Settings and Permissions

Settings files control Claude Code’s behavior. Permissions control what it can do without asking.

Settings Files

File	Scope
`~/.claude/settings.json`	You, across all projects
`.claude/settings.json`	This project, shared with your team
`.claude/settings.local.json`	This project, just for you (not committed)

Open the settings editor with:


/config

Common things you set here: default model, default permission mode, theme, and the permission rules below.

Permission Rules

You can pre-approve or block specific tools and commands, so Claude Code stops asking about the ones you already trust.

.claude/settings.json


{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": ["Read", "Edit", "Bash(npm *)"],
    "deny": ["Bash(rm *)"]
  }
}

This example always allows reading and editing files, and any npm command — but always blocks rm commands, even in a permissive mode.

Start small. Allow the commands you run constantly (like your test or build command), and deny anything destructive you never want run without asking.

Next → IDE Integration and Shortcuts