Plan mode
Also called: plan approval, planning mode, proposed plan
What is plan mode?
Plan mode is a working mode where a coding agent writes out what it intends to do and waits for approval before doing any of it. Instead of approving individual actions as they arrive, you review the shape of the work once, up front, and the agent proceeds only if you accept it.
How it changes the review.
The same work, gated in a different place, which changes what the reviewer can actually judge.
The proposal comes first
The agent describes its intended approach before touching anything. That is a reviewable artefact: you can see whether it understood the task, not just whether one command looks safe.
Approval covers a sequence
Accepting a plan authorises the run rather than a single step. Fewer interruptions, and each one carries more information than an isolated permission prompt does.
Rejection is cheap
Catching a wrong approach at the plan stage costs nothing. Catching it after twenty file edits costs a revert and a re-explanation.
Why it pairs with remote oversight.
A plan decision is exactly the kind of thing worth answering from wherever you are.
One decision, high value
A plan approval is a single, considered answer that unblocks a long run. That is a good use of a phone screen, unlike a stream of small prompts.
It stops silent stalling
A plan awaiting approval is a blocked run. Surfaced remotely, it costs a minute. Unsurfaced, it costs the hours until somebody returns to the desk.
It leaves a record
The plan and its approval are part of the session record, so what was authorised is answerable later.
Commonly confused with.
Three things plan mode is not.
Plan mode questions
Can I approve a plan remotely?
Yes. Plan decisions are one of the decision types Virex Remote surfaces, so you can approve or deny from a browser or phone without returning to the machine.
What happens if I deny a plan?
The agent does not proceed with it. Denying early is the cheap outcome, because nothing has been changed yet.
Does plan mode replace permission gates?
No. They operate at different points, and most teams use both: the plan gates the approach, permission gates catch consequential actions during execution.
Is the plan kept afterwards?
It is part of the session record, along with who approved it and when.
Does using plan mode change what Virex costs?
No. A seat is $15 per seat per month regardless of how a session is run.
Approve the approach, then step away.
Virex Remote brings plan decisions to whatever device you have with you.