Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cline.bot/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
The SDK has two main runtime entry points:
ClineCore from @cline/core: Node runtime with sessions, persistence, built-in tools, approvals, automation, and hub support.Agent / AgentRuntime from @cline/agents: browser-compatible, stateless, in-process execution. You provide tools, persistence, and lifecycle management.
Agent is an alias for AgentRuntime. Use Agent when constructing from provider/model IDs. Use AgentRuntime when supplying a pre-built AgentModel.
Which Runtime to Use
| Need | Use |
|---|
| Browser-compatible or lightweight in-process agent | Agent / AgentRuntime |
| Custom tools only | Agent / AgentRuntime |
| Manual control over persistence | Agent / AgentRuntime |
| Built-in tools for files, shell, search, web fetch | ClineCore |
| Session persistence | ClineCore |
| Hub/remote runtime | ClineCore |
| Scheduling or event automation | ClineCore |
| Multi-agent teams | ClineCore |
Agent / AgentRuntime
Agent runs the core loop:
run() or continue()
-> model request
-> tool calls, if any
-> tool results
-> repeat until complete
import { Agent } from "@cline/sdk"
const agent = new Agent({
providerId: "anthropic",
modelId: "claude-sonnet-4-6",
apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY,
systemPrompt: "You are a helpful coding assistant.",
tools: [myTool],
})
agent.subscribe((event) => {
if (event.type === "assistant-text-delta") {
process.stdout.write(event.text ?? "")
}
})
const result = await agent.run("Review this diff")
console.log(result.outputText)
Methods
| Method | Purpose |
|---|
run(input) | Start a run with user input |
continue(input?) | Continue with optional new input |
abort(reason?) | Abort the active run |
subscribe(listener) | Listen to AgentRuntimeEvent events |
restore(messages) | Replace conversation history |
snapshot() | Read runtime state |
Multi-Turn Conversations
AgentRuntime keeps message state internally. Use continue() after the first run:
await agent.run("What does this project do?")
await agent.continue("Now identify risky files")
restore(messages) before continuing.
ClineCore
ClineCore wraps runtime execution with application features:
- session manifests and message artifacts
- built-in tools
- tool approval callbacks
- local, hub, and remote backends
- automation/scheduling APIs
- optional plugin paths and extensions
import { ClineCore } from "@cline/sdk"
const cline = await ClineCore.create({
clientName: "my-app",
backendMode: "auto",
})
const session = await cline.start({
prompt: "Set up GitHub Actions for this repo",
config: {
providerId: "anthropic",
modelId: "claude-sonnet-4-6",
apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY,
systemPrompt: "You are a helpful coding assistant.",
cwd: "/path/to/project",
workspaceRoot: "/path/to/project",
enableTools: true,
enableSpawnAgent: false,
enableAgentTeams: false,
},
})
console.log(session.sessionId)
console.log(session.result?.finishReason)
Methods
| Method | Purpose |
|---|
ClineCore.create(options) | Create the runtime |
start(input) | Start a session |
send({ sessionId, prompt }) | Send a follow-up message |
subscribe(listener, options?) | Listen to session events |
list(limit?, options?) | List sessions with history metadata |
get(sessionId) | Read session metadata |
readMessages(sessionId) | Read session messages |
getAccumulatedUsage(sessionId) | Read session token/cost totals |
abort(sessionId, reason?) | Abort current work |
stop(sessionId) | Stop a session |
delete(sessionId) | Delete a session |
dispose(reason?) | Clean up runtime resources |
Backend Modes
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|
auto | Prefer a compatible local hub, otherwise use local execution |
hub | Require a compatible WebSocket hub |
remote | Connect to a configured remote hub |
local | Always use local in-process execution and local storage |
Session Artifacts
ClineCore stores session manifests and messages as files. A session result includes:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|
sessionId | Session identifier |
manifest | Parsed session manifest |
manifestPath | Path to the session manifest JSON |
messagesPath | Path to persisted message JSON |
result | Final AgentResult, when available |
await cline.start({
prompt: "Audit this repo",
config: {
providerId: "anthropic",
modelId: "claude-sonnet-4-6",
apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY,
systemPrompt: "You are a helpful coding assistant.",
cwd: process.cwd(),
workspaceRoot: process.cwd(),
enableTools: true,
enableSpawnAgent: false,
enableAgentTeams: false,
},
toolPolicies: {
read_files: { autoApprove: true },
search_codebase: { autoApprove: true },
run_commands: { autoApprove: false },
editor: { autoApprove: false },
},
})
requestToolApproval when your application needs to decide dynamically:
const cline = await ClineCore.create({
clientName: "my-app",
capabilities: {
requestToolApproval: async (request) => {
return { approved: request.toolName !== "run_commands" }
},
},
})
