vibe-mode

name

vibe-mode

description

Sets the execution mode for the vibe-* framework — manual or autonomous. In manual mode: waits for "next" between tasks, waits for "review:" after phases. In autonomous mode: executes all tasks automatically, uses subagents for independent tasks in parallel, auto-runs review after each phase, only stops on P0 findings or deploy gates. Triggers on "vibe-mode: autonomous", "vibe-mode: manual", "vibe-mode: status", "set autonomous mode", "set manual mode", "switch to autonomous", "turn on autonomous", "turn off autonomous", "what mode am I in". Always use when the user wants to control how much the framework runs automatically vs waits for human input. Writes VIBE_MODE to CLAUDE.md. All vibe-* skills read this on startup.

Vibe Mode Skill

Sets and persists the execution mode for the entire vibe-* framework. One command. Affects every skill in the session.

---

Commands

vibe-mode: autonomous    ← full auto-execution, subagents, auto-review
vibe-mode: manual        ← default, waits for next and review: at each step
vibe-mode: status        ← shows current mode and what it means

---

Step 1 — Read current CLAUDE.md

cat CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null | grep "VIBE_MODE" || echo "NOT SET"

If CLAUDE.md does not exist:

"No CLAUDE.md found — are you at the project root? Run this from inside a vibe-* project." Stop.

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Step 2 — Apply the mode

Setting autonomous mode

Find the ## Execution mode section in CLAUDE.md. If it exists — update the VIBE_MODE line. If it doesn't exist — append the section.

## Execution mode
VIBE_MODE=autonomous

Then confirm:

⚡ Autonomous mode activated.

What this means for this session:
  Tasks      — execute automatically, no "next" needed
  Parallel   — independent tasks spawn as subagents simultaneously
  Sequential — dependent tasks run in order automatically
  Review     — runs automatically after each phase completes
  P0 found   — stops and waits for you to resolve
  P1/P2      — logged to backlog, build continues
  Deploy     — always manual, no exceptions

To switch back: vibe-mode: manual

Setting manual mode

## Execution mode
VIBE_MODE=manual

Confirm:

✋ Manual mode activated.

What this means for this session:
  Tasks    — say "next" after each task
  Parallel — asked once per session (y/n)
  Review   — run "review: phase N" manually after each phase
  Deploy   — manual

This is the default vibe-* behaviour.
To switch: vibe-mode: autonomous

Status check

Read current VIBE_MODE from CLAUDE.md. Show:

Current mode: [autonomous | manual | not set (defaults to manual)]

[Show the relevant "what this means" block from above]

Switch with:
  vibe-mode: autonomous
  vibe-mode: manual

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How all vibe-* skills read the mode

Every skill that executes tasks reads this at startup:

grep "VIBE_MODE" CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d ' '

Returns autonomous, manual, or empty (treated as manual).

The mode check happens once per skill invocation — at the very start, before any planning or execution. If the mode changes mid-session (user runs vibe-mode: again), the next skill invocation picks it up.

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Absolute rules

Deploy is always manual. VIBE_MODE=autonomous never removes the deploy gate. Shipping to production always requires a human to confirm.

P0s always stop autonomous mode. The autonomous loop pauses on any P0 finding from review. The build does not continue until P0s are resolved. This is non-negotiable — P0s exist precisely because they block progression.

The mode persists until explicitly changed. Setting autonomous at the start of a new: session means it stays autonomous for every subsequent add-feature:, fix-bug:, and review: in that project until you run vibe-mode: manual.

Manual mode is always safe to switch to. At any point during an autonomous run, vibe-mode: manual puts the brakes on. The current task completes (subagents already running finish), then the session waits for human input before proceeding.