[FEATURE] Change Default Plan Mode Exit Option

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

When exiting plan mode via ExitPlanMode, the default option is "Yes, clear context and auto-accept edits." This clears conversation context, losing any instructions, templates, or procedural guidance not captured in the plan file.

This breaks skill-based workflows (.claude/skills/) that use plan mode as part of multi-phase processes. These skills contain agent prompt templates, phase-specific instructions, and codebase investigation context that inform post-plan execution. When context is cleared at plan approval, subsequent phases lose access to this critical information.

The current options presented are:

1. Yes, clear context and auto-accept edits (shift+tab) ← DEFAULT
2. Yes, auto-accept edits
3. Yes, manually approve edits
4. Type here to tell Claude what to change

Users must manually select option 2 or 3 each time to preserve context—easy to forget when the default is highlighted and shift+tab provides a convenient shortcut.

Proposed Solution

Change the default to "Yes, auto-accept edits" (option 2), which preserves context while maintaining the streamlined execution flow users expect after plan approval.

The "clear context" option should remain available for users who want a fresh start, but it shouldn't be the default behavior that risks losing workflow state.

Alternative Solutions

1. Make the default configurable via settings.json:

{
  "planMode": {
    "defaultExitOption": "auto-accept" | "manual-approve" | "clear-context"
  }
}

1. Per-skill override allowing skill authors to specify exit behavior in skill frontmatter:

---
name: my-skill
plan-mode-exit: preserve-context
---

1. Remove "clear context" from the exit dialog entirely and let users who want to clear context use the existing /compact command after plan approval.

Priority

High - Significant impact on productivity

Feature Category

Interactive mode (TUI)

Use Case Example

A feature development skill with the following phases:

1. Requirements clarification
2. Codebase investigation (launches code-investigator agents)
3. Architecture design (launches implementation-strategist agents, writes plan)
4. Plan approval ← ExitPlanMode called here
5. Implementation (uses agent prompt templates from skill, investigation context from phase 2)
6. Code review (launches review agents per skill instructions)
7. Validation

The skill file contains detailed templates for agent prompts in phases 5-7 and instructions for how to handle review findings. When the user approves the plan with the default "clear context" option, phases 5-7 fail because:

• Agent prompt templates from the skill are no longer in context
• Investigation findings from phase 2 are lost
• Phase-specific instructions for code review and validation are gone

The plan file captures what to build, but not how to execute the remaining phases according to the skill's methodology.

Additional Context

• Claude Code version: 2.1.9
• Related: #2988 (addresses auto-accept behavior, but not context clearing)
• The v2.1.2 changelog notes that Shift+Tab was added as a shortcut for the auto-accept option, which reinforces the default selection and makes accidental context clearing more likely