Permission Modes

How autonomous should the Agent be? This is the core question every user faces. XClaw answers it with three permission levels.

**Explore mode** is the most conservative. The Agent can only read — it can't write or execute anything. Use it when you want the Agent to help you understand an unfamiliar codebase. It can see all files, analyze structure, and answer questions, but it won't change a thing.

**Confirm mode** is the default and our recommendation. The Agent can plan operations, but each step requires your explicit approval. You see exactly what files the Agent intends to write, what commands it plans to run, and you decide whether to allow it. This balances safety and efficiency — you stay in control without having to do the work yourself.

**Auto mode** gives the Agent full autonomy. It decides what to read, write, and execute on its own, only notifying you when it's done. This sounds aggressive, but for repetitive tasks you're already familiar with, it dramatically improves efficiency.

Permission modes can be switched mid-session. A common workflow: run a new task in Confirm mode first, observe the Agent's decision quality, then use Auto mode for similar tasks once you've established trust.

How to

The permission mode toggle lives at the bottom of the session interface — you'll see a small label showing the current mode. Click it to cycle through the three modes. You can also use a keyboard shortcut (check the default binding in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts).

When you're just getting started with XClaw, stick with "Confirm" mode. This lets you observe what the Agent wants to do at each step and get familiar with its behavior. Once you find yourself repeatedly clicking "Approve" and the Agent never makes mistakes, switch to "Auto" mode for better efficiency.

If you only want the Agent to read and analyze code without changing anything, switch to "Explore" mode for peace of mind — the Agent literally cannot modify a thing.

Quick tip: permission mode is session-level, so switching it won't affect any other running sessions.