Every time Claude wants to change a file or run a command, something decides: do it without asking, or ask you. That something is the .
Four modes
They cycle with Shift+Tab. The status line under the input always shows which mode is in effect:
| Status line | Mode | Without asking, Claude… |
|---|---|---|
⏸ manual mode on | Manual | only reads |
⏵⏵ accept edits on | Accept edits | reads, edits files, runs ordinary file commands |
⏸ plan mode on | Plan | reads and writes a plan; touches files only after you approve |
⏵⏵ auto mode on | Auto | does everything, while background safety checks cut off anything dangerous |
How to choose
Manual — for sensitive work and unfamiliar code. You approve every action yourself. Slow, but under control.
Accept edits — when the task is clear and you are happy to accept file edits, but you want to see which commands Claude runs.
Plan — the habit worth building first. Claude explores the code, writes the whole plan and stops. You read the plan, adjust or approve it — and only then do changes begin. It is the cheapest way to catch a wrong approach before it becomes a hundred lines of code. is covered in detail in Claude Code from Zero.
Auto — for long tasks where approving each step is tiring. Claude works on its own, and background safety checks watch for dangerous actions.
Modes for scripts
Two more modes are chosen not with keys but with a flag at launch — they come in handy in the Autopilot level:
dontAsk— denies everything that would have needed a question in a normal session. For places where nobody is there to answer.bypassPermissions— skips permission checks. Only for isolated containers with nothing important in reach.
Quick check
You need to rename a function in forty files — mechanical, well-understood work. Which mode makes sense?
Careful
A mode stays on until you change it. Switched to Auto for routine work? Remember to go back to Manual or Plan before taking on anything sensitive. A glance at the status line before an important request takes one second.