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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.

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What is the TUI?

The TUI is Cline’s interactive terminal interface. It is designed for conversational, in-terminal work: ask questions, review plans, approve actions, and iterate quickly.

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Prerequisites

Install the CLI: 
npm install -g @cline/cli
# or
bun install -g @cline/cli

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Launch the TUI

# default interactive launch
cline

# explicit TUI mode
cline -i

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Core TUI Actions

  • Tab to toggle Plan/Act
  • Shift+Tab to toggle auto-approve all
  • Ctrl+C to abort a running turn; press again to exit
  • Ctrl+D to exit when the prompt is empty and idle
  • Ctrl+L to clear the chat view or current conversation
  • /settings, /model, /account, /mcp, /compact, /undo, /clear, /history, /help, /quit
  • @file mentions for workspace context
The status area shows the active model, context usage, cost, workspace/branch, git diff stats, Plan/Act state, and whether auto-approve all is enabled.

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When to Use TUI vs Headless

  • Use TUI when you want collaboration and approvals.
  • Use headless (--json, piped stdin/stdout, CI scripts) for automation.
See: CLI Headless Mode

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Next Steps