Gemini CLI now ships with a plan mode — a read-only environment that lets the AI analyze codebases, map dependencies, and draft architectural strategies without making any file changes. Key additions include the ask_user tool for bi-directional clarification, read-only MCP tool support for pulling context from external sources like GitHub or Postgres, and automatic routing to higher-reasoning Pro models during planning. Plan mode is enabled by default and can be activated via /plan, Shift+Tab, or natural language. The Conductor extension demonstrates how plan mode can power exhaustive pre-flight checks and multi-step planning workflows, with plans to bring it in as a built-in mode.
Table of contents
What is plan mode?Better collaboration with the ask_user toolExpanded reach with read-only MCP toolsPowering complex workflows with ConductorGetting started with plan modeKeeping it simpleShare your feedbackSort: