Installing Cline Beginner

Get Cline up and running in VS Code in just a few minutes. This lesson covers installing the extension, configuring your first API provider, running your first task, and understanding the permission system.

Installing from VS Code Marketplace

Cline is available as a free extension in the Visual Studio Code marketplace. There are two ways to install it:

Method 1: From VS Code

  1. Open VS Code

    Launch Visual Studio Code on your machine.

  2. Open the Extensions panel

    Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS) to open the Extensions view.

  3. Search for "Cline"

    Type Cline in the search bar. Look for the extension by "Cline" with the Cline logo.

  4. Click Install

    Click the blue Install button. The extension will download and activate automatically.

Method 2: From the Command Line

Terminal 
# Install Cline via the VS Code CLI
code --install-extension saoudrizwan.claude-dev
Extension ID: The extension ID is saoudrizwan.claude-dev (the original name). Despite the ID, you are installing the current version of Cline with full multi-model support.

Configuring Your API Key

After installation, you need to configure an AI provider. Cline supports multiple providers - here are the most common options:

Option A: Anthropic API Key

  1. Go to console.anthropic.com and create an account
  2. Navigate to API Keys and generate a new key
  3. In VS Code, open Cline's settings and paste your API key
  4. Select a Claude model (e.g., Claude Sonnet 4)

Option B: OpenAI API Key

  1. Go to platform.openai.com
  2. Navigate to API Keys and generate a new key
  3. In Cline's settings, select "OpenAI" as the provider and paste your key
  4. Select a model (e.g., GPT-4o)

Option C: OpenRouter (Recommended for Flexibility)

  1. Go to openrouter.ai and create an account
  2. Add credits to your account
  3. Generate an API key
  4. In Cline's settings, select "OpenRouter" as the provider and paste your key
  5. Choose from dozens of models available on OpenRouter
Tip: OpenRouter is great for beginners because it lets you access multiple AI models with a single API key. You can try Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, and many other models without separate accounts for each provider.

Your First Run

Once your API key is configured, you are ready to use Cline:

  1. Open the Cline panel

    Click the Cline icon in the VS Code sidebar, or press Ctrl+Shift+P and type "Cline: Open".

  2. Open a project folder

    Make sure you have a project folder open in VS Code. Cline works within the context of your current workspace.

  3. Type your first task

    Try something simple like: "What files are in this project and what does it do?"

  4. Review and approve actions

    Cline will ask permission before reading files. Click Approve to let it proceed.

Cline Chat 
You: What does this project do? Give me a quick overview.

Cline: I'll read the key files to understand this project...
       [Requests to read package.json] Approve | Reject
       [Requests to read README.md]    Approve | Reject
       [Requests to read src/index.ts] Approve | Reject

       This is a Node.js REST API built with Express...
       Here's a summary of the project structure...

Understanding the Cline Panel

The Cline panel in VS Code has several key areas:

Area Description
Chat input Where you type your tasks and messages. Supports drag-and-drop for images and files.
Conversation history Shows the full conversation, including Cline's thought process, tool calls, and results.
Action buttons Approve/Reject buttons appear when Cline wants to take an action (read file, edit, run command).
Settings gear Access provider settings, model selection, auto-approve options, and more.
Task history View and resume previous tasks. Each task is saved with full context.
Cost display Shows the running cost of the current task (tokens used and estimated price).

The Permission System

Cline has a granular permission system that gives you control over what actions it can take:

Permission What It Controls Default
Read files Whether Cline can read files in your workspace Ask each time
Write files Whether Cline can create or edit files Ask each time
Run commands Whether Cline can execute terminal commands Ask each time
Use browser Whether Cline can launch and control a browser Ask each time
Use MCP tools Whether Cline can call external MCP server tools Ask each time
Security Note: By default, Cline asks for approval before every action. You can enable "auto-approve" for specific action types in settings, but be cautious - especially with terminal commands and file writes. Always review commands before approving them, particularly in production environments.

Settings Overview

Access Cline's settings by clicking the gear icon in the Cline panel. Key settings include:

  • API Provider: Choose between Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Google, AWS Bedrock, or local providers
  • Model: Select which AI model to use for tasks
  • Auto-approve: Toggle automatic approval for reads, writes, commands, and browser actions
  • Custom instructions: Add persistent instructions that apply to every task
  • Max auto-approve spend: Set a cost limit for auto-approved actions
  • Browser settings: Configure the built-in browser viewport size and behavior

Cline Installed?

With Cline installed and configured, you are ready to start using it for real coding tasks. The next lesson covers the core usage patterns.

Next: Basic Usage →
← Introduction Basic Usage →

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