How to Enable YOLO Mode in CodeBuddy Code
To run Tencent's CodeBuddy Code in YOLO mode, start it with codebuddy -y, the short form of --dangerously-skip-permissions, or with --permission-mode bypassPermissions. Unlike most agents, CodeBuddy's YOLO is not total: actions it rates HIGH or CRITICAL risk still ask, unless you also tell it you are inside an isolated sandbox.
This page is one of our YOLO mode guides, and part of our guide to YOLO mode in every coding agent. Everything below was checked against the CodeBuddy Code package and its changelog (@tencent-ai/codebuddy-code 2.178.1, the version in the ACP registry) on October 30, 2026.
What YOLO Mode Turns Off in CodeBuddy Code
-y puts CodeBuddy in Bypass Permissions mode: ordinary prompts go away, and edits and commands run on their own. Its help text spells out the exception: "Bypass permission prompts (HIGH/CRITICAL still ask)".
To skip those too, set the environment variable CODEBUDDY_IS_SANDBOX=1 in the process that starts CodeBuddy. Its changelog explains that this is on purpose: the variable is not a CLI flag and is not read from the env block of settings.json, so it cannot be switched on by accident. Use it only inside a container or VM you can throw away.
CodeBuddy also has an optional sandbox for shell commands, managed with /sandbox. On Linux it uses bubblewrap.
How to Enable YOLO Mode in CodeBuddy Code
--permission-mode takes six modes and applies to the terminal UI, --serve and ACP. It does not change your settings:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
default |
Asks the first time each tool is used |
acceptEdits |
Accepts file edits for the session |
plan |
Analyzes, but does not edit files or run commands |
auto |
An AI reviewer approves or denies each action that would ask |
dontAsk |
Never prompts: runs pre-approved and safe actions, denies the rest |
bypassPermissions |
YOLO. Skips prompts, except HIGH and CRITICAL |
In a session, Shift+Tab cycles the modes. To make a mode the default, set permissions.defaultMode in settings.json. Administrators can block YOLO entirely with permissions.disableBypassPermissionsMode set to "disable".
The Halfway Option
Two modes sit between asking and YOLO. Accept Edits stops the prompts for file changes and keeps them for commands. Auto hands each decision to an AI reviewer instead of you. A failed review blocks that one action, and Auto never falls back to asking you.
How to Enable YOLO Mode in CodeBuddy Code Through AgentRQ
CodeBuddy's own YOLO switch covers a whole session. AgentRQ lets you make the decision per task, and answer from somewhere other than the terminal.
Approve From the AgentRQ Task Instead of the Terminal
Connect CodeBuddy Code to an AgentRQ workspace through the ACP Gateway (CodeBuddy Code setup guide):
Start it without -y, and leave permissions.defaultMode on default. Over ACP, CodeBuddy lists its modes as session modes, plus one more: Full Access, which skips every check, dangerous commands included. Only the modes that ask send requests to AgentRQ. Each permission request now shows up in the AgentRQ task on the web, on your phone or in Slack, together with the command or edit it is asking about. Answer Allow Once, Always Allow or Deny from wherever you are, and CodeBuddy carries on. If nobody answers within 30 minutes, the gateway cancels the turn instead of guessing. Change the limit with --permission-timeout.
Turn On YOLO for One Task
Flip the YOLO toggle on a task, or when you create it, to put just that task in YOLO mode. Every permission request in it is approved automatically and CodeBuddy never waits, while every other task in the workspace still asks. Scheduled tasks, event triggers and workflow steps have the same switch, so an unattended job can run in YOLO while your interactive work stays supervised.
Turn YOLO On or Off in Workspace Settings
To make YOLO the default for a whole workspace, open the workspace, go to Settings, choose the Automations tab and flip YOLO Mode (Execute All). Click Update Workspace to save. Switch it off the same way. The switch is off by default, and every permission request in the workspace is approved automatically while it is on.
A Safe YOLO Setup for CodeBuddy Code
- → Keep the HIGH and CRITICAL prompts. Leave
CODEBUDDY_IS_SANDBOXunset outside a disposable container, so the riskiest actions still reach you. - → Allow the boring tools, not everything. Always Allow adds the tool to the workspace's auto-approved list, so the routine calls stop asking and the risky ones still do. Prune that list in workspace settings now and then.
- → Leave the workspace-wide switch off. Turn YOLO on per task instead, so it never outlives the job you trusted.
- → Turn on the sandbox. Use
/sandboxto run shell commands in CodeBuddy's isolation layer, or run YOLO tasks in a container. - → Commit first. Start every YOLO task from a clean git tree, so any change is one
git resetaway. - → Read the record. The tool call history lists every call the task made, including the ones that were auto-approved.
FAQ
How do I enable YOLO mode in CodeBuddy Code? Start it with codebuddy -y, which is short for --dangerously-skip-permissions, or with --permission-mode bypassPermissions.
Why does CodeBuddy still ask in YOLO mode? Bypass mode skips ordinary prompts but still asks about HIGH and CRITICAL risk actions. Setting CODEBUDDY_IS_SANDBOX=1 in the process environment removes those prompts too.
What is the difference between auto and bypassPermissions in CodeBuddy? Auto lets an AI reviewer approve or deny each action that would ask. Bypass skips the prompts without a review.
How do I stop anyone using YOLO in CodeBuddy? Set permissions.disableBypassPermissionsMode to "disable" in settings.
How do I approve CodeBuddy commands remotely? Connect CodeBuddy Code to AgentRQ through the ACP Gateway. Its permission requests show up in the task on the web, your phone or Slack.
For every other agent, see what YOLO mode is and how to turn it on in every coding agent.