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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cli.devin.ai/docs/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Starting Devin for Terminal

By default, sessions happen in a REPL, a graphical terminal interface where you can chat back and forth and observe Devin’s actions. 
devin                            # Start interactive REPL (no prompt)
devin -- your prompt here        # Start REPL with initial prompt
devin -p "prompt"                # Single-turn, no REPL: print response to stdout and exit
devin -p -- prompt words here    # Same, using -- separator (still works)
Use -- before your prompt so it is interpreted as a prompt and not a subcommand.
Single-turn mode (-p) is great for scripts and automations.
Type @ in the prompt input to open autocomplete for local files/directories. Selecting one adds it as context for your message.
You can paste images from your clipboard with Ctrl+V. Attached images appear in the input area and can be managed with Left/Right to navigate and Backspace to remove.

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Modes

Devin for Terminal has 4 built-in permission modes: Normal, Accept Edits, Bypass, and Autonomous, and 3 agent-modes: Normal, Plan, and Ask. For plan and ask, use /plan and /ask.

Normal

Auto-approves read-only tools within the current directory, and asks for permission for write/execute operations.
/normal
# or
/mode normal
This is the default mode.
Auto-approves file edits within the workspace while still prompting for shell commands and other actions. We expect people to spend most of their time here.
/accept-edits
# or
/mode accept-edits
Auto-approves all tool calls, including writes and shell commands.
/bypass
# or
/mode bypass
You can also start in bypass mode:
devin --permission-mode bypass
Aliases: /yolo, /dangerous
Bypass mode never overrides organization-level permissions configured by your admin via Team Settings. Admin-enforced deny and ask rules always take priority.
Roughly equivalent to Accept Edits in the current workspace, with the additional ability to run any shell command within an OS-level sandbox (to contain what those commands can actually touch).
devin --sandbox --permission-mode autonomous
Autonomous is the only permission mode available when running with --sandbox, and it is selected automatically — Normal, Accept Edits, and Bypass are hidden in sandbox sessions.In Autonomous mode…
  • You are prompted for capabilities rather than commands.
    • Commands respect the Write and Read scopes via a filesystem sandbox.
    • Commands prompt you when they try to connect to network resources.
  • Read-only operations within the current directory auto-approve.
Autonomous relies on the sandbox for safety. Without --sandbox, the mode is unavailable — use Bypass if you want unattended execution without OS-level isolation. See Bypass vs Autonomous below for a direct comparison.

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Bypass vs Autonomous

Bypass and Autonomous both reduce approval prompts, but they rely on different safety mechanisms:
BypassAutonomous
Requires --sandboxNoYes (only available in sandbox sessions)
Shell commandsAuto-approved, unrestrictedAuto-approved, contained by the sandbox
File writes via edit/write toolsAuto-approved anywhereStill prompt (granting a scope expands the sandbox)
Network accessUnrestrictedFiltered by the sandbox’s domain allow/deny lists
Respects admin Team SettingsYesYes
Pick Bypass when you trust the agent with your whole machine. Pick --sandbox (which selects Autonomous) when you want unattended execution with OS-enforced limits on what files and domains the agent can touch. If you like the feel of bypass but want the agent to have its own computer, try cloud Devin!

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Session History

Your conversation history is saved so you can resume a session later. 
devin -c              # Continue the most recent session in the current directory
devin --continue

devin -r              # Pick from recent sessions
devin --resume
devin -r brisk-otter  # Resume a specific session by ID

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Slash Commands

You can use these commands while in an active session.
CommandDescription
/helpSee all available commands
/exit or /quitExit the application
/clear or /newClear conversation history (start fresh)
You can also type exit or quit as plain text (without the / prefix) to exit.

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Mode Switching

CommandDescription
/modeShow current mode
/mode <name>Switch mode (normal, accept-edits, plan, bypass; autonomous in sandbox sessions)
/normalSwitch to Normal mode (default)
/planSwitch to Plan mode
/ask <question>Ask a question without making code changes (oneshot)
/bypassSwitch to Bypass mode (aliases: /yolo, /dangerous)

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Model Switching

CommandDescription
/modelShow model selector

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Session Management

CommandDescription
/resumeOpen the interactive session picker
/resume <id>Resume session by ID
/lsList recent sessions in current directory (alias: /list-sessions)
/ls --allList all sessions across all directories
/continueResume most recent session
/continue <id>Resume session by ID
/rm-session <id>Irreversibly delete a session by ID

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Workspace

CommandDescription
/workspaceList workspace directories (alias: /workspaces)
/add-dir <path>Add additional workspace directory
/undo-add-dir <path>Remove a workspace directory

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Automation

CommandDescription
/loop <prompt>Run a prompt then auto-review the diff in a loop (requires clean git state to start)

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Extensibility

CommandDescription
/hooksList all loaded hooks with their IDs, event types, and source paths

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Account & System

CommandDescription
/loginAuthenticate with Devin
/logoutClear stored credentials and exit
/updateCheck for and install updates
/upgradeUpgrade your subscription plan
/bugReport a bug to the Devin for Terminal developers
/compactForce conversation compaction

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Here are the most important keyboard shortcuts. See Keyboard Shortcuts for more shortcuts.
ShortcutDescription
Shift+TabCycle between modes (Normal, Accept Edits, Plan, Bypass, Autonomous)
Ctrl+CClear input text, or cancel the running agent
EscCancel the running agent
Shift+EnterInsert a newline (multi-line input)
Ctrl+V or Shift+InsertPaste from clipboard
Ctrl+GOpen external editor
Ctrl+OOpen full-screen thinking trace viewer
@Mention files to add as context