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YOLO mode
also auto-approve mode
Definition of YOLO mode
-
: a setting or operating style in which an AI coding agent or other tool-using agent automatically approves and carries out actions without pausing for a person to confirm each file edit, command, or tool call
- The developer enabled YOLO mode only after moving the coding agent into a disposable virtual machine.
- In YOLO mode, the agent installed dependencies, edited the project, and ran the test suite without asking for approval between steps.
Two meanings, one word
In everyday English
YOLO abbreviates "you only live once," a phrase used to justify taking a risk or acting spontaneously.
In AI
A setting or operating style in which an AI coding agent or other tool-using agent automatically approves and carries out actions without pausing for a person to confirm…
Origin & history
The AI-agent meaning became visible in December 2024 when Cursor 0.44 introduced Yolo Mode for automatically running terminal commands. As coding agents spread, developers applied the phrase more broadly to configurations that bypass per-action approval prompts.
Test yourself
Which of these is the meaning of YOLO mode?
Cite this entry
"YOLO mode." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/yolo-mode/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.