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What Claude is allowed to do
Last setup step — and the good news is that it’s mostly already done for you. This lesson explains what Claude Code is allowed to do on your computer while it builds your tools, and how to give it more or less rope whenever you want.
You’re already in the right mode
On a Pro or Max plan, Claude Code normally starts in Auto mode. That means it edits files and runs commands without stopping to ask you each time. Behind the scenes, a second AI model checks the riskier things it is about to do — like running code downloaded from the internet or deleting files you already had — and blocks the dangerous ones. It cuts down the interruptions, but it won’t catch everything, so keep reading what Claude says it is doing. If your very first session starts in Manual mode instead, where Claude asks before each step, that’s normal.
That’s why the three builds ahead read the way they do: you paste a prompt, Claude builds the tool, you open it and look. If you’d rather watch every move — or have Claude walk you through a build before it creates a single file — there are three other modes to switch to. Here’s the whole set:
| Mode | What it does | When you'd use it |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Claude writes files and runs commands; a background checker blocks the risky ones instead of asking you. | Where you start, and what this course assumes. |
| Plan | Claude tells you what it would build and changes nothing until you approve. | Before a big build, or any time you're nervous. |
| Accept edits | Claude changes files freely but still asks before running a command. | You trust the edits but want a look at the commands. |
| Manual | Claude asks before every single file change. | You want to see and approve every move. |
Check which mode you’re in
- Desktop app: near the message box there’s a small mode selector. It should already say Auto. If it doesn’t, click it and pick Auto. That’s all this lesson asks of you.
- Terminal: sessions normally start in Auto mode. Press
Shift+Tabat any time to cycle through the modes; the bar at the bottom of the window tells you which one you’re currently in.
Of the four, Plan is the one worth remembering. Switch to it and Claude will read what’s in your folder, work out how it would build the thing, and write that out for you in plain English — while creating absolutely nothing. When the plan is ready it asks how you’d like to proceed, and you can send it back for another pass as many times as you like.
Each of the three tools in this course is a decent-sized build. If you ever want to see the shape of one before it appears on your computer, that’s the answer — then switch back to Auto and let it build.
There’s a mode called bypass permissions that switches every check off. You’ll see it recommended in older tutorials, so it’s worth naming: Anthropic’s own guidance is to use it only inside an isolated test machine, never on the computer you actually work on. Don’t turn it on. Auto mode gives you the same smooth build with the safety net still underneath.
You have a Claude plan, Claude Code installed and signed in, Node and Git installed, a dedicated my-tools folder open, and you know which mode Claude is working in. The setup — the hardest part of the whole journey — is done. Now the fun begins.
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