Plandex CLI Cheatsheet - Terminal Planning AI Coding Agent (pdx)

Plandex (alias pdx) is a planning-first open-source terminal AI coding agent, for developers who prefer the AI to break a large change into a clear multi-step plan, execute incrementally, and track progress. Unlike modify-directly agents it stresses planning-first and branch-based iteration, suiting big refactors. This sheet covers install/auth, new/load planning, tell execution, and branch iteration.

AI CLI·14 commands·Last updated 2026-08-26

Install & Auth 4

curl -sL https://plandex.ai/install.sh | bash

One-line zero-dependency CLI install

export OPENAI_API_KEY=...

Defaults to OpenAI (or OPENROUTER_API_KEY)

plandex

Start the REPL (alias pdx)

pdx

Short alias for plandex

Plan & Load 6

plandex new

Start the first plan in the cwd

plandex load some-file.ts another-file.ts

Add files to context

plandex load src/components -r

Load a whole directory recursively

plandex load src --tree

Load directory layout (file names only)

plandex load src/**/*.ts

Load files matching a glob

plandex load https://raw.githubusercontent.com/.../README.md

Load the text content of a URL

Execute & Iterate 4

plandex tell "add a new line chart..."

Send a task; the agent plans then implements

plandex tell -f prompt.txt

Read the prompt from a file

plandex help

List all commands

plandex <command> --help

Show detailed help for a command

Tips

Plandex core is plan-then-implement: changes accumulate in a protected sandbox for review before applying to project files, with built-in version control to roll back anytime.
`plandex load -r` loads a directory recursively, `--tree` loads structure only, and `**/*.ts` uses glob — control context precisely and avoid wasting tokens.
It defaults to OpenAI but also works with Anthropic Claude, Gemini, Mixtral, Llama, and more via OpenRouter.ai or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

FAQ

How is Plandex different from ordinary AI chat coding?

Plandex targets large tasks: changes accumulate in a sandbox for your review before applying; built-in version control rolls back, branches try multiple approaches in parallel, and context stays current automatically.

Must Plandex use OpenAI?

It defaults to OpenAI (needs OPENAI_API_KEY) but also supports Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Mixtral, Llama, and more via OpenRouter.ai or any OpenAI-compatible provider.

Official References

Each command links to its official documentation below, so you can verify the latest usage and read deeper.

plandex-ai/plandex Repo

Maintained by LaoHand

Publicly updated on Aug 26, 2026, continuously proofread against official docs.

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