Human-in-the-Loop Task Manager for AI Agents
Checked October 30, 2026 | All YOLO Mode guides

How to Enable YOLO Mode in VT Code

To run VT Code in YOLO mode, start it with vtcode --dangerously-skip-permissions. It approves every action that would prompt you, but still respects your explicit denies and policy blocks. VT Code also has a stricter unattended mode, full-auto, that only runs tools on an allow-list.

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 VT Code source and docs (vinhnx/vtcode, version 0.180.6) on October 30, 2026.

Animated sketch of YOLO mode in AgentRQ: claude waits to run go test, YOLO is flipped on for the task, and every later edit and test run lands auto-allowed in the Trajectory view

What YOLO Mode Turns Off in VT Code

--dangerously-skip-permissions auto-approves promptable actions. Anything you set to deny, and anything a policy blocks, stays blocked. VT Code's sandbox is a separate, opt-in setting, described below.

How to Enable YOLO Mode in VT Code

Mode How What runs
YOLO vtcode --dangerously-skip-permissions Everything that would prompt, except denies and policy blocks
Full-auto vtcode --full-auto, or vtcode exec "<prompt>" Only tools in [automation.full_auto].allowed_tools
Per tool --allowed-tools "Bash(git:*)" The tools you list
bash 
vtcode --dangerously-skip-permissions

Full-Auto vs YOLO in VT Code

Full-auto is for unattended runs, and it is stricter. Tools outside [automation.full_auto].allowed_tools are denied, not asked about, and the ones inside the list go through an automatic permission review instead of a prompt. It needs full_auto workspace trust and [automation.full_auto] turned on in vtcode.toml. In CI, set VTCODE_TRUST_WORKSPACE=full-auto to grant the trust without a prompt.

The Halfway Option

Set a policy per tool in vtcode.toml. Each one is ask, allow or deny:

toml 
[tools.policies]
exec_command = "ask"
apply_patch = "ask"
code_search = "allow"

For one run, --allowed-tools and --disallowed-tools do the same with patterns.

Sandbox

VT Code can run shell commands in an OS sandbox: Seatbelt on macOS, and Landlock with seccomp on Linux. It is off by default. Turn it on with enabled = true under [sandbox] in vtcode.toml. The default policy is read_only.

How to Enable YOLO Mode in VT Code Through AgentRQ

VT Code's own 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 VT Code to an AgentRQ workspace through the ACP Gateway (VT Code setup guide):

bash 
npx @agentrq/acp-gateway@latest --login --agent vtcode

Then start the bridge with the same command minus --login. In VT Code's ACP server, each tool call it runs goes through a permission request, with allow and deny options for once or always, and it advertises no session modes. 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 VT Code 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 VT Code 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.

The YOLO toggle on a task in AgentRQ being switched on, then off again

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.

Workspace Settings in AgentRQ: the YOLO Mode (Execute All) switch turned on and saved, then off and saved

A Safe YOLO Setup for VT Code

  • → 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. Workspace settings also has YOLO Mode (Execute All). Turn YOLO on per task instead, so it never outlives the job you trusted.
  • → Turn on VT Code's sandbox. Set enabled = true under [sandbox], so shell commands run under Seatbelt or Landlock.
  • → Keep your denies. A deny in [tools.policies] holds even with --dangerously-skip-permissions, so use it for the tools a task never needs.
  • → Commit first. Start every YOLO task from a clean git tree, so any change is one git reset away.
  • → 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 VT Code? Start it with vtcode --dangerously-skip-permissions. It approves every action that would prompt, except explicit denies and policy blocks.

What is the difference between full-auto and YOLO in VT Code? Full-auto only runs tools on the [automation.full_auto].allowed_tools list and denies the rest. --dangerously-skip-permissions approves anything that would prompt.

Does VT Code have a sandbox? Yes, an OS sandbox for shell commands, Seatbelt on macOS and Landlock with seccomp on Linux. It is off by default: set enabled = true under [sandbox].

How do I trust a workspace for vtcode exec in CI? Set VTCODE_TRUST_WORKSPACE=full-auto. It grants and saves full-auto trust for the workspace before the run.

How do I approve VT Code tool calls remotely? Connect VT 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.

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