Permissions

Permissions control which tools agents can use and what actions they can perform.

Permission Levels

Level	Behavior
`"allow"`	Tool runs without confirmation
`"ask"`	User is prompted before each use
`"deny"`	Tool is blocked entirely

Global Permissions

Set in altimate-code.json:

{
  "permission": {
    "read": "allow",
    "glob": "allow",
    "grep": "allow",
    "list": "allow",
    "edit": "ask",
    "write": "ask",
    "bash": "ask",
    "webfetch": "ask",
    "websearch": "ask"
  }
}

Pattern-Based Permissions

For tools that accept arguments (like bash), use pattern matching:

{
  "permission": {
    "bash": {
      "*": "ask",
      "dbt *": "allow",
      "git status": "allow",
      "git diff *": "allow",
      "rm *": "deny",
      "DROP *": "deny"
    }
  }
}

Patterns are matched in order, and the last matching rule wins. Use * as a wildcard. Place your catch-all "*" rule first and more specific rules after it.

For example, with "*": "ask" first and "rm *": "deny" after it, all rm commands are denied while everything else prompts. If you put "*": "ask" last, it would override the deny rule.

Per-Agent Permissions

Override permissions for specific agents:

{
  "agent": {
    "analyst": {
      "permission": {
        "write": "deny",
        "edit": "deny",
        "bash": {
          "SELECT *": "allow",
          "dbt docs *": "allow",
          "*": "deny"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

All Permissioned Tools

Tool	Supports Patterns	Description
`read`	Yes	Read files
`edit`	Yes	Edit files
`write`	Yes	Write files
`glob`	Yes	Find files
`grep`	Yes	Search files
`list`	Yes	List directories
`bash`	Yes	Shell commands
`sql_execute_write`	Yes	SQL write operations (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, etc.)
`task`	Yes	Spawn subagents
`lsp`	Yes	LSP operations
`skill`	Yes	Execute skills
`external_directory`	Yes	Access outside project
`webfetch`	No	Fetch web pages
`websearch`	No	Web search
`codesearch`	No	Code search
`question`	No	Ask user questions
`todowrite`	No	Write tasks
`todoread`	No	Read tasks
`doom_loop`	No	Loop detection

Environment Variable

Set permissions via environment variable:

export ALTIMATE_CLI_PERMISSION='{"bash":"deny","write":"deny"}'
altimate

Yolo Mode

Auto-approve all permission prompts without asking. Useful for CI/CD pipelines, benchmarks, scripted workflows, and trusted environments.

CLI flag (works with any subcommand):

altimate-code --yolo run "build all dbt models"
altimate-code --yolo                              # launches TUI in yolo mode

Environment variable:

export ALTIMATE_CLI_YOLO=true
altimate-code run "analyze my queries"

The fallback OPENCODE_YOLO env var is also supported. When both are set, ALTIMATE_CLI_YOLO takes precedence. Setting it to false disables yolo even if OPENCODE_YOLO=true.

Safety: Explicit deny rules in your config are still enforced. Deny rules throw an error before any permission prompt is created, so yolo mode never sees them. If you've denied rm * or DROP *, those remain blocked even with --yolo.

When yolo mode is active in the TUI, a △ YOLO indicator appears in the footer status bar.

Recommended Configurations

Data Engineering (Default, Balanced)

A good starting point for most data engineering workflows. Allows safe read operations, prompts for writes and commands:

{
  "permission": {
    "read": "allow",
    "glob": "allow",
    "grep": "allow",
    "list": "allow",
    "edit": "ask",
    "write": "ask",
    "bash": {
      "*": "ask",
      "dbt *": "allow",
      "git status": "allow",
      "git diff *": "allow",
      "git log *": "allow",
      "ls *": "allow",
      "cat *": "allow",
      "rm *": "deny",
      "DROP *": "deny",
      "DELETE *": "deny",
      "TRUNCATE *": "deny"
    },
    "external_directory": "ask"
  }
}

Strict (Production-Adjacent Work)

When working near production systems. Blocks destructive operations entirely and requires confirmation for everything else:

{
  "permission": {
    "read": "allow",
    "glob": "allow",
    "grep": "allow",
    "list": "allow",
    "edit": "ask",
    "write": "ask",
    "bash": {
      "*": "ask",
      "dbt *": "ask",
      "git status": "allow",
      "rm *": "deny",
      "DROP *": "deny",
      "DELETE *": "deny",
      "TRUNCATE *": "deny",
      "ALTER *": "deny",
      "git push *": "deny",
      "git reset *": "deny"
    },
    "external_directory": "deny"
  }
}

Per-Agent Lockdown

Give each agent only the permissions it needs:

{
  "agent": {
    "analyst": {
      "permission": {
        "write": "deny",
        "edit": "deny",
        "sql_execute_write": "deny",
        "bash": {
          "*": "deny",
          "ls *": "allow",
          "cat *": "allow",
          "dbt list *": "allow"
        }
      }
    },
    "builder": {
      "permission": {
        "sql_execute_write": "ask",
        "bash": {
          "*": "ask",
          "dbt *": "allow",
          "rm -rf *": "deny"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

How Permissions Work

When the agent wants to use a tool, the permission system evaluates your rules in order:

Config rules from altimate-code.json
Agent-level rules for per-agent overrides
Session approvals for patterns you've approved with "Allow always" during the current session

If a rule matches, it applies. If no rule matches, the default is "ask", which means you'll be prompted.

When prompted, you have three choices:

Choice	Effect
Allow once	Approves this single action
Allow always	Approves this pattern for the rest of the session
Reject	Blocks the action (optionally with feedback for the agent)

"Allow always" approvals persist for your current session only. They reset when you restart Altimate Code.

Tips

Start with "ask" and relax as you build confidence. You can always approve patterns with "Allow always" during a session.
Use "deny" for truly dangerous commands like rm *, DROP *, git push --force *, and git reset --hard *. These are blocked even if other rules would allow them.
Use per-agent permissions to enforce least-privilege. An analyst doesn't need write access. A builder doesn't need DROP.
Review the prompt before approving. The TUI shows you exactly what will run, including diffs for file edits and the full command for bash operations.