Permission Mode

What is a Permission Mode

Permission mode is the setting that decides how cautious a session is by default: whether it asks before every file edit and shell command, auto-accepts edits while still asking about anything riskier like network access or destructive commands, or runs with essentially nothing gated at all.

It is set at the session level rather than negotiated action by action, which makes it the main lever controlling how often a permission prompt actually interrupts the work. A tightly gated mode produces a lot of pauses on a task that turns out to be entirely routine, a loose mode produces almost none, even on a task that hits something genuinely risky.

Choosing the right mode is a judgment call about the task, not a fixed default that should apply everywhere. Exploratory or high-stakes work usually wants a tighter mode, since the cost of an unwanted action is high. Well-scoped, well-understood, low-risk work, especially AFK runs, can reasonably use a looser mode paired with guardrails for the specific actions that would actually be dangerous.