plan

Plan Skill

Structure your approach before acting. Decompose broad objectives into sequenced steps with completion criteria at key milestones.

When to Use

• The task describes a multi-step workflow (login, search, checkout, etc.)
• The objective is broad ("test fundamental functionalities")
• You are unfamiliar with the page structure
• The task involves state that carries across steps (form data, cart items)

Skip this skill for single-action tasks ("click the login button").

Planning Phases

Phase 1: Understand the Objective

• What is the end goal? What does success look like?
• Which pages/features are involved? Ignore unrelated ones.
• What data flows through the workflow? (e.g., search query -> results -> detail page)

Phase 2: Sequence the Steps

Order steps as a continuous workflow, each following from the previous outcome.

• Aim for 4-8 steps for substantial tasks, fewer for simple ones. Each step is one reasoning unit — typically 1-3 tool calls that achieve a single sub-goal.
• Use semantic intent, not element selectors:
  • Good: "Click the 'Submit' button below the form"
  • Bad: "Click element #btn_47" or "Click at coordinates (400, 300)"
• For each step, state what and why:
  • Good: "Enter a search query to test the search flow"
  • Bad: "Type 'hello world' in the search box"
• Mark dependencies between steps: if step 4 depends on data from step 2's outcome, say so explicitly.
  • Example: "Step 4 uses the product name found in step 2's results"

Phase 3: Place Completion Checkpoints

Insert a checkpoint every 3-5 steps at key milestones.

For each checkpoint, define what to verify (the completion condition), not how to verify it:

• Good: "Verify: search results page loaded with matching items"
• Bad: "take_snapshot and check for a results container"

The completion condition answers: what state proves this milestone was reached? The execution cycle (system prompt Step 4) handles the how.