Plan Mode and Task Tracking

Triggerfish provides two complementary tools for structured work: plan mode for complex implementation planning, and todo tracking for task management across sessions.

Plan Mode

Plan mode constrains the agent to read-only exploration and structured planning before making changes. This prevents the agent from jumping into implementation before understanding the problem.

Tools

plan_enter

Enter plan mode. Blocks write operations (write_file, cron_create, cron_delete) until the plan is approved.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
goal	string	yes	What the agent is planning to build/change
scope	string	no	Constrain exploration to specific directories or modules

plan_exit

Exit plan mode and present the implementation plan for user approval. Does not automatically begin execution.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
plan	object	yes	The implementation plan (summary, approach, steps, risks, files, tests)

The plan object includes:

• summary -- What the plan accomplishes
• approach -- How it will be done
• alternatives_considered -- What other approaches were evaluated
• steps -- Ordered list of implementation steps, each with files, dependencies, and verification
• risks -- Known risks and mitigations
• files_to_create, files_to_modify, tests_to_write
• estimated_complexity

plan_status

Returns current plan mode state: active mode, goal, and plan progress.

plan_approve

Approve the pending plan and begin execution. Called when the user approves.

plan_reject

Reject the pending plan and return to normal mode.

plan_step_complete

Mark a plan step as complete during execution.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
step_id	number	yes	The step ID to mark complete
verification_result	string	yes	Output from the verification command

plan_complete

Mark the entire plan as complete.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
summary	string	yes	What was accomplished
deviations	array	no	Any changes from the original plan

plan_modify

Request a modification to an approved plan step. Requires user approval.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
step_id	number	yes	Which step needs changing
reason	string	yes	Why the change is needed
new_description	string	yes	Updated step description
new_files	array	no	Updated file list
new_verification	string	no	Updated verification command

Workflow

1. User asks for something complex
2. Agent calls plan_enter({ goal: "..." })
3. Agent explores codebase (read-only tools only)
4. Agent calls plan_exit({ plan: { ... } })
5. User reviews the plan
6. User approves → agent calls plan_approve
   (or rejects → agent calls plan_reject)
7. Agent executes step by step, calling plan_step_complete after each
8. Agent calls plan_complete when done

When to Use Plan Mode

The agent enters plan mode for complex tasks: building features, refactoring systems, implementing multi-file changes. For simple tasks (fix a typo, rename a variable), it skips plan mode and acts directly.

Todo Tracking

The agent has a persistent todo list for tracking multi-step work across sessions.

Tools

todo_read

Read the current todo list. Returns all items with their ID, content, status, priority, and timestamps.

todo_write

Replace the entire todo list. This is a complete replacement, not a partial update.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
todos	array	yes	Complete list of todo items

Each todo item has:

Field	Type	Values
id	string	Unique identifier
content	string	Task description
status	string	pending, in_progress, completed
priority	string	high, medium, low
created_at	string	ISO timestamp
updated_at	string	ISO timestamp

Behavior

• Todos are scoped per-agent (not per-session) -- they persist across sessions, trigger wakeups, and restarts
• The agent only uses todos for genuinely complex tasks (3+ distinct steps)
• One task is in_progress at a time; completed items are marked immediately
• When the agent writes a new list that omits previously stored items, those items are automatically preserved as completed
• When all items are completed, old items are not preserved (clean slate)

Display

Todos are rendered in both the CLI and Tidepool:

• CLI -- Styled ANSI box with status icons: ✓ (completed, strikethrough), ▶ (in progress, bold), ○ (pending)
• Tidepool -- HTML list with CSS classes for each status