Session Modes Explained

CodeMantis gives you fine-grained control over how much freedom Claude Code has during a session. Six modes let you choose the right balance between oversight and speed — from approving every edit by hand to skipping all permission checks entirely.

Normal Mode

Shield icon (gray). Claude pauses before every action and waits for your approval. Each file write, edit, and bash command appears as a Tool Approval with Approve and Reject buttons.

Best for:

• Learning how Claude Code works
• Sensitive or production codebases
• Situations where you want to review every change before it happens

This is the default mode when you start a new session.

Auto-Accept Mode

ShieldCheck icon (green). Claude executes file edits and commands automatically — no per-tool approval prompts. The Activity Feed still records everything, so you can audit what happened after the fact.

Best for:

• Rapid prototyping and iteration
• Projects where you trust the overall plan
• Tasks with low risk, like scaffolding a new feature or writing tests

You can still interrupt Claude at any time by clicking Stop or pressing Escape.

Plan Mode

Map icon (yellow). Claude reasons about your request but does not make any code changes. Tool calls that would modify files are blocked. Claude analyzes the codebase, outlines an approach, and discusses trade-offs — without touching a single file.

Best for:

• Architecture and design discussions
• Evaluating different approaches before committing to one
• Understanding a new codebase by asking Claude to explain its structure

When the plan is ready, a Plan Complete dialog offers an Implement Now button (with an optional "Enable Auto-Accept" checkbox) so you can hand the plan straight back to Claude for execution.

Auto Mode

Sparkles icon (blue). The Claude Code CLI decides per-tool whether to prompt or auto-accept based on its own heuristics (auto-routing). Useful when you want Claude to use its judgment about which operations to stop and confirm.

Best for:

• Mixed workloads where some operations are routine and others deserve a check
• Letting Claude lean on its built-in safety policies instead of a single fixed rule

Don't Ask Mode

Zap icon (green). Accept everything with no prompts whatsoever. Similar to Auto-Accept but more aggressive — no questions, no confirmations.

Best for:

• Trusted, well-scoped workflows running unattended
• Self-Drive runs and other long batch operations

Bypass Mode

ShieldAlert icon (red). Dangerous. Skips all permission checks at the CLI level. Claude can run any command, touch any file, make network calls — with no guardrails.

Best for:

• Sandboxed environments (containers, throwaway VMs) where the blast radius is contained
• Short, focused runs you can revert easily (e.g. on a dedicated git branch)

How to Switch Modes

You can change modes at any point during a session:

• Keyboard shortcut — Press Command + . to cycle through modes.
• Shift + Tab — Same cycle, available while focus is in the input area.
• Mode selector — Click the mode indicator in the Input Area action bar and pick from the popup.

The active mode is reflected in the Session Status Bar at the bottom of the chat with a colored icon (gray Shield / green ShieldCheck / yellow Map / blue Sparkles / green Zap / red ShieldAlert).

Choosing the Right Mode

Tips

• Start in Normal, switch up when comfortable. Use Normal to review what Claude wants to do, then move to Auto-Accept once you trust the plan. This gives you the best balance of control and speed.
• Plan first for complex features. Have Claude plan the approach, review it, then click Implement Now to switch into execution mode.
• Reserve Don't Ask and Bypass for short, focused runs in environments you can easily revert (git, containers). The convenience is real, but so is the blast radius.
• Mode changes sync to the Claude Code CLI immediately — the new behavior takes effect on the very next tool call.