Force a TODO list before non-trivial work
Open with 'plan this as a TODO list first, then execute' — the agent self-decomposes and you get a checkpoint to redirect.
- Type: Prompt
- Tags: Coding Agent Hacks, Intermediate, Claude Code, Codex
- Updated: 2026-10-01
Prompt
Open with 'plan this as a TODO list first, then execute' — the agent self-decomposes and you get a checkpoint to redirect. Without a plan, agents tunnel into the first plausible solution. Asking for a TODO list up front forces them to enumerate the work, which surfaces bad assumptions early. Bonus: the list is visible in the UI as it executes, so you can stop them mid-task instead of waiting for the wrong wall of code. Implementation example: Plan this as a checked TODO list first. Don't write code yet. Once I approve the plan, work through items one at a time. After each item, briefly say what you did and what's next. Task: migrate the user profile page from Pages Router to App Router.
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