Writing Plans

Takes specs and generates step-by-step implementation plans with actual code snippets, exact file paths, and specific test commands. Maps out file structure first, then breaks everything into 2-5 minute tasks following TDD cycles. Saves plans as markdown with checkbox syntax in `docs/superpowers/plans/`. Runs self-review checks for placeholder content and type consistency. Works best when you have clear requirements but need to think through the implementation approach before coding. The bite-sized granularity keeps you from getting stuck on large, vague tasks.

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last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add obra/superpowers --skill writing-plans --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Writing Plans

Overview

Write implementation plans for an engineer who has not seen this codebase or this spec. Assume they write idiomatic code in the project's language once they know the exact interface and the exact test, and that they will make a reasonable choice wherever the plan leaves one open. What they cannot know is what you decided: which files, which names and signatures, which values from the spec, which tests prove each task. Document those. Give them the whole plan as bite-sized tasks. DRY. YAGNI. TDD. Frequent commits.

Announce at start: "I'm using the writing-plans skill to create the implementation plan."

Context: If working in an isolated worktree, it should have been created via the superpowers:using-git-worktrees skill at execution time.

Save plans to: docs/superpowers/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<feature-name>.md