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Permission Modes for Claude Code Teams

A practical walkthrough of Claude Code permission modes for teams: what each mode allows, how to switch and default them, protected paths, and how administrators enforce or lock modes with managed settings.

by JPette1783·added 2026-06-05·
Claude Code
HarnessClaude Code
Review first — review before installing

Open the source and read safety notes before installing.

Safety notes

  • bypassPermissions skips permission prompts and safety checks and should only run in isolated containers or VMs, never on a developer's primary machine.
  • auto mode reduces prompts via a background classifier but is a research preview and is not a guarantee of safety; keep review on sensitive operations.
  • Protected paths (such as .git, .claude, and shell config files) are never auto-approved except under bypassPermissions; preserve that boundary.
  • Administrators can disable auto mode and bypassPermissions with managed settings (disableAutoMode, disableBypassPermissionsMode) so individuals cannot enable them.

Privacy notes

  • Permission modes govern tool execution, not data flow; code and context are still sent to the model provider regardless of mode.
  • Looser modes let Claude run more commands unattended, widening what could touch local files or credentials; scope accordingly.
  • Managed settings are the place to enforce mode policy centrally without exposing individual developer configuration.

Prerequisites

  • Claude Code installed for each team member.
  • Access to user settings (~/.claude/settings.json) and, for org enforcement, managed settings.
  • A shared understanding of which work is sensitive enough to require manual review.

Schema details

Install type
copy
Troubleshooting
Yes
Full copyable content
Use this guide to choose, default, and govern Claude Code permission modes across a team, including how administrators enforce or lock modes with managed settings.

About this resource

Overview

Permission modes control how often Claude Code pauses to ask before it edits a file, runs a command, or makes a network request. For a team, the mode policy is the main lever between fast, uninterrupted work and careful oversight. This guide explains each mode, how to switch and default them, what protected paths guarantee, and how administrators enforce policy.

The modes

Mode Runs without asking Best for
default Reads only Getting started, sensitive work
acceptEdits Reads, file edits, common filesystem commands Iterating on code you review afterward
plan Reads only (proposes changes) Exploring before changing
auto Everything, with background safety checks Long tasks, fewer prompts
dontAsk Only pre-approved tools Locked-down CI and scripts
bypassPermissions Everything Isolated containers and VMs only

In every mode except bypassPermissions, writes to protected paths are never auto-approved.

Switch modes

  • During a session, press Shift+Tab to cycle default -> acceptEdits -> plan. The current mode shows in the status bar.
  • At startup, pass a flag: claude --permission-mode plan.
  • As a default, set defaultMode in settings:
{
  "permissions": {
    "defaultMode": "acceptEdits"
  }
}

auto, dontAsk, and bypassPermissions are not in the default cycle; they are enabled with their own flags or settings.

Layer permission rules

Modes set the baseline. Layer allow, ask, and deny permission rules on top to pre-approve or block specific tools in any mode except bypassPermissions. For an action that must never run, an explicit deny rule is stronger than any mode.

Protected paths

Writes to .git, .claude (except its worktrees directory), .vscode, shell config files, package-manager config, and similar are never auto-approved unless you are in bypassPermissions. This guards repository state and Claude Code's own configuration from accidental corruption.

Governing modes across a team

  • Default policy: set permissions.defaultMode in user settings for individuals, or in managed settings for the organization.
  • auto mode: an admin must enable it on Team and Enterprise before users can turn it on, and it can be locked off with permissions.disableAutoMode set to "disable" in managed settings. Note defaultMode: "auto" is ignored from project and local settings so a repository cannot grant itself auto mode.
  • bypassPermissions: block it with permissions.disableBypassPermissionsMode set to "disable" in managed settings, and reserve it for disposable containers.

Recommended team posture

  1. Default new repositories to default or plan.
  2. Use acceptEdits for active, reviewed iteration where you check diffs after.
  3. Reserve auto for trusted, well-scoped tasks, and keep deny rules in place.
  4. Disallow bypassPermissions on developer machines via managed settings.

Troubleshooting

  • If auto does not appear, the account or provider may not meet its requirements, or an admin has disabled it.
  • If defaultMode: "auto" seems ignored, it is likely in project/local settings; move it to user or managed settings.

Source

#claude-code#permissions#team#governance#security

Source citations

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