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61 lines
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61 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
---
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title: "What is Cline?"
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sidebarTitle: "What is Cline?"
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description: "An AI coding agent that lives in your editor. Read files, run commands, and build features through natural language."
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---
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Cline is an open-source AI coding agent that runs in your editor. It gives you direct, transparent access to frontier AI with no limits, no surprises, and no model ecosystem lock-in. See every decision. Choose any model. Control your costs.
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<Tip>
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**New to coding agents?** Watch [What is a Coding Agent?](https://youtu.be/CYIteJeNcuw) to see how Cline works in action.
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</Tip>
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## Get Started
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<Steps>
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<Step title="Install Cline">
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Add Cline to VS Code, Cursor, or JetBrains from the extension marketplace; or download Cline CLI to work in the terminal.
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[Install Guide →](/getting-started/installing-cline)
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</Step>
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<Step title="Pick Your Model">
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Connect your API key from Anthropic, OpenRouter, or any supported provider.
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[Model Setup →](/getting-started/authorizing-with-cline)
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</Step>
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<Step title="Start Building">
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Open Cline from the sidebar and describe what you want to build.
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[Your First Project →](/getting-started/your-first-project)
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</Step>
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</Steps>
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## What Cline Can Do
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Cline operates directly in your codebase with your permission:
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- **Read and write files** - Navigate your codebase, create new files, and make targeted edits. You approve every change before it happens.
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- **Run terminal commands** - Execute shell commands, run tests, install packages, and debug errors in real-time.
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- **Use a browser** - Launch a browser to test web apps, capture screenshots, and interact with pages.
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- **Connect external tools** - Extend capabilities with [MCP servers](/mcp/mcp-overview) for databases, APIs, and documentation.
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- **Run from the command line** - Use the [Cline CLI](/cline-cli/getting-started) for headless automation, CI/CD pipelines, and shell workflows.
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## Core Workflows
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These are the patterns you'll use daily with Cline:
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| Workflow | What It Does |
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|----------|--------------|
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| [Plan & Act](/core-workflows/plan-and-act) | Think first, then build. Plan mode explores your codebase without making changes. Act mode implements the solution. |
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| [Task Management](/core-workflows/task-management) | Start tasks, resume previous work, and manage long-running sessions. |
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| [Working with Files](/core-workflows/working-with-files) | Use @ mentions to reference files, folders, URLs, and terminal output in your prompts. |
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| [Commands](/core-workflows/using-commands) | Keyboard shortcuts, slash commands, and terminal integration. |
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| [Checkpoints](/core-workflows/checkpoints) | Automatic snapshots of your project. Restore to any previous state instantly. |
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## Why Cline
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- **Transparent by default** - Watch every file read, every decision considered, every token used. No black box.
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- **Any model, any provider** - Use Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, DeepSeek, or local models. Switch instantly as new models launch.
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- **Zero trust architecture** - Your code never touches our servers. Cline runs entirely client-side with your API keys.
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- **Open source** - Every line of code on [GitHub](https://github.com/cline/cline). 50k+ stars from developers who use it daily.
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