Understand "Allow?" questions from Claude

In Manual mode, Claude asks before it changes a file or runs a command. That question is the Allow question. You will answer hundreds of them. This step makes them boring, which is the goal.

What a question looks like

A box appears in the chat, and Claude stops until you answer. It shows:

• What Claude wants to do, in a short line, like "Create the app's first screen" or "Install the building tools".
• The exact thing: the command it will run, or a preview of the file change with removed lines in red and added lines in green.
• Your choices. They are Yes; Yes, and don't ask again for this command; sometimes Yes, and switch to auto mode; and No. On some versions the buttons say Allow and Deny.

When to say yes

Say yes when the question is about:

• Making or changing files inside your project folder. That is the job.
• Installing a tool Claude named and you asked for, like the ones in step 8.
• Starting, stopping or testing your app.
• Making a backup.

When to stop and ask

Click no, then type your question in the message box, when:

• The command mentions a place outside your project folder: your home folder, Documents, Desktop, or a path that starts at the top of the disk (a single / on a Mac, C:\ on a PC).
• It deletes or removes something you didn't ask about. Words to watch for: rm, delete, remove, and on a PC also del, rmdir and Remove-Item.
• It is about money, accounts, passwords or anything that goes live to other people.
• You don't understand it. Ask: "Explain in plain words what this does and why, then ask me again."

A no costs nothing. Claude explains, or finds another way, and asks again.

"Don't ask again"

Here is how that answer is remembered: a 'don't ask again' answer for a command is remembered for this project folder; for a file change it only lasts until the session ends. Use it for things that repeat all day: starting the app, running checks, making a backup. Never use it for anything that deletes.

When Claude hands you a command instead

Sometimes Claude says it isn't allowed to do something and gives you a command to run yourself. That is a safety check doing its job, not an error. Step 5 shows what to do with it.

The other modes

You chose Manual in step 2. The others: Accept edits skips the questions for file changes but still asks before commands; some people switch to it in Part 6, once they trust the rhythm. Plan lets Claude think and propose without touching anything. Auto lets a checker decide instead of you. Bypass permissions asks nothing at all: Anthropic's own page says to use Bypass permissions only inside sealed-off test computers, never on your everyday Mac. Stay on Manual for now.

Practice

An Allow question appears for the new file. Read it, then click yes. Open the folder in Finder or File Explorer: notes.txt is there. Double-click it to read it.