Create a plan

Create a Coding Plan from free-form descriptions, PRDs, designs, editor context, or attached files in the CodeRabbit web app, Issue Tracker or VS Code extension.

The CodeRabbit web app and CodeRabbit VS Code extension let you create Coding Plans from free-form descriptions, PRDs, designs, editor context, or attached files, without going through an issue tracker. This is the fastest way to start planning when you already know what you want to build.

Web app

1. Open the New Plan page

   Navigate to Plan → New Plan in the CodeRabbit web app, or go directly to app.coderabbit.ai/plan/new.

2. Describe what you want to build

   Enter a description of the feature, bug fix, or change you want to implement. Include goals, scope, and constraints. The more context you provide, the better the plan.

3. Attach files (optional)

   Click the paperclip icon to attach supporting documents such as PRDs, design specs, architecture diagrams, or screenshots. Supported formats include text files, PDFs, and images.

4. Select the target repository

   Choose the repository CodeRabbit should analyze when generating the plan. This ensures the plan references the correct files, patterns, and conventions.

5. Click Create plan

   CodeRabbit analyzes your repository and connected data sources, then generates a full Coding Plan. Plan generation typically takes between 5 and 10 minutes depending on codebase complexity.

VS Code

Use the CodeRabbit VS Code extension when the work starts in your editor and you want CodeRabbit to plan against the repository you already have open.

1. Open the CodeRabbit sidebar

   Click the CodeRabbit icon in the VS Code activity bar and open the Plan view.

2. Describe the work

   Enter the feature, bug fix, or change you want to implement. Include goals, constraints, and any acceptance criteria you already know.

3. Select the target repository

   Choose the repository CodeRabbit should analyze. The extension lists repositories that match the current workspace and your CodeRabbit organization access.

4. Add context files (optional)

   Attach relevant files from your workspace when the plan should account for local code, specifications, or examples that are not obvious from the description alone.

5. Create the plan

   Start plan generation from the extension. CodeRabbit streams progress in VS Code, then opens the created plan so you can review it, refine it, or open it in the web app.

Managing plans

Browse all plans for your organization from the plans list, where you can:

• Search by title or ticket ID to find existing plans.
• View status to see whether a plan is in progress, completed, or needs review.
• Open a plan to view its full structure, refine it through chat, or hand it off to a coding agent.

Plans created from VS Code appear alongside your other organization plans. The extension also keeps its local plan list refreshed when you return to the plan list.

Configuration

If you also use issue-tracker-based planning, you can configure auto-planning rules and issue planning toggles from the CodeRabbit web app. These settings control when Coding Plans are generated automatically from issues on GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, Jira, or Linear.

See the issue-based planning guides for platform-specific auto-planning configuration.

Next Step

Plan structure and refinement

Learn what each section of a Coding Plan contains and how to iterate on it before handoff.

Use the VS Code extension

Create and review plans from the editor where your code context lives.