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Glossary

Plan-and-Execute (Agent Pattern)

Reviewed 9 April 2026 Canonical definition

Plan-and-execute is an agent reasoning pattern in which the agent first generates a step-by-step plan for completing a task, then executes each step sequentially or in parallel. Separating planning from execution allows for human review of the plan before actions are taken, making it a natural integration point for governance controls that require approval of high-risk action sequences.