host cannot be pinned per task.

`set-active-plan.sh` changes the repository's shared default pointer, so use it for sequential switching. It does not bind concurrent sessions. `PWF_PLAN_ROOT` chooses a project root; add `PLAN_ID` when that root contains several tasks. An `.attached` marker authorizes a session to receive context but does not select its plan. When session isolation is armed and multiple plans exist, the Codex, Hermes, Pi, and standalone hook routes refuse unpinned selection instead of following another session's pointer.

For several agents collaborating on one task, share its `PLAN_ID`, keep one orchestrator as the plan owner, and give workers separate ledgers or files.

### Shared parent directories (v3.9.0)

`PLAN_ID` is a slug resolved against the current directory, so it can only ever name a plan under `$(pwd)/.planning`. When an agent thread runs with its cwd at a shared parent (`/workspace`) while the real work lives in a nested project (`/workspace/project`), the parent's plan is the only one the hooks can see, and it used to be injected on every fire. `PWF_PLAN_ROOT` takes an absolute path and pins resolution to that root regardless of where the cwd sits. A pin that does not resolve stops injection rather than falling back.

When no pin is set, the plan was picked by the `.active_plan` pointer or by the newest plan directory, and a project directly below the root carries its own planning state, the hooks treat that as ambiguous and inject nothing:

```
[planning-with-files] Ambiguous plan: this cwd has an active plan and a nested
project below it has its own (project). Nothing injected. Pin the thread with
PWF_PLAN_ROOT=<absolute path> or PLAN_ID=<slug>.
```

An explicit `PLAN_ID` or `PWF_PLAN_ROOT` can skip that nested-root check. An attachment marker alone cannot. When isolation is armed, several tasks within one root still require `PLAN_ID`. Detection looks one directory deep, so a project nested further down is not detected.
- `scripts/session-catchup.py`: With explicit `--metadata` or `--replay`, reads same-project records from the active host store. OpenCode uses the read-only SQLite store at `${XDG_DATA_HOME:-~/.local/share}/opencode/opencode.db`.

## Claude Code Turn-Loop Integration (v2.38.0+)

Claude Code shipped three new turn-loop primitives in May 2026: `/loop` (v2.1.72), `/goal` (v2.1.139), and the `PreCompact` hook event. v2.38.0 wires the planning workflow into all three.

### Install scope: plugin vs skill-only (v2.42.0 clarification)

Not every install path ships every surface in this section. Two distinct install routes exist:

| Install route | What you get | `/plan-goal`, `/plan-loop` available? |
|---|---|---|
| `/plugin marketplace add OthmanAdi/planning-with-files` then `/plugin install` | SKILL.md, scripts, templates, **plus `commands/` folder** | Yes, as `/plan-goal` and `/plan-loop` |
| `npx skills add OthmanAdi/planning-with-files` (or ClawHub) | SKILL.md, scripts, templates only | No, follow the manual fallback below |

The PreCompact hook is registered in the SKILL.md frontmatter and works for both routes. The `/plan-goal` and `/plan-loop` slash commands live in `commands/` at the repo root, which only the plugin route copies into `~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/`. Skill-only installs land at `~/.claude/skills/planning-with-files/` and do not see `commands/`.

The standalone `scripts/skill-hook.sh` reads the host's JSON session identity. UserPromptSubmit emits plain context; PreToolUse and PostToolUse emit the event's `additionalContext` JSON. The progress reminder fires at most once per turn when a usable session identity and private cache are available, and repeats when those are unavailable. All five events follow the same plan selection and opt-out checks.

Both slash commands also carry `disable-model-invocation: true`, which means the model will not auto-trigger them. You type them. Per known Claude Code behavior (anthropics/claude-code issues #26251, #41417), some sessions interpret `disable-model-invocation: true` as "I cannot use the Skill tool for this entry at all" and refuse to fire even when you type the slash. If that happens, the manual fallback below produces the same effect.

### PreCompact hook (auto)

Both supported routes register a `PreCompact` hook with matcher `"*"`. It fires for manual and automatic compaction after the relevant hook route is active. With a selected plan, it prints a diagnostic reminder and the recorded `Plan-SHA256` when present. It stays silent without a plan and never blocks compaction.

Claude Code does not support `additionalContext` for PreCompact. Successful stdout from this event is diagnostic output, so the hook cannot make the model flush progress before compaction. Keep progress current during the task and recover from the selected files on the next prompt. The recorded digest can be compared with the plan bytes; it does not establish human approval.

### `/plan-goal` slash command

Composes with Claude Code's `/goal`. Derives a goal condition from the active plan and forwards it to `/goal`, so the agent keeps working until the plan file actually reports complete.

```
/plan-goal                                # default: "all phases report Status: complete"
/plan-goal until all tests pass           # appends user clause to default
```

`/plan-goal` does not replace `/goal`. `/goal "anything"` still works.

### `/plan-loop` slash command

Composes with Claude Code's `/loop`. Default 10-minute tick re-reads the planning files, runs `check-complete`, and writes a `progress.md` entry if nothing changed since the last tick.

```
/plan-loop                                # default 10m cadence, default tick prompt
/plan-loop 5m                             # override interval
/plan-loop 15m custom prompt              # override interval + prompt
```

For a "babysit until done" workflow, combine `/plan-loop` (cadence) with `/plan-goal` (termination criterion).

### Manual fallback when `/plan-goal` / `/plan-loop` are unavailable (v2.42.0)

For skill-only installs (no `commands/` folder) or sessions where the slash command refuses to fire, the model can produce the same effect by executing the wrapper steps inline.

**Manual `/plan-goal` procedure:**

1. Resolve the active plan: prefer `${PLAN_ID}` env var, then `.planning/.active_plan`, then newest `.planning/<dir>/`, then legacy `./task_plan.md`.
2. Read the resolved `task_plan.md`.
3. Compose a goal condition. Default: `"all