---
title: Permissions
description: Control which actions require approval to run.
---

By default, OpenCode allows most operations without approval, except `doom_loop` and `external_directory` which default to `ask`. You can configure this using the `permission` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "edit": "allow",
    "bash": "ask",
    "webfetch": "deny",
    "doom_loop": "ask",
    "external_directory": "ask"
  }
}
```

This lets you configure granular controls for the `edit`, `bash`, `webfetch`, `doom_loop`, and `external_directory` tools.

- `"ask"` — Prompt for approval before running the tool
- `"allow"` — Allow all operations without approval
- `"deny"` — Disable the tool

---

## Tools

Currently, the permissions for the `edit`, `bash`, `webfetch`, `doom_loop`, and `external_directory` tools can be configured through the `permission` option.

---

### edit

Use the `permission.edit` key to control whether file editing operations require user approval.

```json title="opencode.json" {4}
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "edit": "ask"
  }
}
```

---

### bash

You can use the `permission.bash` key to control whether bash commands as a
whole need user approval.

```json title="opencode.json" {4}
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "bash": "ask"
  }
}
```

Or, you can target specific commands and set it to `allow`, `ask`, or `deny`.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "bash": {
      "git push": "ask",
      "git status": "allow",
      "git diff": "allow",
      "npm run build": "allow",
      "ls": "allow",
      "pwd": "allow"
    }
  }
}
```

---

#### Wildcards

You can also use wildcards to manage permissions for specific bash commands.

:::tip
You can use wildcards to manage permissions for specific bash commands.
:::

For example, **disable all** Terraform commands.

```json title="opencode.json" {5}
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "bash": {
      "terraform *": "deny"
    }
  }
}
```

You can also use the `*` wildcard to manage permissions for all commands. For
example, **deny all commands** except a couple of specific ones.

```json title="opencode.json" {5}
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "bash": {
      "*": "deny",
      "pwd": "allow",
      "git status": "ask"
    }
  }
}
```

Here a specific rule can override the `*` wildcard.

---

##### Glob patterns

The wildcard uses simple regex globbing patterns.

- `*` matches zero or more of any character
- `?` matches exactly one character
- All other characters match literally

---

#### Scope of the `"ask"` option

When the agent asks for permission to run a particular bash command, it will
request feedback with the three options "accept", "accept always" and "deny".
The "accept always" answer applies for the rest of the current session.

In addition, command permissions are applied to the first two elements of a command. So, an "accept always" response for a command like `git log` would whitelist `git log *` but not `git commit ...`.

When an agent asks for permission to run a command in a pipeline, we use tree sitter to parse each command in the pipeline. The "accept always" permission thus applies separately to each command in the pipeline.

---

### webfetch

Use the `permission.webfetch` key to control whether the LLM can fetch web pages.

```json title="opencode.json" {4}
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "webfetch": "ask"
  }
}
```

---

### doom_loop

Use the `permission.doom_loop` key to control whether approval is required when a doom loop is detected. A doom loop occurs when the same tool is called 3 times in a row with identical arguments.

This helps prevent infinite loops where the LLM repeatedly attempts the same action without making progress.

```json title="opencode.json" {4}
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "doom_loop": "ask"
  }
}
```

---

### external_directory

Use the `permission.external_directory` key to control whether file operations require approval when accessing files outside the working directory.

This provides an additional safety layer to prevent unintended modifications to files outside your project.

```json title="opencode.json" {4}
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "external_directory": "ask"
  }
}
```

---

## Agents

You can also configure permissions per agent. Where the agent specific config
overrides the global config. [Learn more](/docs/agents#permissions) about agent permissions.

```json title="opencode.json" {3-7,10-14}
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "bash": {
      "git push": "ask"
    }
  },
  "agent": {
    "build": {
      "permission": {
        "bash": {
          "git push": "allow"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

For example, here the `build` agent overrides the global `bash` permission to
allow `git push` commands.

You can also configure permissions for agents in Markdown.

```markdown title="~/.config/opencode/agent/review.md"
---
description: Code review without edits
mode: subagent
permission:
  edit: deny
  bash: ask
  webfetch: deny
---

Only analyze code and suggest changes.
```
