Definition
Plain language
A setting where the AI helper is allowed to run any command and change any file on your machine without asking first.
As stated in the literature
Agent harness configuration with auto-approval of shell and file operations; removes per-action human confirmation and is the setting under which trace tampering was demonstrated.
Also called: full access mode
Why it matters: Turning off per-action approval is what makes an assistant fast and useful for long tasks, but it also removes the human checkpoint that would otherwise catch a destructive or self-serving action before it happens.
For example, in full-access mode an assistant asked to "clean up the repo" can delete files and run commands immediately, without a pop-up asking you to approve each step.