Permission Modes

Permission modes control how much Claude Code asks before it acts.

The Modes

Mode	What happens	Use it when
Default	Asks before every edit and command	You are new, or the task is sensitive
Plan	Read-only. Writes a plan, you approve the plan, not each step	The task is large — a refactor or new feature
Accept Edits	Edits apply automatically. Risky commands still ask	Doing several small, low-risk changes
Auto	Claude decides what’s safe on its own	Routine work, least friction

Auto mode still blocks risky actions like committing secrets — it isn’t “no protection.” Fully unattended modes (dontAsk, bypassPermissions) come later in this guide, for CI and containers only.

Switching Modes

Press Shift+Tab to cycle modes inside a session
Or start in one directly:

Terminal


claude --permission-mode plan

A Daily Pattern

Plan for a new task — see the approach first
Accept Edits while it implements
Review with git diff before committing
Back to Default for anything unfamiliar

Next → Context Basics