Interactive mode

Use Cline’s terminal TUI for hands-on development — keyboard shortcuts, slash commands, file mentions, and Plan/Act modes.

Interactive mode provides a full terminal UI for working with Cline conversationally. Unlike headless mode, which runs a single task and exits, interactive mode keeps a session open for back-and-forth collaboration: ask questions, review plans, approve actions, and iterate until the task is done.

For automated workflows, scripts, and CI/CD pipelines, see headless mode instead.

When to use interactive mode

Interactive mode is the right choice when you:

• Don’t know exactly what you need yet — explore a codebase, ask questions, and understand the architecture before making changes
• Want to review before acting — switch to Plan mode to see Cline’s strategy, then commit to Act mode when you’re ready
• Need iterative refinement — build on previous responses, ask follow-up questions, and guide Cline to the right solution
• Prefer human oversight — review each proposed action, approve file writes, and stay in control of what changes
• Are working on complex tasks — multi-step refactoring, debugging sessions, or feature development that requires judgment

Starting interactive mode

Run cline with no arguments:

cline

You’ll see an animated welcome screen. Type your task in the input field at the bottom and press Enter.

You can also start with an initial task, which will be submitted automatically once the UI loads:

cline "Help me add authentication to this Express app"

Keyboard shortcuts

All navigation and control in the terminal UI is done via keyboard.

Mode controls

Shortcut	Action
Tab	Toggle between Plan and Act mode
Shift+Tab	Toggle auto-approve all actions
Esc	Exit or cancel the current operation

Input controls

Shortcut	Action
Enter	Submit your message
↑ / ↓	Navigate message history
Home / End	Move cursor to start or end of line
Ctrl+A	Move cursor to beginning of line
Ctrl+E	Move cursor to end of line
Ctrl+W	Delete the word before the cursor
Ctrl+U	Delete the entire line

Session controls

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+C	Exit interactive mode and show session summary

File mentions with @

Type @ followed by a filename to include a file from your workspace as context:

@src/utils.ts can you add error handling to this file?

As you type after @, Cline shows a fuzzy-search dropdown of matching files. Use the arrow keys to navigate and Enter to select.

File search uses ripgrep for fast matching. Partial paths work — type @utils to find src/utils/helpers.ts.

You can include multiple file references in a single message:

Compare @src/old-api.ts with @src/new-api.ts and list the breaking changes

Slash commands

Type / to see available commands. Built-in slash commands:

Command	Description
/settings	Open the settings panel
/models	Switch models without leaving the session
/history	Browse and resume previous tasks
/clear	Start a fresh task, clearing the current conversation
/help	Show available commands
/exit	Exit the CLI

If you have workflows configured, they appear as additional slash commands. For example, a workflow named code-review becomes /code-review.

Settings panel

Open the settings panel with /settings. Navigate between tabs using the arrow keys.

Tab	What you can configure
API	Provider, model, extended thinking toggle, thinking budget
Auto-approve	Per-action approval rules: reads, writes, commands, browser, MCP tools
Features	Hooks, skills, auto-compact, sound notifications
Account	Sign in or out, view subscription status
Other	Theme, debug options

Plan and Act modes

Press Tab to toggle between Plan and Act mode. These work the same way as in the VS Code extension — see Plan and Act for a detailed explanation.

Plan mode

In Plan mode, Cline analyzes your request and outlines a strategy before making any changes. Use this when:

• Exploring a new or unfamiliar codebase
• Working on a large refactor where you want to agree on the approach first
• You want to catch misunderstandings before any files are touched

Act mode

In Act mode, Cline executes tasks directly. Use this when:

• The task is straightforward and well-defined
• You’ve already reviewed the plan and are ready to proceed
• Speed matters more than pre-verification

A common workflow: start in Plan mode to review the strategy, then press Tab to switch to Act mode when you’re satisfied.

Auto-approve

Press Shift+Tab to toggle auto-approve for all actions. When enabled, Cline skips the per-action confirmation prompts and works continuously without interruption.

When to enable auto-approve

• The task is well-defined and you trust the outcome
• The task has many steps and constant approval prompts would slow you down significantly
• You’re watching the output in real time and can press Ctrl+C to stop if something goes wrong

What gets auto-approved

With auto-approve enabled, the following happen without prompting:

• File reads
• File writes
• Shell command execution
• Browser actions
• MCP tool calls

For granular control — for example, auto-approving reads but not writes — use /settings → Auto-approve tab, or see Auto-approve.

Auto-approve gives Cline full autonomy over your working directory. Run on a clean git branch so you can revert changes easily. Press Ctrl+C at any time to stop immediately.

Session summary

When you exit with Ctrl+C, Cline displays a session summary:

• Tasks completed
• Files modified
• Commands executed
• Token usage and cost

This helps you track what was accomplished during the session.

Running multiple instances

By default, all CLI instances share the same configuration directory (~/.cline/data/). To run isolated instances with separate providers, API keys, and task history, use the --config flag:

# Work instance with team configuration
cline --config ~/.cline-work

# Personal instance with a different model
cline --config ~/.cline-personal

# Isolated instance for testing new settings
cline --config ~/.cline-test

Each config directory maintains its own provider settings, API keys, task history, and preferences.

Use a terminal multiplexer like tmux or a split-pane terminal to run multiple Cline instances in parallel, each working on a different part of your project with different models or configurations.

Tips for effective use

Give Cline context upfront. Describe what you’re working on and reference relevant files:

I'm building a REST API with Express. Routes are in @src/routes/ and models in @src/models/.
Help me add JWT authentication.

Use Plan mode when you’re unsure of the approach:

[Tab to switch to Plan mode]
How should I structure the database schema for a multi-tenant SaaS app?

Build on previous messages. The session preserves full conversation context:

> Add a login endpoint
[Cline creates the endpoint]

> Now add rate limiting to that endpoint
[Cline modifies the same endpoint]

> Add tests for both features
[Cline creates test files]

Next steps

Headless mode

Run Cline autonomously in scripts and CI/CD pipelines.

CLI reference

Complete documentation for all commands and flags.