Planning with Files

Work like Manus: Use persistent markdown files as your "working memory on disk."

Overview

Use persistent project files to store task state, discoveries, and progress so long-running work survives context limits and session resets.

Optional Host Integration

Some AI hosts support hooks, tool restrictions, or lifecycle automation. Treat those as optional enhancements, not required behavior. The core workflow in this document should still work in any IDE, editor, CLI, or chat app.

First: Restore Context

Before doing anything else, check if planning files exist and read them:

1. If task_plan.md exists, read task_plan.md, progress.md, and findings.md immediately.
2. Then check for unsynced context from a previous session:

# Linux/macOS
$(command -v python3 || command -v python) <skill-root>/scripts/session-catchup.py "$(pwd)"

# Windows PowerShell
& (Get-Command python -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Source "<skill-root>/scripts/session-catchup.py" (Get-Location)

If catchup report shows unsynced context:

1. Run git diff --stat to see actual code changes
2. Read current planning files
3. Update planning files based on catchup + git diff
4. Then proceed with task

Where Files Go

• Templates are in <skill-root>/templates/
• Your planning files go in your project directory

Quick Start

Before ANY complex task:

1. Create `task_plan.md` — Use templates/task_plan.md as reference
2. Create `findings.md` — Use templates/findings.md as reference
3. Create `progress.md` — Use templates/progress.md as reference
4. Re-read plan before decisions — Refreshes goals in attention window
5. Update after each phase — Mark complete, log errors

Note: Planning files go in your project root, not the skill installation folder.

The Core Pattern

Context Window = RAM (volatile, limited)
Filesystem = Disk (persistent, unlimited)

→ Anything important gets written to disk.

File Purposes

Critical Rules

1. Create Plan First

Never start a complex task without task_plan.md. Non-negotiable.

2. The 2-Action Rule

"After every 2 view/browser/search operations, IMMEDIATELY save key findings to text files."

This prevents visual/multimodal information from being lost.

3. Read Before Decide

Before major decisions, read the plan file. This keeps goals in your attention window.

4. Update After Act

After completing any phase:

• Mark phase status: in_progress → complete
• Log any errors encountered
• Note files created/modified

5. Log ALL Errors

Every error goes in the plan file. This builds knowledge and prevents repetition.

## Errors Encountered
| Error | Attempt | Resolution |
|-------|---------|------------|
| FileNotFoundError | 1 | Created default config |
| API timeout | 2 | Added retry logic |

6. Never Repeat Failures

if action_failed:
    next_action != same_action

Track what you tried. Mutate the approach.

7. Continue After Completion

When all phases are done but the user requests additional work:

• Add new phases to task_plan.md (e.g., Phase 6, Phase 7)
• Log a new session entry in progress.md
• Continue the planning workflow as normal

The 3-Strike Error Protocol

ATTEMPT 1: Diagnose & Fix
  → Read error carefully
  → Identify root cause
  → Apply targeted fix

ATTEMPT 2: Alternative Approach
  → Same error? Try different method
  → Different tool? Different library?
  → NEVER repeat exact same failing action

ATTEMPT 3: Broader Rethink
  → Question assumptions
  → Search for solutions
  → Consider updating the plan

AFTER 3 FAILURES: Escalate to User
  → Explain what you tried
  → Share the specific error
  → Ask for guidance

Read vs Write Decision Matrix

The 5-Question Reboot Test

If you can answer these, your context management is solid:

When to Use

Use for:

• Multi-step tasks (3+ steps)
• Research tasks
• Building/creating projects
• Tasks spanning many tool calls
• Anything requiring organization

Skip for:

• Simple questions
• Single-file edits
• Quick lookups

Templates

Copy these templates to start:

• templates/task_plan.md — Phase tracking
• templates/findings.md — Research storage
• templates/progress.md — Session logging

Scripts

Helper scripts for automation:

• scripts/init-session.sh — Initialize all planning files
• scripts/check-complete.sh — Verify all phases complete
• scripts/session-catchup.py — Recover context from previous session (v2.2.0)

Advanced Topics

• Manus Principles: See reference.md
• Real Examples: See examples.md

Security Boundary

This skill uses a PreToolUse hook to re-read task_plan.md before every tool call. Content written to task_plan.md is injected into context repeatedly — making it a high-value target for indirect prompt injection.

Anti-Patterns

Core Workflow

Follow the primary workflow, commands, and decision points documented in the sections below.

Examples

Use the examples and snippets already present in this document whenever they apply to the task.

Best Practices

Follow the constraints, conventions, and cautions documented below, and prefer the documented path over improvisation.

References

Use any linked scripts, assets, reference files, and companion resources mentioned in this document.