# Plan, Build and Crew modes

> Choose Plan for inspection, Build for approved changes, or Crew for durable delivery with its own reviewed authority and bounds on delegated work.

Source: https://kaitoi.io/docs/cli/modes/
Section: Kaitoi CLI / Working with Kaitoi Code
Written for: Anyone choosing how much work to delegate to Code.
Prerequisites: Kaitoi CLI installed
Last reviewed: 2026-10-24

---

A mode decides which kinds of tools the main Code session can use. A permission
decision decides whether a particular available action may proceed. Selecting a
mode does not approve every action in it. This guide covers CLI **0.9.0**.

## Choose a mode

Inside Code:

```text
/plan
/build
/crew
/status
```

`/mode plan`, `/mode build`, and `/mode crew` are equivalent selectors. At
startup, use `kaitoi code --mode plan`, for example. **Build is the default**.
`/crew <task>` also sends the supplied task after selecting Crew mode.


Plan offers reads and bounded questions, while local edits and model-requested
commands are unavailable. Build offers reads and state-changing tools subject
to their permission rules. Crew keeps inspection and orchestration in the main
session, while local editing and command execution belong to the admitted Crew
run. Switching this illustration highlights these differences; it grants no
permissions. Model inference and managed web reads may cost credits in any mode.

Plan shows the original npm dev line and a proposed correction. Build shows npm run dev after permission checks. The Crew example explicitly uses --no-mirror so its candidate can differ from the original; default mirroring is a separate option.

*Figure: A mode changes the main session's available tools; approval is a separate decision.*

## Plan: inspect before changing

Use Plan to understand a repository, compare approaches, review a diff, or write
acceptance criteria. The model gets read and choice tools; it cannot use the
main session's local writing or command tools to implement its proposal.

Plan is not an operating-system sandbox for everything you do in the terminal.
In particular, `/cmd` is your own explicit shell command, not a model tool;
hooks and independently configured services have their own behavior. Plan also
does not mean free or offline: hosted inference and managed web reads can still
incur charges.

## Build: work in the current workspace

Use Build for direct edits and short implementation loops. Trust the intended
workspace, state the scope, and read proposed changes before approving them.
Model-requested command tools must also be enabled with `/commands on` or the
startup `--commands` flag.

Build makes tools available; it does not remove their checks. Session approvals,
saved project command rules, or edit auto-approval can affect which questions
you see. Use `/permissions` to inspect the current grants and `/auto` to inspect
the automatic-review preference. An action that can spend credits has its own
rules; do not treat a general edit grant as permission for every paid tool.

## Crew: supervise a durable delivery run

Crew mode requires a Kaitoi login. The main session investigates, prepares the task, and manages a
Crew run. It does not directly edit local files, execute local commands, install
packages, delete files, or perform local file transfers. The admitted run does
the delivery work under the authority and budget you approve.

Review its proposed workspace, engines, commands, verification, and bounds before
starting. Switching to Crew mode alone does not start a run, grant an engine
access, or create a worktree. A run can continue independently of the interactive
conversation; use [Crew controls](/docs/cli/crew-controls/) to inspect it.

## Change modes as the task changes

A useful sequence is to plan a change, switch to Build for a bounded edit, and
use Crew when the work needs a longer supervised process. State the intended
handoff explicitly: “Use this plan, change only these files, and verify these
outcomes.”

Changing modes does not undo earlier edits or stop an already running Crew job.
Likewise, a mode change does not turn an untrusted directory into a trusted one.
Check `/status`, `/workspace`, and `/permissions` when a tool is unavailable
or the session's authority is unclear.