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What Claude is allowed to do
Last setup step — and the good news is that it’s mostly already done for you. This lesson explains what Claude Code is allowed to do on your computer, and how to give it more or less rope whenever you want.
You’re already in the right mode
On a Pro or Max plan, Claude Code normally starts in Auto mode. That means it edits files and runs commands without stopping to ask you each time. Behind the scenes, a second AI model checks the riskier things it is about to do — like running code downloaded from the internet or deleting files you already had — and blocks the dangerous ones. It cuts down the interruptions, but it won’t catch everything, so keep reading what Claude says it is doing. If your very first session starts in Manual mode instead, where Claude asks before each step, that’s normal.
That’s why the rest of this course reads the way it does: you paste a prompt, Claude works, you look at the result. If you’d rather watch every move — or have Claude talk you through a change before it touches a single file — there are three other modes to switch to. Here’s the four you will actually use:
| Mode | What it does | When you'd use it |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Claude edits files and runs commands; a background checker blocks the risky ones instead of asking you. | Where you start, and what this course assumes. |
| Plan | Claude tells you what it would do and changes nothing until you approve. | Before anything big, or any time you're nervous. |
| Accept edits | Claude changes files freely but still asks before running a command. | You trust the edits but want a look at the commands. |
| Manual | Claude asks before every single file change. | You want to see and approve every move. |
Check which mode you’re in
- Desktop app: next to the send button there’s a small mode selector. It should already say Auto. If it doesn’t, click it and pick Auto. That’s all this lesson asks of you.
- Terminal: sessions normally start in Auto mode. Press
Shift+Tabat any time to cycle through the modes; the bar at the bottom of the window tells you which one you’re currently in.
Of the four, Plan is the one worth remembering. Switch to it and Claude will read your files, work out an approach, and write it out for you in plain English — while changing absolutely nothing. When the plan is ready it asks how you’d like to proceed, and you can send it back for another pass as many times as you like.
If you ever catch yourself thinking “hang on, what is it about to do to my files?” — that’s the answer. Use it before anything big, then switch back to Auto for the everyday work.
There’s a mode called bypass permissions that switches every check off. You’ll see it recommended in older tutorials, so it’s worth naming: Anthropic’s own guidance is to use it only inside an isolated test machine, never on the computer you actually work on. Don’t turn it on. Auto mode gives you the same smooth build with the safety net still underneath.
You have a Claude plan, the Claude app installed and signed in on the Code tab, Node and Git installed, your project folder open, and you know which permission mode you’re in. The setup — the hardest part of the whole journey — is done. Now the fun begins.
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