cline/docs/cline-cli/cli-reference.mdx

---
title: "CLI Reference"
description: "Complete command reference for Cline CLI including configuration, instance management, and task commands"
---

Complete command reference for Cline CLI. Use this for detailed documentation on all commands, options, and configuration.

For quick help in your terminal:

```bash
cline --help          # Show all commands
cline task --help     # Show task-specific commands
man cline            # View the full manual page
```

## Manual Page

The complete manual page for the Cline CLI:

```
CLINE(1)                         User Commands                        CLINE(1)

NAME
       cline - orchestrate and interact with Cline AI coding agents

SYNOPSIS
       cline [prompt] [options]

       cline command [subcommand] [options] [arguments]

DESCRIPTION
       Try: cat README.md | cline "Summarize this for me:"

       cline is a command-line interface for orchestrating multiple Cline AI
       coding agents.  Cline is an autonomous AI agent who can read, write,
       and execute code across your projects.  He operates through a
       client-server architecture where Cline Core runs as a standalone
       service, and the CLI acts as a scriptable interface for managing tasks,
       instances, and agent interactions.

       The CLI is designed for both interactive use and automation, making it
       ideal for CI/CD pipelines, parallel task execution, and terminal-based
       workflows.  Multiple frontends (CLI, VSCode, JetBrains) can attach to
       the same Cline Core instance, enabling seamless task handoff between
       environments.

MODES OF OPERATION
       Instant Task Mode
              The simplest invocation: cline "prompt here" immediately spawns
              an instance, creates a task, and enters chat mode.  This is
              equivalent to running cline instance new && cline task new &&
              cline task chat in sequence.

       Subcommand Mode
              Advanced usage with explicit control: cline <command>
              [subcommand] [options] provides fine-grained control over
              instances, tasks, authentication, and configuration.

AGENT BEHAVIOR
       Cline operates in two primary modes:

       ACT MODE
              Cline actively uses tools to accomplish tasks.  He can read
              files, write code, execute commands, use a headless browser, and
              more.  This is the default mode for task execution.

       PLAN MODE
              Cline gathers information and creates a detailed plan before
              implementation.  He explores the codebase, asks clarifying
              questions, and presents a strategy for user approval before
              switching to ACT MODE.

INSTANT TASK OPTIONS
       When using the instant task syntax cline "prompt" the following options
       are available:

       -o, --oneshot
              Full autonomous mode.  Cline completes the task and stops
              following after completion.  Example: cline -o "what's 6 + 8?"

       -s, --setting setting value
              Override a setting for this task

       -y, --no-interactive, --yolo
              Enable fully autonomous mode.  Disables all interactivity:

              • ask_followup_question tool is disabled

              • attempt_completion happens automatically

              • execute_command runs in non-blocking mode with timeout

              • PLAN MODE automatically switches to ACT MODE

       -m, --mode mode
              Starting mode.  Options: act (default), plan

       -w, --workspace path
              Additional workspace paths.  Can be specified multiple times to
              include multiple directories.  The current working directory is
              always included as the first workspace.  Example: cline -w
              /path/to/other/project "refactor shared code"

GLOBAL OPTIONS
       These options apply to all subcommands:

       -F, --output-format format
              Output format.  Options: rich (default), json, plain

       -h, --help
              Display help information for the command.

       -v, --verbose
              Enable verbose output for debugging.

COMMANDS
   Authentication
       cline auth [provider] [key]

       cline a [provider] [key]
              Configure authentication for AI model providers.  Launches an
              interactive wizard if no arguments provided.  If provider is
              specified without a key, prompts for the key or launches the
              appropriate OAuth flow.

   Instance Management
       Cline Core instances are independent agent processes that can run in
       the background.  Multiple instances can run simultaneously, enabling
       parallel task execution.

       cline instance

       cline i
              Display instance management help.

       cline instance new [-d|--default]

       cline i n [-d|--default]
              Spawn a new Cline Core instance.  Use --default to set it as
              the default instance for subsequent commands.

       cline instance list

       cline i l
              List all running Cline Core instances with their addresses and
              status.

       cline instance default address

       cline i d address
              Set the default instance to avoid specifying --address in task
              commands.

       cline instance kill address [-a|--all]

       cline i k address [-a|--all]
              Terminate a Cline Core instance.  Use --all to kill all running
              instances.

   Task Management
       Tasks represent individual work items that Cline executes.  Tasks
       maintain conversation history, checkpoints, and settings.

       cline task [-a|--address ADDR]

       cline t [-a|--address ADDR]
              Display task management help.  The --address flag specifies
              which Cline Core instance to use (e.g., localhost:50052).

       cline task new prompt [options]

       cline t n prompt [options]
              Create a new task in the default or specified instance.
              Options:

              -s, --setting setting value
                     Set task-specific settings

              -y, --no-interactive, --yolo
                     Enable autonomous mode

              -m, --mode mode
                     Starting mode (act or plan)

       cline task open task-id [options]

       cline t o task-id [options]
              Resume a previous task from history.  Accepts the same options
              as task new.

       cline task list

       cline t l
              List all tasks in history with their id and snippet

       cline task chat

       cline t c
              Enter interactive chat mode for the current task.  Allows
              back-and-forth conversation with Cline.

       cline task send [message] [options]

       cline t s [message] [options]
              Send a message to Cline.  If no message is provided, reads from
              stdin.  Options:

              -a, --approve
                     Approve Cline's proposed action

              -d, --deny
                     Deny Cline's proposed action

              -f, --file FILE
                     Attach a file to the message

              -y, --no-interactive, --yolo
                     Enable autonomous mode

              -m, --mode mode
                     Switch mode (act or plan)

       cline task view [-f|--follow] [-c|--follow-complete]

       cline t v [-f|--follow] [-c|--follow-complete]
              Display the current conversation.  Use --follow to stream
              updates in real-time, or --follow-complete to follow until task
              completion.

       cline task restore checkpoint

       cline t r checkpoint
              Restore the task to a previous checkpoint state.

       cline task pause

       cline t p
              Pause task execution.

   Configuration
       Configuration can be set globally.  Override these global settings for
       a task using the --setting flag

       cline config

       cline c

       cline config set key value

       cline c s key value
              Set a configuration variable.

       cline config get key

       cline c g key
              Read a configuration variable.

       cline config list

       cline c l
              List all configuration variables and their values.

   Context Window Configuration
       For local model providers, you can configure the context window size:

       Ollama
              cline config s ollama-api-options-ctx-num=32768

       LM Studio
              cline config s lm-studio-max-tokens=32768

       For other providers (Anthropic, OpenRouter, etc.), the context window
       is defined per model in the model metadata and is not user-settable.
       Cline uses each model's built-in context limits automatically.

TASK SETTINGS
       Task settings are persisted in the ~/.cline/x/tasks directory.  When
       resuming a task with cline task open, task settings are automatically
       restored.

       Common settings include:

       yolo   Enable autonomous mode (true/false)

       mode   Starting mode (act/plan)

       hooks_enabled
              Enable or disable hooks for the task (true/false)

HOOKS INTEGRATION
       Hooks let you inject custom logic into Cline's workflow at key moments.
       They can validate operations before they execute, monitor tool usage,
       and shape AI decisions. This allows you to integrate hooks into
       automated workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and headless task execution.

       Enable hooks for a task:

              cline "prompt" -s hooks_enabled=true

       Configure hooks globally:

              cline config set hooks-enabled=true
              cline config get hooks-enabled

       Note: Hooks in the CLI are only supported on macOS and Linux.

       For complete hooks documentation, see:
       <https://docs.cline.bot/features/hooks/index>

NOTES & EXAMPLES
       The cline task send and cline task new commands support reading from
       stdin, enabling powerful pipeline compositions:

              cat requirements.txt | cline task send
              echo "Refactor this code" | cline -y

   Instance Management
       Manage multiple Cline instances:

              # Start a new instance and make it default
              cline instance new --default

              # List all running instances
              cline instance list

              # Kill a specific instance
              cline instance kill localhost:50052

              # Kill all CLI instances
              cline instance kill --all-cli

   Task History
       Work with task history:

              # List previous tasks
              cline task list

              # Resume a previous task
              cline task open 1760501486669

              # View conversation history
              cline task view

              # Start interactive chat with this task
              cline task chat

ARCHITECTURE
       Cline operates on a three-layer architecture:

       Presentation Layer
              User interfaces (CLI, VSCode, JetBrains) that connect to Cline
              Core via gRPC

       Cline Core
              The autonomous agent service handling task management, AI model
              integration, state management, tool orchestration, and real-time
              streaming updates

       Host Provider Layer
              Environment-specific integrations (VSCode APIs, JetBrains APIs,
              shell APIs) that Cline Core uses to interact with the host
              system

BUGS
       Report bugs at: <https://github.com/cline/cline/issues>

       For real-time help, join the Discord community at:
       <https://discord.gg/cline>

SEE ALSO
       Full documentation: <https://docs.cline.bot>

AUTHORS
       Cline is developed by the Cline Bot Inc. and the open source community.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2025 Cline Bot Inc. Licensed under the Apache License 2.0.
```

## JSON output (-F json)

When you run a command with `-F json` (or `--output-format json`), Cline prints each client message as JSON.

### ClineMessage schema

| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|-------|------|----------|-------|
| `type` | `"ask" or "say"` | Yes | Top-level message category. |
| `text` | `string` | Yes | Human-readable message content. |
| `ts` | `number` | Yes | Unix epoch timestamp in milliseconds. |
| `reasoning` | `string` | No | Omitted when empty. |
| `say` | `string` | No | Omitted when empty. Present when `type` is `"say"`. |
| `ask` | `string` | No | Omitted when empty. Present when `type` is `"ask"`. |
| `partial` | `boolean` | No | Omitted when false. `true` for streaming updates. |
| `images` | `string[]` | No | Omitted when empty. Image URIs when included with a message. |
| `files` | `string[]` | No | Omitted when empty. File paths when attached to a message. |
| `lastCheckpointHash` | `string` | No | Omitted when empty. Git checkpoint hash when available. |
| `isCheckpointCheckedOut` | `boolean` | No | Omitted when false. `true` if Cline checked out a checkpoint. |
| `isOperationOutsideWorkspace` | `boolean` | No | Omitted when false. `true` if an operation happened outside the workspace. |

<Note>
Most fields are optional and omitted when empty. If you parse this output, treat missing fields as “not present”, not as empty strings.
</Note>

### Example

```json
{
  "type": "say",
  "text": "Cline is about to run a command.",
  "ts": 1760501486669,
  "say": "command",
  "partial": false
}
```

### Shell Completion

Generate autocompletion scripts for various shells:

#### Bash

```bash
# Generate bash completion
cline completion bash > /etc/bash_completion.d/cline

# Or for user-level installation
cline completion bash > ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/cline
```

#### Zsh

```bash
# Generate zsh completion
cline completion zsh > "${fpath[1]}/_cline"

# Or add to your .zshrc
echo 'source <(cline completion zsh)' >> ~/.zshrc
```

#### Fish

```bash
# Generate fish completion
cline completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/cline.fish
```

#### PowerShell

```powershell
# Generate PowerShell completion
cline completion powershell > cline.ps1

# Add to your PowerShell profile
Add-Content $PROFILE "cline completion powershell | Out-String | Invoke-Expression"
```

### Version Command

```bash
# Show version information
cline version
```

### Environment Variables

#### CLINE_DIR

Override the default Cline directory location:

```bash
# Override default Cline directory
export CLINE_DIR=/custom/path

# Default: ~/.cline
```

This directory is used for:
- Instance registry database
- Configuration files
- Task history
- Checkpoints