---
title: "Config"
sidebarTitle: "Config"
description: "Understand where Cline stores configuration and how global and project config work together."
---

Cline configuration lives in two scopes:

- **Global configuration** in `~/.cline/` (applies globally across all Cline applications, including IDE, CLI, and SDK)
- **Project configuration** in `.cline/` (applies only to the current workspace)

## Configuration Directory Layout

Cline stores shared configuration across a few well-known locations. The primary root is `~/.cline/`, with structured app state under `~/.cline/data/`:

```text
~/.cline/
  data/
    settings/
      providers.json           # API keys and provider configuration
      global-settings.json     # Global settings
      cline_mcp_settings.json  # MCP settings
    teams/                     # Team state
    sessions/                  # Session data
    db/                        # SQLite databases (for example cron.db)
    workflows/                 # Global workflows
  rules/                       # Global rules
  hooks/                       # Global hooks
  skills/                      # Global skills
  agents/                      # Global agent definitions
  plugins/                     # Global plugins (.js, .ts)
  cron/                        # Global cron specs
```

Additional global search paths supported by the code:

```text
~/Documents/Cline/
  Rules/                       # Additional global rules
  Hooks/                       # Additional global hooks
  Plugins/                     # Additional global plugins
  Workflows/                   # Additional global workflows
```

Project-level configuration lives in `.cline/` at your repository root:

```text
.cline/
  rules/                       # Project rules
  skills/                      # Project skills
  hooks/                       # Lifecycle hooks
  agents/                      # Project agent definitions
  plugins/                     # Project plugins
  cron/                        # Workspace cron specs
```

Notes:

- Global provider settings, global settings, and MCP settings are stored under `~/.cline/data/settings/`.
- Global workflows resolve from `~/.cline/data/workflows/`.
- Global rules, hooks, skills, agents, plugins, and cron specs resolve directly under `~/.cline/`.
- Rules, hooks, plugins, and workflows may also be discovered from `~/Documents/Cline/` for compatibility.

## What Goes Where?

- Use **global (`~/.cline/`)** for defaults shared across all Cline applications (IDE, CLI, SDK) on your machine.
- Use **project (`.cline/`)** for team-shared behavior that should travel with the repo.

Commit `.cline/` files you want to share with your team. Keep secrets out of the repo.

## Configure Through the CLI

Use the interactive config UI:

```bash
cline config
```

From there, you can view/edit:

- Settings (global + workspace)
- Rules
- Skills
- Hooks

## Useful Configuration Commands

Use a custom configuration directory:

```bash
cline --config /path/to/custom/config "your task"
```

Or via environment variable:

```bash
export CLINE_DATA_DIR=/custom/path/to/cline
cline "your task"
```

View CLI logs when troubleshooting:

```bash
cline dev log
```

## Environment Variables

| Variable | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| `CLINE_DATA_DIR` | Custom data directory (replaces `~/.cline/data/`) |
| `CLINE_HUB_ADDRESS` | Override hub address (default: `127.0.0.1:25463`) |
| `CLINE_SESSION_BACKEND_MODE` | Force backend mode (`local`, `hub`, `remote`, `auto`) |
| `CLINE_SANDBOX` | Enable sandbox mode |
| `CLINE_SANDBOX_DATA_DIR` | Sandbox session storage directory |
| `CLINE_HOOKS_DIR` | Additional hooks directory |
| `CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS` | JSON policy restricting shell commands |

### CLINE_DATA_DIR

```bash
export CLINE_DATA_DIR=/custom/path/to/cline
cline "your task"
```

### CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS

Restrict which shell commands Cline can execute:

```bash
export CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS='{"allow": ["npm *", "git *"], "deny": ["rm -rf *"]}'
```

Format:

```json
{
  "allow": ["pattern1", "pattern2"],
  "deny": ["pattern3"],
  "allowRedirects": true
}
```

Rules:

- `deny` overrides `allow`
- If `allow` is set, commands not matching `allow` are denied
- `allowRedirects` controls shell redirects (`>`, `>>`, `<`), default `false`

## Related Docs

- [CLI Configuration](/cli/configuration)
- [Rules](/customization/cline-rules)
- [Skills](/customization/skills)
- [Hooks](/customization/hooks)
- [Plugins](/customization/plugins)
- [.clineignore](/customization/clineignore)

## Security Notes

<Warning>
Only use rules, hooks, skills, and plugins from sources you trust.
</Warning>

Hooks and plugins can execute code. Review them like any other executable artifact before adding them globally or to a project.