Articles · AI agent deep dives
Plan mode: letting the agent decompose hard tasks
update_plan makes the agent break a big goal into 5-10 actionable steps; you can interrupt and rewrite any step.
Kition Team·Feb 14, 2026·1 min read
When to use plan mode
- Task spans multiple tools (files + web + tables)
- Failure is costly (deleting lots of files)
- You want "show me the plan first"
- There are real judgment calls inside the task
Pair with goal mode for long jobs
create_goal adds token / time budgets to long-running tasks — it stops at the limit. You can then approve continuation or adjust. Prevents runaway token spend.
Related reading
AI agent deep dives
Let the agent reorganize your messy vault
200 messy notes in Inbox? One prompt to classify, rename, and add frontmatter.
AI agent deep dives
10 principles for high-quality agent system prompts
Not the "act as an expert" cliché. These are lessons from agents that actually ship in production.