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Plannotator for Pi

Plannotator integration for the Pi coding agent. Adds file-based plan mode with a visual browser UI for reviewing, annotating, and approving agent plans.

Install

From npm (recommended):

pi install npm:@plannotator/pi-extension

From source:

git clone https://github.com/backnotprop/plannotator.git
pi install ./plannotator/apps/pi-extension

Try without installing:

pi -e npm:@plannotator/pi-extension

Build from source

If installing from a local clone, build the HTML assets first:

cd plannotator
bun install
bun run build:pi

This builds the plan review and code review UIs and copies them into apps/pi-extension/.

Usage

Plan mode

Start Pi in plan mode:

pi --plan

Or toggle it during a session with /plannotator or Ctrl+Alt+P. The command accepts an optional file path argument (/plannotator plans/auth.md) or prompts you to choose one interactively.

In plan mode the agent is restricted — destructive commands are blocked, writes are limited to the plan file. It explores your codebase, then writes a plan using markdown checklists:

- [ ] Add validation to the login form
- [ ] Write tests for the new validation logic
- [ ] Update error messages in the UI

When the agent calls plannotator_submit_plan, the Plannotator UI opens in your browser. You can:

  • Approve the plan to begin execution
  • Deny with annotations to send structured feedback back to the agent
  • Approve with notes to proceed but include implementation guidance

The agent iterates on the plan until you approve, then executes with full tool access. On resubmission, Plan Diff highlights what changed since the previous version.

Configuring per-phase behavior

Plannotator loads configuration in three layers:

  1. Built-in base config shipped with the package: plannotator.json
  2. Global user config: ~/.pi/agent/plannotator.json
  3. Project-local config: <cwd>/.pi/plannotator.json

Later layers overwrite earlier ones. If a field is omitted, it inherits the value from lower-precedence layers. If a value is set to null, an empty string, or an empty array, it clears the inherited value instead of merging it. You can also set defaults or an entire phase object to null to clear all inherited settings from lower-precedence layers.

Top-level shape

{
  "defaults": {
    "model": { "provider": "anthropic", "id": "claude-sonnet-4-5" },
    "thinking": "medium",
    "activeTools": ["read", "bash"],
    "statusLabel": "Ready",
    "systemPrompt": "Optional prompt template"
  },
  "phases": {
    "planning": {
      "model": null,
      "thinking": null,
      "activeTools": ["grep", "find", "ls", "plannotator_submit_plan"],
      "statusLabel": "⏸ plan",
      "systemPrompt": "[PLANNING]\nPlan file: ${planFilePath}"
    },
    "executing": {
      "model": { "provider": "anthropic", "id": "claude-sonnet-4-5" },
      "thinking": "high",
      "activeTools": [],
      "statusLabel": "",
      "systemPrompt": "[EXECUTING]\nRemaining steps:\n${todoList}"
    },
    "reviewing": {
      "systemPrompt": "..."
    }
  }
}

Option reference

Option Type Meaning
defaults object Base values applied to every phase before phase-specific overrides
phases object Phase-specific overrides
phases.planning object Settings for planning mode
phases.executing object Settings for execution mode
phases.reviewing object Reserved for future review-mode customization
model { provider, id } | null Sets the model for the phase; null leaves the current model unchanged
thinking minimal | low | medium | high | xhigh | null Sets the thinking level; null leaves the current level unchanged
activeTools string[] | null Extra tools to enable for the phase; [] or null means no extra phase tools
statusLabel string | null Optional UI label for the phase; empty/null clears it
systemPrompt string | null Phase system prompt template; empty/null disables prompt injection

Prompt variables

Use these inside systemPrompt strings:

  • ${planFilePath} — current plan file path
  • ${todoList} — remaining checklist items as markdown checkboxes
  • ${completedCount} — completed checklist count
  • ${totalCount} — total checklist count
  • ${remainingCount} — remaining checklist count
  • ${phase} — current runtime phase (planning, executing, reviewing, or idle)

Behavior notes

  • Unknown template variables trigger a warning in the UI and are rendered as empty strings.
  • activeTools are additive with the tools currently active in the session, so Plannotator still preserves tools provided by other extensions.
  • Execution progress remains dynamic ([DONE:n] + checklist tracking), even if statusLabel is set.

Example files

  • Built-in base config shipped with the package: apps/pi-extension/plannotator.json
  • Global user override: ~/.pi/agent/plannotator.json
  • Project-local override: <cwd>/.pi/plannotator.json

Code review

Run /plannotator-review to open your current git changes in the code review UI. Annotate specific lines, switch between diff views (uncommitted, staged, last commit, branch), and submit feedback that gets sent to the agent.

Shared Plannotator event API

Plannotator also listens on the shared plannotator:request event channel so other extensions can reuse the same browser review flows without importing Plannotator internals.

Supported actions and payloads:

  • plan-review: { planContent, planFilePath? }
  • review-status: { reviewId }
  • code-review: { cwd?, defaultBranch?, diffType? }
  • annotate: { filePath, markdown?, mode?, folderPath? }
  • annotate-last: { markdown? }
  • archive: { customPlanPath? }

Plan review is asynchronous:

  • callers send plannotator:request with action plan-review
  • Plannotator opens the browser review and immediately responds with { status: "handled", result: { status: "pending", reviewId } }
  • when the human approves or rejects in the browser, Plannotator emits plannotator:review-result with { reviewId, approved, feedback, savedPath?, agentSwitch?, permissionMode? }
  • callers can query review-status with the same reviewId to recover from startup races or session restarts

The other shared actions remain request/response flows. Payloads are intentionally minimal and only include fields the shared implementation actually uses.

Markdown annotation

Run /plannotator-annotate <file.md> to open any markdown file in the annotation UI. Useful for reviewing documentation or design specs with the agent.

Annotate last message

Run /plannotator-last to annotate the agent's most recent response. The message opens in the annotation UI where you can highlight text, add comments, and send structured feedback back to the agent.

Archive browser

The Plannotator archive browser is available through the shared event API as archive, which opens the saved plan/decision browser for future callers. The orchestrator does not expose a dedicated archive command yet.

Progress tracking

During execution, the agent marks completed steps with [DONE:n] markers. Progress is shown in the status line and as a checklist widget in the terminal.

Commands

Command Description
/plannotator Toggle plan mode. The agent writes a markdown plan file anywhere in the working directory and submits its path
/plannotator-status Show current phase, plan file, and progress
/plannotator-review Open code review UI for current changes
/plannotator-annotate <file> Open markdown file in annotation UI
/plannotator-last Annotate the last assistant message

Flags

Flag Description
--plan Start in plan mode

Keyboard shortcuts

Shortcut Description
Ctrl+Alt+P Toggle plan mode

How it works

The extension manages a state machine: idle → planning → executing → idle.

During planning:

  • All tools from other extensions remain available
  • Bash is unrestricted — the agent is guided by the system prompt not to run destructive commands
  • Writes and edits restricted to the plan file only

During executing:

  • Full tool access: read, bash, edit, write
  • Progress tracked via [DONE:n] markers in agent responses
  • Plan re-read from disk each turn to stay current

State persists across session restarts via Pi's appendEntry API.

Requirements

  • Pi >= 0.53.0