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Two concepts to understand: Task - A single job for Cline to complete (“add tests to utils.js”). You describe what you want, Cline plans how to do it, then executes the plan. Tasks run on instances. Instance - An independent Cline workspace. Each instance runs one task at a time. Create multiple instances to run multiple tasks that work on different parts of your project in parallel.

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1. Interactive mode: Plan first, then act

Start here to see how Cline works. Interactive mode opens a chat session where you can review plans before execution. 
cline
Cline opens an interactive session in your current directory. Type your task as a message. Cline enters Plan mode and proposes a step-by-step strategy. Review or edit the plan in chat. When you’re ready, switch to execution: 
/act
Cline executes the approved steps—reading files, writing code, running commands. You maintain control throughout the process.

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2. Headless single-shot: Complete a task without chat

Use this for automation where you want a one-liner that just does the work. 
cline instance new --default
cline task new -y "Generate unit tests for all Go files"
With the -y (YOLO) flag, Cline plans and executes autonomously without interactive chat. Perfect for CI, cron jobs, or scripts. Examples: 
# Create a complete feature
cline task new -y "Create a REST API for user authentication"

# Generate documentation
cline task new -y "Add JSDoc comments to all functions in src/"

# Refactor code
cline task new -y "Convert all var declarations to const/let"
Monitor your task with: 
# View task status
cline task view

# Follow task progress in real-time
cline task view --follow
Press Ctrl+C to exit the view.
Run YOLO mode with care on a directory or a clean Git branch. You get speed in exchange for oversight, so be ready to revert if needed.

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3. Multi-instance: Run parallel agents

Multiple instances let you parallelize work on the same project without colliding contexts. Run frontend, backend, and infrastructure tasks simultaneously. Create your first instance: 
cline instance new
This returns an instance address you’ll use to target tasks. Attach a task to this instance: 
# Frontend work on first instance
cline task new -y "Build React components"
Create a second instance and set it as default in one command: 
cline instance new --default
Now you can create tasks without specifying the address—they automatically use the default instance: 
# Backend work on the new default instance
cline task new -y "Implement API endpoints"
List all running instances: 
cline instances list
Stop all instances when done: 
cline instances kill -a
Keep track of instance addresses returned by cline instance new. When scripting multiple agents, store these IDs and direct your tasks to the appropriate instance.

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Configuring context window for local providers

For Ollama and LM Studio, you can configure the model context window via CLI: 
# For Ollama
cline config s ollama-api-options-ctx-num=32768

# For LM Studio
cline config s lm-studio-max-tokens=32768
For other providers (Anthropic, OpenRouter, etc.), the context window is defined per model in the model metadata and is not user-configurable—Cline uses each model’s built-in context limits automatically.

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Choosing the right flow

  • Interactive mode: Best for exploring new problems, learning how Cline works, or when you want to review plans before execution
  • Headless single-shot: Perfect for automation, CI/CD, and tasks where you trust Cline to execute without supervision
  • Multi-instance: Use when you need to parallelize work or maintain separate contexts for different parts of your project
For in-depth commands and flags, check out the CLI reference page for complete documentation on all available options.

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Next steps

CLI reference

Complete command documentation including configuration, instance management, and task commands.

Plan and Act

Deep dive into Plan and Act modes, including when to use each and how to switch between them.

YOLO mode

Understand how YOLO mode works and when to use full automation versus manual approval.

Task management

Learn how Cline tracks and manages tasks, including saving and restoring state from checkpoints.