Planning With Files

This is a structured approach to keeping Claude oriented during complex tasks by treating markdown files as external memory. You create three files in your project directory: task_plan.md for phases and progress, findings.md for research discoveries, and progress.md for session logs. The core idea is simple: Claude's context window is volatile, so anything important gets written to disk immediately. The 2-action rule is particularly practical: after every couple of browser or search operations, save your findings before the multimodal content gets pushed out of context. It includes a 3-strike error protocol to avoid repeatedly trying the same failing approach. Best for multi-step projects where you need to maintain state across many tool calls, not quick edits or simple questions.