Cline
A leading VS Code agent that popularized the human-in-the-loop approval UX: every file edit and terminal command is presented for approval with diff previews, plan/act modes, and checkpoints.
View source on GitHubKey takeaways
- 01
Approval-per-action with diff previews is the trust-building UX
- 02
Plan mode vs act mode separates thinking from doing
- 03
Checkpoints let users roll back agent actions safely
Flows built on this research
Harness Engineering
Design the Permission Approval UX
Design approval prompts users actually read: diffs, risk framing, scoped grants, and pacing that prevents approval fatigue.
4 steps · 60-90 minutes
Harness Engineering
Hook a Permission Layer onto Dangerous Tools
Intercept dangerous tool calls with a hook layer: pattern rules, approval gates, and blocks that the model cannot talk its way past.
4 steps · 60-90 minutes
Harness Engineering
Rate and Blast-Radius Limits for Destructive Tools
Cap how much damage any window of agent activity can do: rate limits, change budgets, checkpoints, and undo.
4 steps · 60-90 minutes