CLI Reference

cline --help           # Show all commands
cline <command> --help # Show help for a specific command

Synopsis

cline [options] [command] [prompt]

Usage: cline [options] [command] [prompt]

Cline CLI - AI coding assistant in your terminal

Arguments:
  prompt                       Your prompt. Default to start in act mode with auto-approve enabled.

Options:
  -V, --version                Output the version number
  -p, --plan                   Run in plan mode
  --json                       Output messages as JSON instead of styled text
  --auto-approve <boolean>     Set tool auto-approval for all tools (default: true)
  -t, --timeout <seconds>      Optional timeout in seconds (default: 0 for no timeout)
  -m, --model <model-id>       Model to use for the session with the selected provider
  -v, --verbose                Show verbose output
  -c, --cwd <path>             Working directory
  --config <path>              Configuration directory (default: ~/.cline/data/settings)
  --data-dir <path>            Use isolated local state at this directory path (default: ~/.cline)
  --thinking <level>           Set reasoning effort level between none|low|medium|high|xhigh (default: medium)
  --retries <count>            Maximum consecutive mistakes (retries) before halting
  --hooks-dir <path>           Directory path to additional hooks for runtime hook injection (default: ~/.cline/hooks)
  --acp                        Run in Agent Client Protocol (ACP) mode for editor integration
  -i, --tui                    Open the terminal user interface (TUI) for interactive sessions
  --id <session-id>            Resume an existing session by ID
  -k, --key <api-key>          API key override for this run
  -P, --provider <id>          Provider id (default: cline)
  -s, --system <system-prompt> Override the default system prompt
  -z, --zen                    Start a session that runs in the background hub
  -h, --help                   display help for command

Commands:
  auth [options] [provider]    Authenticate a provider and configure what model is used
  config [options]             Show current configuration
  connect [options] [adapter]  Connect to an editor or IDE adapter
  mcp                          Manage MCP servers
  dev                          Developer tools and utilities
  doctor                       Diagnose and fix configuration issues
  history|h [options]          List session history or manage saved sessions
  hook                         Handle a hook payload from stdin
  plugin                       Manage Cline Plugins
  schedule                     Manage scheduled tasks
  hub                          Manage the local hub daemon
  update [options]             Check for updates and install if available
  version                      Show Cline CLI version number
  kanban                       Launch the kanban app and exit

Global Options

Option	Description
`-V, --version`	Output the version number
`-p, --plan`	Run in plan mode
`--json`	Output messages as JSON instead of styled text
`--auto-approve <boolean>`	Set tool auto-approval for all tools (default: `true`)
`-t, --timeout <seconds>`	Optional timeout in seconds (default: `0` for no timeout)
`-m, --model <model-id>`	Model to use for the session with the selected provider
`-v, --verbose`	Show verbose output
`-c, --cwd <path>`	Working directory
`--config <path>`	Configuration directory (default: `~/.cline/data/settings`)
`--data-dir <path>`	Use isolated local state at this directory path (default: `~/.cline`)
`--thinking <level>`	Set reasoning effort: `none\|low\|medium\|high\|xhigh` (default `medium`)
`--retries <count>`	Maximum consecutive mistakes (retries) before halting
`--hooks-dir <path>`	Directory path to additional hooks for runtime hook injection (default: `~/.cline/hooks`)
`--acp`	Run in Agent Client Protocol (ACP) mode for editor integration
`-i, --tui`	Open the terminal user interface (TUI) for interactive sessions
`--id <session-id>`	Resume an existing session by ID
`-k, --key <api-key>`	API key override for this run
`-P, --provider <id>`	Provider id (default: `cline`)
`-s, --system <system-prompt>`	Override the default system prompt
`-z, --zen`	Start a session that runs in the background hub
`-h, --help`	Display help for command

Commands

`cline` (default)

Start a task or enter interactive mode.

cline
cline "your prompt here"
cline "Run tests and fix failures"
echo "prompt" | cline

`auth [options] [provider]`

Configure authentication with an AI provider.

cline auth

`config [options]`

Show current configuration.

cline config

`connect [options] [adapter]`

Connect to messaging platforms. See Connectors.

cline connect
cline connect [adapter]

`mcp`

Manage MCP servers. See MCP.

cline mcp

`dev`

Developer tools and utilities.

cline dev

`doctor`

Diagnose and fix configuration issues.

cline doctor

`history|h [options]`

List session history or manage saved sessions.

cline history
cline h

`hook`

Handle a hook payload from stdin.

cat payload.json | cline hook

`plugin`

Manage Cline plugins. Install plugins from file URLs, npm, git repositories, or local paths. See Plugins for full details and the plugin manifest format.

cline plugin install <source>  # Install a plugin
cline plugin i <source>        # Shorthand alias

Option	Description
`--npm`	Treat source as an npm package
`--git`	Treat source as a git repository
`--force`	Replace an existing install for the same source
`--json`	Output result as JSON
`--cwd <path>`	Install to `<path>/.cline/plugins` instead of the global directory

Try it with the TypeScript Navigation Plugin:

cline plugin install https://github.com/cline/typescript-lsp-plugin.git

`schedule`

Manage scheduled agents. See Scheduling.

cline schedule

`hub`

Manage the local hub daemon.

cline hub

`update [options]`

Check for updates and install if available.

cline update

`version`

Show Cline CLI version number.

cline version
cline -V

`kanban`

Launch the kanban app and exit.

cline kanban

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
`CLINE_DATA_DIR`	Custom configuration directory (replaces `~/.cline/data/`)
`CLINE_HUB_ADDRESS`	Override hub address (default: `127.0.0.1:25463`)
`CLINE_SESSION_BACKEND_MODE`	Force backend mode (`local`, `hub`, `remote`, `auto`)
`CLINE_SANDBOX_DATA_DIR`	Sandbox session storage directory
`CLINE_SANDBOX`	Enable sandbox mode
`CLINE_HOOKS_DIR`	Additional hooks directory
`CLINE_BUILD_ENV`	Set to `development` for debug features
`CLINE_DEBUG_PORT_BASE`	Base port for Node.js inspector
`CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS`	JSON policy restricting shell commands (see below)

CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS

Restrict which shell commands the agent can execute:

export CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS='{"allow": ["npm *", "git *"], "deny": ["rm -rf *", "sudo *"]}'

Field	Type	Description
`allow`	`string[]`	Glob patterns for allowed commands. If set, only matching commands are permitted.
`deny`	`string[]`	Glob patterns for denied commands. Deny rules always take precedence.
`allowRedirects`	`boolean`	Whether to allow shell redirects (`>`, `>>`, `<`). Default: `false`.

JSON Output Format

When using --json, each message is a JSON object on its own line:

{"type": "say", "text": "I'll create the file now.", "ts": 1760501486669, "say": "text"}

Field	Type	Description
`type`	`"ask"` or `"say"`	Message category
`text`	`string`	Message content
`ts`	`number`	Unix timestamp in milliseconds
`say`	`string`	Subtype when `type` is `"say"`
`ask`	`string`	Subtype when `type` is `"ask"`
`reasoning`	`string`	Model reasoning (if available)
`partial`	`boolean`	`true` while streaming

Configuration Files

~/.cline/
  data/
    settings/
      providers.json             # API keys and provider config
      rules/                     # Global rules
      skills/                    # Global skills
    teams/                       # Team state
    sessions/                    # Session database (SQLite)
    logs/
      hub-daemon.log             # Hub logs
  plugins/                       # Global plugins
    _installed/                  # Managed by `cline plugin install`

.cline/                          # Project root
  rules/                         # Project rules
  skills/                        # Project skills
  hooks/                         # Lifecycle hooks
  plugins/                       # Project plugins
  mcp.json                       # MCP server config
  agents.yaml                    # Agent definitions

Getting Started

Usage

Configurations

Features

Best Practices

IDE Specific Features

Troubleshooting

CLI Reference

Synopsis

Help Menu (Source of Truth)

Global Options

Commands

`cline` (default)

`auth [options] [provider]`

`config [options]`

`connect [options] [adapter]`

`mcp`

`dev`

`doctor`

`history|h [options]`

`hook`

`plugin`

`schedule`

`hub`

`update [options]`

`version`

`kanban`

Environment Variables

CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS

JSON Output Format

Configuration Files

​Synopsis

​Help Menu (Source of Truth)

​Global Options

​Commands

​cline (default)

​auth [options] [provider]

​config [options]

​connect [options] [adapter]

​mcp

​dev

​doctor

​history|h [options]

​hook

​plugin

​schedule

​hub

​update [options]

​version

​kanban

​Environment Variables

​CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS

​JSON Output Format

​Configuration Files

Synopsis

Help Menu (Source of Truth)

Global Options

Commands

`cline` (default)

`auth [options] [provider]`

`config [options]`

`connect [options] [adapter]`

`mcp`

`dev`

`doctor`

`history|h [options]`

`hook`

`plugin`

`schedule`

`hub`

`update [options]`

`version`

`kanban`

Environment Variables

CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS

JSON Output Format

Configuration Files