The Auto Approve menu lets you set fine-grained permissions on what you allow Cline to do in an automated way.

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How it works

By default, Cline will ask for your permission before calling any tool, including reading or writing files.

If you want to allow Cline to do something without asking, you can set the Auto Approve permission for that tool.

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Permission Options

  • Read project files

    • Allows Cline to read files within your current workspace without asking
    • Read all files
      • Extends read permission to files outside your workspace (system files, config files, etc.)

  • Edit project files

    • Allows Cline to modify files within your current workspace without confirmation
    • Edit all files
      • Extends modification permission to files outside your workspace

  • Execute safe commands

    • Allows execution of terminal commands that the model deems non-destructive
    • Execute all commands
      • Permits execution of any terminal command without asking

  • Use the browser

    • Allows Cline to use the browser tool to fetch web content

  • Use MCP servers

    • Permits connection to and usage of MCP servers for extended functionality

  • Maximum requests

    • Sets the number of consecutive automated actions Cline can take before requiring your input

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Best Practices

Personally, I like to keep auto-editing disabled because it gives me a chance to review changes every step of the way.

For most serious development workflows, I recommend starting with:

  • Auto-approving read access to project files
  • Setting a reasonable maximum request limit (10-20)

This gives Cline enough freedom to explore your codebase without constant interruptions, while still requiring permission for edits or potentially destructive actions.

As you build more trust in Cline’s capabilities with your specific projects, you can gradually increase the permissions to match your comfort level.

Remember that you can always adjust these settings as your needs change - tighten permissions for critical production work, or loosen them when prototyping and exploring.

You can even use the quick “star” actions to quickly toggle your auto-approved selections on and off as you go.