Planning Agent

Overview

Blink lets you build an agent that acts as a planning partner. This type of agent can help you scope features, compare technical approaches, break down complex work into milestones, and de-risk decisions before you commit to building. This page shows you what’s possible and provides prompts you can use in Edit Mode to build your own planning agent.

Getting started

Create a new agent directory and run blink init
Start the dev server with blink dev
Press Ctrl+T to toggle to Edit Mode
Describe your planning agent using the ideas below

What you can build

Here are examples of what you can ask your planning agent to do once you’ve built it. These show the end result: scroll down to see how to build an agent that can handle these requests.

Get multiple approaches with trade-offs

You are planning work for a small feature.
Context:
- Repo: <public link or description>
- Area: notifications service (Go), stores messages in Postgres
- Problem: daily summary email sometimes duplicates entries
- Constraints: keep DB schema stable
- Success: no duplicates; add an integration test; draft PR

Task: Propose 2-3 approaches with trade-offs (risk, complexity, testability).
Then propose a step-by-step plan for the lowest-risk path with clear acceptance
criteria and a first milestone suitable for a small PR.

Compare frameworks and tools

We're evaluating background job frameworks.
Context:
- Framework: Node.js 20
- Current stack: Express, Prisma, Postgres
- Needs: retries, delayed jobs, metrics, horizontal scaling

Task: Compare BullMQ vs. Bree vs. Temporal (self-hosted). Provide: pros/cons,
code snippets for a minimal worker, migration risk, and the safest
recommendation for our team skill level. End with a suggested proof-of-concept
plan (1-2 days).

Break down large features

We need to add OAuth login to our application.
Context:
- Current: email/password only
- Stack: Next.js 14, Prisma, PostgreSQL
- Providers needed: Google, GitHub
- Must maintain existing user sessions

Task: Break this into small, shippable milestones. For each milestone, provide:
what ships, acceptance criteria, risk level, and estimated size. Start with the
smallest valuable increment.

De-risk technical decisions

We're considering migrating from REST to GraphQL.
Context:
- Current: Express REST API with 50+ endpoints
- Team: 3 backend engineers, familiar with REST
- Clients: React web app, React Native mobile app
- Timeline: need decision in 2 weeks

Task: Identify the top 5 risks of this migration. For each risk, rate severity
(1-5) and provide a mitigation strategy. Then recommend: full migration,
partial migration, or stay with REST. Include a proof-of-concept plan to test
the riskiest assumption.

Scope bug fixes methodically

Users report intermittent 500 errors on checkout.
Context:
- Happens ~5% of the time
- Stack: Python/Django, Redis for sessions, Stripe for payments
- Error logs show "Connection timeout" from payment service
- No pattern in time of day or user type

Task: Propose 3 hypotheses for the root cause, ranked by likelihood. For the
most likely cause, provide: diagnostic steps, temporary mitigation, permanent
fix plan, and testing strategy.

Building your planning agent

Switch to Edit Mode (Ctrl+T) and use these prompts to build your agent. Copy and customize them based on what you want your agent to do.

You don’t need to use all of these prompts. Start with 2-3 that match your needs, test the agent, then add more capabilities as needed.

Make it analyze trade-offs

When I describe a technical decision or feature, the agent should propose 2-3
different approaches. For each approach, provide: implementation complexity,
risk level, performance implications, and maintenance burden. Always recommend
the best option with clear reasoning.

Make it break down large features

When I describe a large feature, the agent should break it into small,
shippable milestones. For each milestone: describe what ships, provide
acceptance criteria, estimate complexity (small/medium/large), and identify
risks. Always start with the smallest valuable increment.

Make it identify risks proactively

Before proposing any plan, the agent should identify top risks and unknowns.
For each risk, rate severity (1-5) and suggest a mitigation strategy. If a
risk is severe, recommend a proof-of-concept to validate assumptions before
committing to the full build.

Make it ask clarifying questions

When I provide a vague request, the agent should ask clarifying questions
before proposing solutions. It should ask about: constraints (time, resources,
breaking changes), success criteria, team expertise, and whether this needs to
integrate with existing systems.

Make it format plans consistently

When presenting a plan, the agent should use this structure:
1) Problem statement (2 sentences)
2) Recommended approach with reasoning
3) Step-by-step implementation plan
4) Acceptance criteria for each step
5) Risks and mitigation strategies
6) Suggested first milestone for a small PR

Make it reference code structure

Give the agent access to read files in the codebase. When planning work, it
should reference specific files, functions, and patterns that already exist.
It should suggest solutions that match the existing code style and architecture.

Make it estimate scope realistically

The agent should estimate work in T-shirt sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL) based on:
lines of code, number of files touched, testing complexity, and integration
points. Flag any work larger than M and suggest breaking it down further.

Make it suggest proof-of-concepts

For any risky or uncertain technical decision, the agent should suggest a
time-boxed proof-of-concept (1-3 days max). The POC should test the riskiest
assumption and produce clear success/failure criteria.

Make it compare frameworks and tools

When evaluating technical options (frameworks, libraries, services), the agent
should compare them on: learning curve, community support, performance, cost,
and migration risk. Provide code snippets showing how each option would work
in our stack.

Make it create debugging plans

When I describe a bug, the agent should propose 3-5 hypotheses ranked by
likelihood. For the most likely cause, provide: diagnostic steps to confirm,
temporary mitigation, permanent fix plan, and testing strategy to prevent
regression.

How it works behind the scenes

When you use the prompts above, Edit Mode automatically implements the right tools for your agent. You don’t need to code anything; just describe what you want. Common tools include:

File reading - Access codebase to understand existing patterns
Web search - Research frameworks, libraries, and best practices
Code analysis - Identify complexity and integration points
Structured output - Format plans with consistent structure

Edit Mode handles all the technical implementation. Your job is to describe the agent’s planning behavior and decision-making process.

Iterating on your agent

As you test, you’ll discover what works and what needs adjustment. Use these Edit Mode prompts to refine your agent’s behavior:

If plans are too vague

The agent should be more specific. Every plan must include: exact file paths
for changes, specific function or component names, and clear acceptance
criteria that can be tested. No hand-waving or "implement the feature" steps.

If scope estimates feel wrong

The agent should calibrate its estimates based on our team velocity. Ask me
for feedback: was this estimate accurate? Use that feedback to adjust future
estimates. Err on the side of smaller chunks.

If risk assessment is missing

Every plan must include a risks section. The agent should proactively identify:
breaking changes, performance impacts, security implications, and dependencies
on other systems. Never present a plan without discussing risks.

If the agent doesn't ask enough questions

Before proposing any solution, the agent must confirm: what problem are we
actually solving? What constraints exist? What's the success criteria? If I
provide an unclear request, push back and ask clarifying questions.

If recommendations lack reasoning

Every recommendation must explain WHY, not just WHAT. Compare options
explicitly: "Option A is better than Option B because..." Always tie
recommendations back to our constraints and goals.

Advanced capabilities

Once your basic agent works well, consider these enhancements:

Track decision history

Add a memory system that tracks past technical decisions and their outcomes.
When proposing new approaches, reference similar decisions we've made before.
Learn from what worked and what didn't. Let me ask "show me similar decisions
we've made" at any time.

Integrate with project management

Connect to Jira, Linear, or GitHub Issues. When breaking down features, create
actual tickets with proper formatting. Update ticket descriptions as the plan
evolves. Link related tickets and track dependencies.

Estimate based on team velocity

Track how long previous features actually took vs. initial estimates. Use this
data to calibrate future estimates. If our velocity is 20 story points per
sprint, flag any plan that exceeds that and suggest breaking it down.

Generate RFC templates

For major technical decisions, generate RFC (Request for Comments) documents
with: problem statement, proposed solutions, trade-off analysis, open questions,
and decision criteria. Format it ready to share with the team.

Tips for success

When you’re building:

Start with basic trade-off analysis and milestone breakdown
Give Edit Mode examples of good plans you’ve created before
Test the agent on real planning scenarios from your backlog
Iterate based on whether the plans feel actionable

When you’re ready to scale:

Add codebase reading so plans reference actual code
Integrate with your project management tools
Build in memory to learn from past decisions
Share the agent with your team for consistent planning

Focus on getting the core planning behavior right first. You can always add sophistication like velocity tracking or RFC generation later.

Get Started

Server

Blink Essentials

Agent Use Cases

Overview

Getting started

What you can build

Building your planning agent

Make it analyze trade-offs

Make it break down large features

Make it identify risks proactively

Make it ask clarifying questions

Make it format plans consistently

Make it reference code structure

Make it estimate scope realistically

Make it suggest proof-of-concepts

Make it compare frameworks and tools

Make it create debugging plans

How it works behind the scenes

Iterating on your agent

Advanced capabilities

Tips for success

​Overview

​Getting started

​What you can build

​Building your planning agent

​Make it analyze trade-offs

​Make it break down large features

​Make it identify risks proactively

​Make it ask clarifying questions

​Make it format plans consistently

​Make it reference code structure

​Make it estimate scope realistically

​Make it suggest proof-of-concepts

​Make it compare frameworks and tools

​Make it create debugging plans

​How it works behind the scenes

​Iterating on your agent

​Advanced capabilities

​Tips for success

Overview

Getting started

What you can build

Building your planning agent

Make it analyze trade-offs

Make it break down large features

Make it identify risks proactively

Make it ask clarifying questions

Make it format plans consistently

Make it reference code structure

Make it estimate scope realistically

Make it suggest proof-of-concepts

Make it compare frameworks and tools

Make it create debugging plans

How it works behind the scenes

Iterating on your agent

Advanced capabilities

Tips for success