Modes: plan and build

Every session runs with one intent: plan or build. The default is build. The intent decides which tools the agent may offer and how mutations are gated.

Switch intent with shift+tab at any time, or run /mode plan or /mode build.

Plan

Plan instructs the model to inspect and explain; it does not request mutations. Only three read-only tools are offered: read, list, and search.

Plan hard-denies the following regardless of any approver:

• write
• edit
• run_command
• MCP tool calls

These denials are not approval prompts you can accept; the tool call is refused outright.

Build

Build instructs the model to propose concrete changes and respect host approval decisions. Every mutating proposal — file edits and writes, commands, MCP calls — passes through an approve callback before it runs.

Interactively, the approval card offers:

• y — approve this one proposal
• a — approve this for the rest of the session
• n — deny

In headless mode there are no cards. Approval is granted up front by class:

• --approve-edits — allow file edits and writes
• --approve-commands — allow command execution with your permissions
• --approve-mcp — allow configured MCP tool calls

Without the relevant flag, the headless run denies that class of proposal. See Reference for the full flag surface.