openclaw/docs/tools/permission-modes.md

---
summary: "Permission modes for host exec, Codex Guardian approvals, and ACPX harness sessions"
read_when:
  - Choosing auto, ask, allowlist, full, or deny for command permissions
  - Configuring Codex Guardian-reviewed approvals through tools.exec.mode
  - Comparing OpenClaw exec approvals with ACPX harness permissions
title: "Permission modes"
---

Permission modes decide how much authority an agent has before it runs host commands, writes files, or asks a backend harness for extra access.

<Note>
  Permission mode is separate from `tools.exec.host=auto`. `tools.exec.host`
  chooses where a command runs. `tools.exec.mode` chooses how host exec is
  approved.
</Note>

## Recommended default

Use `auto` for coding agents that need useful host access without making every miss a human prompt:

```bash
openclaw config set tools.exec.mode auto
openclaw approvals get
openclaw gateway restart
```

Then verify the effective policy:

```bash
openclaw exec-policy show
```

## OpenClaw host exec modes

`tools.exec.mode` is the normalized policy surface for host `exec`. Each mode resolves to an underlying `security` (allowlist strictness) and `ask` (prompt-on-miss) pair:

| Mode        | security / ask          | Behavior                                                                                      | Use when                                              |
| ----------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| `deny`      | `deny` / `off`          | Block host exec entirely.                                                                     | No host commands are allowed.                         |
| `allowlist` | `allowlist` / `off`     | Run only allowlisted commands; silently deny misses.                                          | You have a known-safe command set.                    |
| `ask`       | `allowlist` / `on-miss` | Run allowlist matches; ask a human on misses.                                                 | A human should review every new command.              |
| `auto`      | `allowlist` / `on-miss` | Run allowlist matches; send misses through auto-review before falling back to human approval. | Coding sessions need practical guarded access.        |
| `full`      | `full` / `off`          | Run host exec without prompts.                                                                | This trusted host/session should skip approval gates. |

`ask` and `auto` share the same allowlist/ask settings; `auto` additionally enables the native auto-reviewer, which decides misses itself and only defers to the configured human approval route when it cannot safely approve.

For the full host exec policy, local approvals file, allowlist schema, safe bins, and forwarding behavior, see [Exec approvals](/tools/exec-approvals).

## Codex Guardian mapping

For native Codex app-server sessions, `tools.exec.mode: "auto"` drives Codex toward Guardian-reviewed approvals when the local Codex requirements allow it. Typical resulting values:

| Codex field         | Typical value     |
| ------------------- | ----------------- |
| `approvalPolicy`    | `on-request`      |
| `approvalsReviewer` | `auto_review`     |
| `sandbox`           | `workspace-write` |

`auto` mode forces this policy over any configured Codex sandbox/approval overrides, so it does not preserve legacy unsafe combinations such as `approvalPolicy: "never"` with `sandbox: "danger-full-access"`. `tools.exec.mode: "deny"` and `"allowlist"` block Codex app-server local execution entirely. Use `tools.exec.mode: "full"` only when you intentionally want the no-approval posture.

For app-server setup, auth order, and native Codex runtime details, see [Codex harness](/plugins/codex-harness).

## ACPX harness permissions

ACPX sessions are non-interactive, so they cannot click a TTY permission prompt. ACPX uses separate harness-level settings under `plugins.entries.acpx.config`:

| Setting                     | Values          | Meaning                                     |
| --------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| `permissionMode`            | `approve-reads` | Auto-approve reads only.                    |
| `permissionMode`            | `approve-all`   | Auto-approve writes and shell commands.     |
| `permissionMode`            | `deny-all`      | Deny all permission prompts.                |
| `nonInteractivePermissions` | `fail`          | Abort when a prompt would be required.      |
| `nonInteractivePermissions` | `deny`          | Deny the prompt and continue when possible. |

Set ACPX permissions separately from OpenClaw exec approvals:

```bash
openclaw config set plugins.entries.acpx.config.permissionMode approve-all
openclaw config set plugins.entries.acpx.config.nonInteractivePermissions fail
openclaw gateway restart
```

Use `approve-all` as the ACPX break-glass equivalent of a no-prompt harness session. For setup details and failure modes, see [ACP agents setup](/tools/acp-agents-setup#permission-configuration).

## Choosing a mode

| Goal                                          | Configure                                                   |
| --------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Block host commands completely                | `tools.exec.mode: "deny"`                                   |
| Let known-safe commands run only              | `tools.exec.mode: "allowlist"`                              |
| Ask a human for every new command shape       | `tools.exec.mode: "ask"`                                    |
| Use Codex/OpenClaw auto-review before humans  | `tools.exec.mode: "auto"`                                   |
| Skip host exec approvals entirely             | `tools.exec.mode: "full"` plus matching host approvals file |
| Make non-interactive ACPX sessions write/exec | `plugins.entries.acpx.config.permissionMode: "approve-all"` |

If a command still prompts or fails after changing mode, inspect both layers:

```bash
openclaw approvals get
openclaw exec-policy show
```

Host exec uses the stricter result of OpenClaw config and the host-local approvals file. ACPX harness permissions do not loosen host exec approvals, and host exec approvals do not loosen ACPX harness prompts.

## Related

- [Exec approvals](/tools/exec-approvals)
- [Exec approvals - advanced](/tools/exec-approvals-advanced)
- [Codex harness](/plugins/codex-harness)
- [ACP agents setup](/tools/acp-agents-setup#permission-configuration)