CL

Cline — IDE Coding Agent System Prompt

System Prompt ✦ Curated & attributed Advanced

The Cline VSCode coding-agent prompt built around an XML tool-call protocol with a strict one-tool-per-message, wait-for-confirmation loop. It documents tools (execute_command, read_file, write_to_file, replace_in_file with SEARCH/REPLACE blocks, search_files, list_files, list_code_definition_names, optional browser_action, MCP tools, ask_followup_question, attempt_completion, new_task, plan_mode_respond), contrasts ACT vs PLAN modes, gives write_to_file-vs-replace_in_file guidance, and sets terse-output rules. Contains unresolved template variables (cwd, mcpHub, browserSettings).

What makes this prompt notable

  • Hard one-tool-per-message rule: must wait for explicit user confirmation of each tool result before the next call, never assuming success
  • Two distinct operating modes (ACT vs PLAN) gated by tool availability, with plan_mode_respond reserved for PLAN and mermaid-diagram brainstorming
  • replace_in_file specifies exact SEARCH/REPLACE block semantics (character-for-character match, first-occurrence-only, ordered blocks) plus auto-formatting reconciliation
  • Bans conversational openers: 'STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure"'
  • browser_action requires the sequence to start with launch and end with close, and locks out all other tools while the browser is open

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