Cursor, the AI-powered coding assistant, has introduced Plan Mode — a major new feature that allows developers to create structured plans, research their codebases, and execute longer-running agent workflows more efficiently.

The new mode is designed to make AI-assisted coding more transparent, controllable, and collaborative by letting developers see and refine the model’s plan before any code is written.

What Is Plan Mode?

Plan Mode gives the AI agent new tools to:

• Create and update development plans automatically.

• Research your codebase to locate relevant files and documentation.

• Ask clarifying questions to better understand the user’s intent.

• Generate editable Markdown plans containing file paths, code references, and to-do lists.

Developers can modify these plans inline using an interactive editor, making it easier to fine-tune what the AI builds before code generation begins.

“Most new features at Cursor now begin with Agent writing a plan,” said Jai Smith, who introduced the update. “We’ve seen this significantly improve the quality and accuracy of generated code.”

How to Use Plan Mode

Getting started with Plan Mode is simple:

1. Start planning by pressing Shift + Tab in the agent input.

2. Answer clarifying questions about your requirements to improve output accuracy.

3. Review or edit the detailed plan directly within the editor.

4. Build from your plan when you’re ready.

5. Optionally, save the plan as a Markdown file in your repository for future reference.

Cursor also automatically suggests Plan Mode when you describe complex or multi-step development tasks, ensuring you always get structured guidance where it’s most useful.

Available Now

Plan Mode is available in the latest Cursor release. Developers can try it today and experience a new level of clarity and control when working with AI-powered code generation.