Approval Modes: You Are Always in Control

One of the things that makes Claude Code different from most AI tools is that it does not just go off and do things without your knowledge.

By default, Claude Code shows you what it wants to do and waits for your permission before acting. This is called an approval mode and you can control exactly how much or how little Claude Code checks in with you.

The three modes

Mode 1: Default (Ask Before Acting)

This is the mode you start in.

Before Claude Code runs any command, whether that is creating a file, editing a file, deleting a file, or running your app, it pauses and shows you what it wants to do. You approve or deny each action.

It looks like this:

• "I would like to create a file called index.html in your project folder. Do you approve? Y / N"
• You see every action before it happens. Nothing runs without your knowledge.
• Best for everyone starting out. Stay in this mode until you feel comfortable with how Claude Code thinks and works.

Mode 2: Auto-Approve File Edits (acceptEdits)

In this mode, Claude Code can create and edit files without asking each time. It still asks before running terminal commands like installing packages or running your app.

File creation and edits happen automatically with no approval prompt. Terminal commands still pause and ask for your permission before running.

Best for once you have built a few projects and trust how Claude Code behaves. This mode speeds up the build process significantly.

Mode 3: Plan Mode

In this mode, Claude Code does not execute anything. It reads your project and tells you exactly what it would do, step by step, but it does not run any of it until you say go.

It looks like this:

• "Here is my plan: I will create index.html with your page structure, then create style.css with the design styles, link them together, and add the responsive layout. Should I proceed?"
• Best for big tasks where you want to review the full plan before Claude starts working. Especially useful for complex builds or major changes to an existing project.

How to switch modes

In the Desktop App: go to Settings (the gear icon or top menu), find the Permissions or Approval section, and select the mode you want. The exact location may vary slightly depending on your app version, so look around Settings if you do not see it immediately.

In the Terminal: to start in Plan mode, type /plan before describing your task. To auto-approve file edits, start Claude with this command:

claude --permission-mode acceptEdits

To return to Default mode, simply restart Claude Code normally without any flags.

Our recommendation

Start with Default mode. See every action. Learn how Claude Code thinks before you give it more freedom.

After your fifth or sixth project, switch to Auto-Approve File Edits for a faster building experience.

Use Plan mode any time you are about to make a significant change to an existing project and want to review everything before committing.

One rule that never changes

No matter which approval mode you are in, you can always press Ctrl and C together, or click the Stop button in the Desktop App, to immediately halt whatever Claude is doing.

You are always in control. The modes just determine how often Claude pauses to check in with you along the way.

Your action right now

Check which approval mode Claude Code is currently in.

In the Desktop App: go to Settings and look for Permissions or Approval settings.

In the terminal: type /help and look for any permission-related options listed there.

Confirm you are in Default mode, then move to the next lesson.