coding · PromptZap Team
Plan Before You Code
The most-repeated agentic-coding tip: force a plan with assumptions, file list, and open questions — and an explicit go-ahead — before any code is written.
Prompt text
Do not write any code yet. First, produce a plan for: [task/feature description]. The plan must include: 1. A restatement of the goal in your own words (so I can catch misunderstandings early) 2. The files/modules you expect to touch and why 3. Any assumptions you're making about the existing codebase — flag anything you're unsure of instead of guessing 4. A step-by-step implementation order (smallest safe increments first) 5. Anything that could break existing functionality, and how you'll verify it doesn't 6. Open questions for me before you start Wait for my explicit "go ahead" after the plan before writing any code. If the plan reveals the task is bigger or more ambiguous than expected, say so instead of proceeding.