lesson 6 of 7 · claude basics
Permissions.
Permissions decide what Claude may do without asking you first.
new words
- Permission mode
- One setting for the whole session. The line under the prompt shows it.
- Permission prompt
- A question from Claude before one action. You answer yes or no.
the lesson
| Line under the prompt | What Claude does without asking |
|---|---|
⏵⏵ auto mode on | Everything. A second model checks each step and blocks risky ones. A new session starts here. |
⏸ manual mode on | Only reading. It asks before every edit and command. |
⏵⏵ accept edits on | Reading and editing files. It asks before other commands. |
⏸ plan mode on | Only reading. It writes a plan and waits for your yes. |
Press Shift + Tab to move to the next mode.
When Claude asks, read the action before you answer. "Yes, and don't ask again" saves a rule, so Claude stops asking about that action.
In auto mode, say your limits in plain words, like "do not send anything". Auto mode then blocks matching actions. A limit said only in chat can be lost when the chat is summarized.
Esc twice on an empty prompt opens a menu that undoes Claude's changes to files on your computer. Nothing undoes what left your computer: a sent message, a published page, a change in another app.
try it
Click in your Claude window. Press Shift + Tab four times, slowly.
you should see
- The line under the prompt changes to
manual mode on, thenaccept edits on, thenplan mode on, thenauto mode onagain.