cline/docs/cline-cli/three-core-flows.mdx

---
title: "Three Core Flows"
description: "Learn the three ways to use Cline CLI: interactive mode, headless automation, and multi-instance parallelization"
---

Two concepts to understand:

**Task** - A single job for Cline to complete ("add tests to utils.js"). You describe what you want, Cline plans how to do it, then executes the plan. Tasks run on instances.

**Instance** - An independent Cline workspace. Each instance runs one task at a time. Create multiple instances to run multiple tasks that work on different parts of your project in parallel.

## 1. Interactive mode: Plan first, then act

Start here to see how Cline works. Interactive mode opens a chat session where you can review plans before execution.

```bash
cline
```

Cline opens an interactive session in your current directory. Type your task as a message. Cline enters Plan mode and proposes a step-by-step strategy.

Review or edit the plan in chat. When you're ready, switch to execution:

```bash
/act
```

Cline executes the approved steps—reading files, writing code, running commands. You maintain control throughout the process.

## 2. Headless single-shot: Complete a task without chat

Use this for automation where you want a one-liner that just does the work.

```bash
cline instance new --default
cline task new -y "Generate unit tests for all Go files"
```

With the `-y` (YOLO) flag, Cline plans and executes autonomously without interactive chat. Perfect for CI, cron jobs, or scripts.

Examples:

```bash
# Create a complete feature
cline task new -y "Create a REST API for user authentication"

# Generate documentation
cline task new -y "Add JSDoc comments to all functions in src/"

# Refactor code
cline task new -y "Convert all var declarations to const/let"
```

Monitor your task with:

```bash
# View task status
cline task view

# Follow task progress in real-time
cline task view --follow
```

Press Ctrl+C to exit the view.

<Note>
Run YOLO mode with care on a directory or a clean Git branch. You get speed in exchange for oversight, so be ready to revert if needed.
</Note>

## 3. Multi-instance: Run parallel agents

Multiple instances let you parallelize work on the same project without colliding contexts. Run frontend, backend, and infrastructure tasks simultaneously.

Create your first instance:

```bash
cline instance new
```

This returns an instance address you'll use to target tasks. Attach a task to this instance:

```bash
# Frontend work on first instance
cline task new -y "Build React components"
```

Create a second instance and set it as default in one command:

```bash
cline instance new --default
```

Now you can create tasks without specifying the address—they automatically use the default instance:

```bash
# Backend work on the new default instance
cline task new -y "Implement API endpoints"
```

List all running instances:

```bash
cline instances list
```

Stop all instances when done:

```bash
cline instances kill -a
```

<Tip>
Keep track of instance addresses returned by `cline instance new`. When scripting multiple agents, store these IDs and direct your tasks to the appropriate instance.
</Tip>

## Configuring context window for local providers

For Ollama and LM Studio, you can configure the model context window via CLI:

```bash
# For Ollama
cline config s ollama-api-options-ctx-num=32768

# For 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-configurable—Cline uses each model's built-in context limits automatically.

## Choosing the right flow

- **Interactive mode**: Best for exploring new problems, learning how Cline works, or when you want to review plans before execution
- **Headless single-shot**: Perfect for automation, CI/CD, and tasks where you trust Cline to execute without supervision
- **Multi-instance**: Use when you need to parallelize work or maintain separate contexts for different parts of your project

<Tip>
For in-depth commands and flags, check out the [CLI reference](/cline-cli/cli-reference) page for complete documentation on all available options.
</Tip>

## Next steps

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="CLI reference" icon="terminal" href="/cline-cli/cli-reference">
    Complete command documentation including configuration, instance management, and task commands.
  </Card>
  
  <Card title="Plan and Act" icon="brain" href="/features/plan-and-act">
    Deep dive into Plan and Act modes, including when to use each and how to switch between them.
  </Card>
  
  <Card title="YOLO mode" icon="zap" href="/features/yolo-mode">
    Understand how YOLO mode works and when to use full automation versus manual approval.
  </Card>
  
  <Card title="Task management" icon="clipboard-check" href="/features/tasks/task-management">
    Learn how Cline tracks and manages tasks, including saving and restoring state from checkpoints.
  </Card>
</Columns>