Skip to main content

​
What is the Cline CLI?

Cline CLI is a command-line interface for the Cline AI coding assistant. It brings the same powerful AI capabilities from the VS Code extension directly to your terminal, allowing you to automate coding tasks, debug issues, and build features without leaving the command line. Cline is an autonomous AI agent that can:
  • Read and write files across your projects
  • Execute terminal commands (with your approval)
  • Use a headless browser for web testing
  • Explore large codebases and understand context
  • Handle complex multi-step software development tasks
The CLI shares the same core codebase as the VS Code extension, ensuring feature parity and consistent behavior.

​
Installation

​
Prerequisites

  • Node.js 20.x or later
  • npm, yarn, or pnpm package manager

​
Install via npm

npm install -g cline

​
Install via Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

brew install cline

​
Verify Installation

cline --version

​
Quick Start

​
1. Authenticate

Before using Cline, you need to configure an API provider and model: 
# Interactive authentication wizard
cline auth

# Or use quick setup
cline auth -p anthropic -k YOUR_API_KEY -m claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
Supported providers include Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, AWS Bedrock, Azure, OpenRouter, Moonshot, and more.

​
2. Run Your First Task

# Interactive mode - opens a chat interface
cline

# Direct task execution
cline "Create a hello world function in Python"

# With options
cline --thinking "Analyze this codebase and suggest improvements"

​
3. View Task History

cline history

​
Modes of Operation

Cline CLI operates in different modes depending on how you invoke it:

​
Interactive Mode

When you run cline without arguments or with stdin as a TTY, it launches an interactive terminal UI where you can:
  • Type your tasks and see real-time responses
  • Review and approve actions before they execute
  • View conversation history and context
  • Switch between Plan and Act modes
cline

​
Plain Text Mode

Activated automatically when:
  • stdin is piped from another command
  • Output is redirected to a file
  • --json or --yolo flags are used
Outputs clean text without the Ink UI, suitable for scripting and CI/CD pipelines. 
cat README.md | cline "Summarize this document"
cline --yolo "Run the test suite and fix any failures"

​
JSON Output Mode

Use --json to get structured output that can be parsed programmatically: 
cline --json "What files are in this directory?" | jq '.text'
Each message is output as a JSON object with fields:
  • type: “ask” or “say”
  • text: message content
  • ts: Unix timestamp in milliseconds
  • reasoning: optional reasoning text
  • images: optional list of image URIs
  • files: optional list of file paths

​
Agent Behavior

Cline operates in two primary modes:

​
Act Mode (Default)

Cline actively uses tools to accomplish tasks:
  • Read and write files
  • Execute terminal commands
  • Use a headless browser
  • Search and analyze codebases
  • Install dependencies
  • Run tests and debuggers
cline --act "Add unit tests to the authentication module"

​
Plan Mode

Cline gathers information and creates a detailed plan before implementation:
  • Explores the codebase structure
  • Asks clarifying questions
  • Presents a strategy for user approval
  • Switches to Act Mode when ready
cline --plan "Design a REST API for user management"

​
Configuration

Cline stores its data in ~/.cline/data/ by default: 
~/.cline/
├── data/
│   ├── globalState.json     # Global settings and state
│   ├── secrets.json         # API keys and secrets
│   ├── workspace/           # Workspace-specific state
│   └── tasks/               # Task history and conversation data
└── log/                     # Log files for debugging

​
Custom Configuration Directory

Override the default location using the --config option or CLINE_DIR environment variable: 
# Using flag
cline --config /path/to/config task "Build a feature"

# Using environment variable
export CLINE_DIR=/path/to/config
cline task "Build a feature"

​
Working Directory

By default, Cline operates in your current working directory. You can specify a different directory: 
cline --cwd /path/to/project "Add documentation"

​
Environment Variables

​
CLINE_DIR

Override the default configuration directory: 
export CLINE_DIR=~/.config/cline

​
CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS

Restrict which shell commands Cline can execute using JSON configuration: 
# Allow only npm and git commands
export CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS='{"allow": ["npm *", "git *"]}'

# Allow development commands with redirects
export CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS='{"allow": ["cat *", "echo *"], "allowRedirects": true}'

# Deny dangerous commands
export CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS='{"deny": ["rm -rf *", "sudo *"]}'
Fields:
  • allow (array): Glob patterns for allowed commands. If set, only matching commands are permitted.
  • deny (array): Glob patterns for denied commands. Deny rules take precedence over allow rules.
  • allowRedirects (boolean): Whether to allow shell redirects (>, >>, <). Defaults to false.

​
Next Steps

Commands

Explore all available CLI commands and their usage

Options

Learn about global options and configuration flags
Need help? Run cline --help to see available commands, or visit our GitHub repository for issues and discussions.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us