A structured problem-solving skill that forces AI agents to design detailed blueprints before executing complex, multi-step tasks.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install plan-first
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install plan-first using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Plan First?
Plan First is an advanced reasoning skill based on the Plan-and-Solve research paradigm. It ensures that generative AI models behave like architects rather than builders, anticipating issues before they arise. By requiring a comprehensive plan before any action is taken, this skill significantly improves success rates for high-stakes tasks where dependencies exist between steps.
Using Openclaw Skills like Plan First allows developers to mitigate the risks of model hallucinations or mid-project logic failures. It transforms the AI from a reactive tool into a proactive problem-solver that validates its own approach against specific success criteria before committing to execution.
Plan First Use Cases
- Multi-step software engineering tasks like building authentication systems or complex API integrations.
- Strategic writing projects including technical documentation, annual reports, and whitepapers.
- Multi-phase data analysis workflows involving extraction, pattern identification, and synthesis.
- Complex project management and breaking down large initiatives into actionable milestones.
How Plan First Works
- Generate a detailed plan including dependencies, approach, and specific verification criteria for each step.
- Validate the plan using a self-check list to ensure logic, order, and actionability are sound.
- Execute the plan systematically, completing one step at a time and verifying results before proceeding.
- Handle deviations dynamically by analyzing failures, revising the remaining plan, and resuming execution.
Plan First Setup
To use the Plan First skill within your agent environment, ensure the skill definition is accessible to your Openclaw Skills workflow. Configure your agent to trigger the planning phase for any task identified as having multiple dependencies. You can initialize a planning session using the standard template:
# Example of initializing a task with the planning skill
openclaw-agent run --skill plan-first "Implement a secure JWT authentication flow"
Plan First Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill organizes information using a structured Markdown schema to ensure human-readability and machine-parseability. Key components include:
| Section | Description | Metadata |
|---|---|---|
| Task | Clear problem statement | String |
| Plan | Ordered list of steps | Array |
| Dependencies | Prerequisites for steps | List |
| Verification | Pass/Fail criteria | String |
| Risk Analysis | Potential blockers | List |
| Rollback | Reversion strategy | String |
Plan First Advanced Features
- Dependency-aware parallelization for multi-agent systems via Openclaw Skills integration.
- Automated self-critique loops to identify gaps in logic before the execution phase begins.
- Dynamic plan revision to handle changing requirements or unexpected technical blockers mid-workflow.
- Integration with Team Code for delegating specific plan modules to specialized sub-agents.
SKILL.md
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