cline

Model-agnostic AI coding agent for the terminal

TLDR

Start an interactive session in the current directory

$ cline

Run a task with a prompt

$ cline "[fix the login bug]"

Run in fully autonomous mode (no interactive UI)

$ cline -y "[refactor auth module]"

Set up authentication with an AI provider

$ cline auth -p [anthropic] -k [sk-ant-api-xxxxx]

Run in plan mode to preview changes before acting

$ cline -p "[add unit tests for auth]"

Pipe context to cline in headless mode

$ cat [error.log] | cline -y "[explain these errors]"

SYNOPSIS

cline [options] [prompt]cline auth [options]cline configcline history [options]cline update

cline is an AI coding agent that works in the terminal, supporting multiple AI model providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, AWS Bedrock, Ollama, and any OpenAI-compatible API. It can read and write files, execute terminal commands, and perform multi-step development tasks autonomously.The tool operates in two main modes: interactive mode (default when running in a terminal) and headless mode (activated with -y/--yolo or when piping input/output). Headless mode is designed for automation, CI/CD pipelines, and scripting.Cline began as a VS Code extension and expanded to include a CLI interface, making it accessible from any terminal environment. It uses a model-agnostic architecture, allowing users to choose their preferred AI backend. The --acp flag enables the Agent Client Protocol for integration with editors like JetBrains, Zed, Neovim, and Emacs.

PARAMETERS

-y, --yolo

Run in fully autonomous mode with no interactive UI. Output streams to stdout.

-a, --act

Run in act mode (execute changes directly).

-p, --plan

Run in plan mode (preview changes before acting).

-m, --model MODEL

Specify the model to use.

-i, --images PATHS

Attach image files to the prompt.

--json

Stream structured JSON output for programmatic consumption.

--thinking

Enable extended thinking mode.

--timeout SECONDS

Set a timeout for the task.

--continue

Continue the most recent task.

--acp

Run as an ACP (Agent Client Protocol) compliant agent for editor integration.

--config PATH

Custom configuration directory.

-c, --cwd PATH

Set the working directory.

-v, --verbose

Show detailed output.

--help

Display help information.

SUBCOMMANDS

auth

Set up authentication with AI providers. Use -p for provider, -k for API key, -m for model ID, -b for base URL.

config

Interactive configuration interface for settings, rules, workflows, and hooks.

history

Browse task history. Use -n for limit and -p for page.

update

Install the latest CLI version.

version

Display the installed version number.

CAVEATS

Requires API keys for cloud-hosted model providers. Local model support via Ollama requires separate installation and model downloads. Token usage and API costs vary by provider and model. Run cline auth to configure providers before first use.

HISTORY

Cline was originally created as a Visual Studio Code extension under the name Claude Dev in 2024, then renamed to Cline to reflect its model-agnostic design. It quickly grew to become one of the most popular open-source AI coding tools. Cline CLI 2.0 was released in February 2026, rebuilding the full agent for terminal-first workflows with headless mode and ACP support.