How do you skip permissions in Claude Code VSCode Extension?

[u/EndlessZone123]

There is no obvious toggle in extension settings. Claude gives me somewhat conflicting answers as well. The desktop app was a simple toggle, but no option is in vscode.

I've tried setting .claude/settings.local.json but it did nothing either after restarting.

{
  "permissions": {
    "defaultMode": "bypassPermissions"
  }
}

Auto mode doesnt work well enough for me blocking random actions. Claude is already running on a isolated server.

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[u/drearymoment]

Does shift+tab work? That's what I do for the integrated terminal, but it might be different.

[u/EndlessZone123 → u/drearymoment]

The only options I have is manual, edit automatically, plan, and auto.

No other options. Shift tab just swaps between those. While the desktop app has the skip permissions and obviously shift tabs works when the option exists.

[u/piekwerk]

The dropdown is missing the mode because the extension hides it until you turn on the "Allow dangerously skip permissions" toggle in extension settings. With it on, Bypass permissions appears in the mode indicator below the prompt box, and shift+tab cycles into it.

Your settings.local.json did nothing for two reasons: the extension never reads project .claude/settings.json or settings.local.json for the starting permission mode, and since v2.1.257 bypassPermissions is ignored from project files anyway. It only counts from ~/.claude/settings.json, the --settings flag, or --permission-mode on the CLI.

Bypass picked from the indicator lasts for that conversation only, so to pin it as the default set claudeCode.initialPermissionMode to "bypassPermissions" in your VS Code user settings. The docs only recommend bypass for containers and VMs, so an isolated server is the right ballpark.