Permission modes

Build-along · ~8 min at your own keyboard

Claude Code has gears: ask-before-edits (default), auto-accept edits, and plan mode. Shift+Tab cycles them. (There is also a bypass mode that skips every prompt; it's covered later and is not for everyday use.) The skill is matching the gear to the stakes — auto-accept for a scratch folder, ask-first for anything you'd mind losing.

The long version: Permission modes ↗

Mac: Mac: Shift+Tab cycles modes in Terminal and iTerm.

Windows: Windows: Shift+Tab works in Windows Terminal and PowerShell. If it does not, use the mode option in the VS Code panel.

Do this

0/4

Checkpoints

▸You should now see the mode indicator change each time you press Shift+Tab.
▸You should now see an approval prompt with the exact edit it wants to make.
▸You should now see 3 test notes created without prompts in auto-accept.

The three ways this goes wrong

Shift+Tab does nothing. — Click into the Claude input first. Some terminals capture the key; try the mode menu or restart claude.
You left auto-accept on and moved to a real folder. — Look at the indicator every time you start a session. Switch back before touching client files.
You approve prompts without reading them. — Read one prompt fully on purpose. If you cannot tell what it does, say no and ask Claude to explain.

Share what happened

Paste your three-line personal mode policy and what the approval prompt showed you.

Strip API keys, passwords, and tokens before you paste. Swap them for [KEY].

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