ClineCode documentation

ClineCode is a coding agent that runs in your terminal. You describe what you want, and it reads your project, edits files and runs commands to get it done, asking before it changes anything.

Install

You need Node.js with npm. ClineCode works on macOS, Windows and Linux.

Then start it from the folder of the project you want to work on:

The first time you open a folder, ClineCode asks whether you trust it. Choose yes only for projects you know: the agent can read files and run commands there.

Sign in

ClineCode needs an account. If you don’t have one, create one free. You can also create it during the steps below.

1. Start clinecode. On the sign-in screen, press Enter.
2. Open the link it shows in your browser and sign in.
3. Click Authorize. The page shows a 6-digit code.
4. Type or paste the code into the terminal and press Enter.

The link works for 15 minutes. If it expires, press Esc and start again. You stay signed in on that computer until you sign the device out from your account.

Your first task

Type what you want in plain language and press Enter. Be specific about the result you want. For example:

ClineCode looks through your project, proposes changes and carries them out step by step.

It asks before it acts

Before editing a file or running a command, ClineCode shows what it is about to do and waits for your answer. You can allow it once, allow that kind of action for the rest of the session, or say no and tell it what to do instead.

Point it at files

Type @ followed by a path to mention a file or folder, so the agent starts from the right place: @src/api/users.ts.

Stop or redirect

Press Esc to stop a response. Then send a new message to change direction.

One-off answers

To get a single answer without opening the interactive screen, pass the prompt with -p:

Commands

Type / in the prompt to see every command. These are the ones you’ll use most:

Model

ClineCode currently offers one model. Its name is shown under the prompt and in /model. You don’t need an API key: the model is included with your account.

Free messages

Free accounts get a set number of messages that renew every 24 hours. Your allowance and what’s left are shown in your account.

When the 24 hours start

The clock starts with your first message. If you send it at 21:23, your messages come back at 21:23 the next day. The next 24 hours start when you send a message after that.

What counts as a message

Each prompt you send counts as one message. The steps the agent takes to answer it, such as reading files, running commands and follow-up reasoning, don’t count separately.

When you run out

ClineCode tells you when your messages renew:

A reply that is already in progress when you hit the limit is allowed to finish.

Your account

Sign in at clinecode.app to open your account. You don’t need the CLI installed to use it.

You can use the same account on several computers. They share one message allowance.

Privacy & data

What ClineCode keeps for your account:

• Your email and a hashed password. We can’t read your password.
• Counts of messages, model requests and tokens, per day.
• For each signed-in CLI: its version, operating system, a device identifier and the IP address it connects from.
• A log of account events: sign-ins, messages sent or blocked, and password changes.

Your prompts and the parts of your project the agent reads are sent through clinecode.app to the model provider to produce answers. ClineCode doesn’t store their content.

Troubleshooting