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

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.

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)

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.