CLI Reference

cline --help          # Show all commands
cline task --help     # Show task command options
cline auth --help     # Show auth command options
man cline             # View the full manual page (if installed)

cline [prompt] [options]
cline <command> [options] [arguments]

# Interactive mode (no arguments)
cline

# Start a task directly
cline "your prompt here"

# Resume the latest task for the current directory
cline --continue

cline task "Create a REST API endpoint"
cline t "Fix the bug in utils.js"

# Interactive wizard
cline auth

# Quick setup with flags
cline auth -p anthropic -k sk-ant-api-xxxxx -m claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929

# Show recent tasks (default: 10)
cline history

# Show more tasks
cline history -n 20

# Paginate through history
cline history -n 10 -p 2

cline config

cline update

cline version

# Open the log file
cline dev log

export CLINE_DIR=/path/to/custom/config
cline "your task"

export CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS='{"allow": ["npm *", "git *"], "deny": ["rm -rf *"]}'

{
  "allow": ["pattern1", "pattern2"],
  "deny": ["pattern3"],
  "allowRedirects": true
}

# Allow only npm and git commands (deny everything else)
export CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS='{"allow": ["npm *", "git *"]}'

# Allow dev commands but explicitly deny dangerous ones
export CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS='{"allow": ["npm *", "git *", "node *"], "deny": ["rm -rf *", "sudo *"]}'

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

{
  "type": "say",
  "text": "I'll create the file now.",
  "ts": 1760501486669,
  "say": "text"
}

~/.cline/
├── data/                    # Configuration directory
│   ├── globalState.json     # Global settings
│   ├── secrets.json         # API keys (stored securely)
│   ├── workspace/           # Workspace-specific state
│   └── tasks/               # Task history and conversations
└── log/                     # Debug logs (view with cline dev log)

# Start interactive mode
cline

# Start with a task and use interactive UI
cline "Help me refactor this codebase"

# Run a task directly
cline "Add error handling to utils.js"

# Start in Plan mode to review strategy first
cline -p "Design a caching layer for the API"

# Use a specific model
cline -m gpt-4o "Explain this code"

# Pipe file contents
cat README.md | cline "Summarize this document"

# Review git changes
git diff | cline "Review these changes"

# Analyze test output
npm test 2>&1 | cline "Fix any failing tests"

# YOLO mode for automated workflows
cline -y "Run tests and fix failures"

# JSON output for scripting
cline --json "List all TODO comments" | jq '.text'

# With timeout
cline -y --timeout 600 "Run the full test suite"

# Chain commands
git diff | cline -y "explain" | cline -y "write a commit message"

# Interactive wizard
cline auth

# Quick setup: Anthropic
cline auth -p anthropic -k sk-ant-api-xxxxx -m claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929

# Quick setup: OpenAI
cline auth -p openai-native -k sk-xxxxx -m gpt-4o

# Quick setup: OpenRouter
cline auth -p openrouter -k sk-or-xxxxx

# OpenAI-compatible with custom URL
cline auth -p openai -k your-key -b https://api.example.com/v1