Todo Lists as Instruction Mirrors
The Todo list tool is my second favourite Claude Code tool, second only to the Task/Agent tool. The Todo list tool serves a purpose beyond just tracking progress, it reveals how Claude interprets your instructions.
I often benchmark my instructions against Claude's todos, particularly for step by step processes I am aspiring for a mirror like reflection. When his todos mirror my intentions, I know my instructions are grokked. When his todos diverge, it flags an area for potential improvement in my communication.
Todo List Divergence
- Out of Order: Instructions specify step A then B, but Claude's todos list B then A
- Missing Todo Item: Instructions mention running tests, but Claude's todo list omits this step entirely
- Extra Todo Item: Claude adds "backup existing files" when instructions never mentioned this
- Wrong Granularity: Instructions say "update documentation" but Claude creates separate todos for each individual file
- Misinterpreted Step: Instructions say "review changes" but Claude lists "commit changes" instead
Real-Time Steering
Claude's todo list communicates the effects of real-time steering of Claude's goals. You can steer future todo items as Claude reviews your prompts mid-task and uses them to update his planning.
Consider a basic example of changing an element's colour. Properly utilising the todo list allows for clearer steering of future todos as you can see exactly what he plans to do.
Before Steering:
- Fix the navigation menu alignment
- Update the footer text
- Add new contact form validation
- Change the button background color to
blue - Update documentation
Mid-task Steering:
Actually make it green instead
After Steering:
- Fix the navigation menu alignment
- Update the footer text
- Add new contact form validation
- Change the button background color to
green - Update documentation
See Also: You Are the Main Thread|Tight Feedback Loops|CLAUDE.md Supremacy
InventorBlack