How to Configure the Tool Approval Workflow in DeepSeek-Reasonix: Ask, Manual, and Auto Modes

DeepSeek-Reasonix provides three tool approval modes—ask, auto, and yolo—that control whether external tool executions require user confirmation, run automatically, or bypass all restrictions for the current session.

The tool approval workflow in esengine/DeepSeek-Reasonix governs how the application handles external API calls and tool executions. According to the source code in src/lib/types.ts, the workflow is defined by the ToolApprovalMode type and respected by the front-end UI, internal state machine, and desktop backend bridge. Understanding these configuration layers allows you to customize security and automation levels for individual sessions, specific bots, or globally across the application.

Understanding the Three Tool Approval Modes

The repository defines the ToolApprovalMode union type in src/lib/types.ts with three distinct values that determine execution behavior:

Ask Mode (Manual)

When set to "ask", every tool execution triggers a user prompt for approval before the request is dispatched. This is the safest mode for reviewing potentially destructive or expensive operations. The UI typically labels this as Ask or Manual, and it serves as the default fallback when no other mode is specified.

Auto Mode

Setting the mode to "auto" allows tools to execute without user intervention. The front-end automatically approves requests and streams results directly. This mode is ideal for trusted workflows where you want seamless integration with external APIs.

YOLO Mode (Manual Override)

The third mode, "yolo", functions as a session-level override that forces auto-approval regardless of other settings. While often labeled YOLO in the UI (sometimes referred to as Manual because it bypasses normal flow), this mode effectively enables a "yes-to-everything" behavior for the current session only. It is implemented as a toggleable state that preserves the previous mode for restoration later.

Where Tool Approval Modes Are Stored

DeepSeek-Reasonix maintains tool approval configuration at three hierarchical levels, all defined in src/lib/types.ts:

• Per-session: Each tab stores its current mode in TabMeta.toolApprovalMode, allowing different conversations to have different approval behaviors.
• Per-bot: Individual bot connections can override defaults via BotConnection.toolApprovalMode, enabling specific AI agents to run with distinct approval requirements.
• Global default: The settings.defaultToolApprovalMode field persists the user’s preferred default in the settings file, applied to all newly created sessions.

Normalizing and Validating Mode Values

Legacy configurations and malformed inputs are handled by the normalizeToolApprovalMode function in src/lib/types.ts (lines 8-13). This utility ensures backward compatibility by checking deprecated flags and providing sensible fallbacks:

export function normalizeToolApprovalMode(
  mode?: string,
  legacyMode?: Mode,
  legacyAutoApproveTools?: boolean,
  fallbackMode?: ToolApprovalMode,
): ToolApprovalMode {
  const normalized = typeof mode === "string" ? mode.trim().toLowerCase() : "";
  if (normalized === "auto" || normalized === "yolo" || normalized === "ask")
    return normalized as ToolApprovalMode;
  if (legacyAutoApproveTools || (legacyMode && modeHasAutoApproveTools(legacyMode)))
    return "yolo";
  if (fallbackMode === "auto" && normalized === "") return "auto";
  return "ask";
}

This function converts string inputs to valid ToolApprovalMode values and checks the legacy autoApproveTools flag to migrate old settings to the new "yolo" mode automatically.

Configuring Modes Programmatically via the Bridge

The Bridge class in src/lib/bridge.ts (lines 4166-4205) exposes methods for the front-end to communicate configuration changes to the desktop backend:

Setting Global Defaults

To change the default mode for all new sessions:

await bridge.SetDefaultToolApprovalMode("ask"); // or "auto"

Note that SetDefaultToolApprovalMode only accepts "ask" or "auto"; it does not accept "yolo" since YOLO is intended as a temporary session override rather than a permanent default.

Per-Tab and Per-Bot Overrides

Target specific sessions or bot connections with dedicated methods:

// Set mode for current active tab
await bridge.SetToolApprovalMode("auto");

// Set mode for a specific tab by ID
await bridge.SetToolApprovalModeForTab(tabId, "ask");

// Override settings for a specific bot connection
await bridge.SetBotConnectionToolApprovalMode(botConnId, "auto");

Toggling YOLO Mode

The toggleYoloToolApprovalMode utility in src/lib/toolApprovalMode.ts manages the YOLO state transition while preserving the previous mode for restoration:

import { toggleYoloToolApprovalMode } from "./toolApprovalMode";

const currentMode = "ask"; // Retrieved from TabMeta
const { mode, restore } = toggleYoloToolApprovalMode(currentMode);

// Enable YOLO
await bridge.SetToolApprovalModeForTab(tabId, mode);

// Later, restore previous mode
if (restore) {
  await bridge.SetToolApprovalModeForTab(tabId, restore);
}

When current mode is "yolo", the function returns the previously saved restore value; otherwise, it returns "yolo" and stores the current mode as the restore value.

Practical Configuration Examples

Force confirmation for all tool executions globally:

await bridge.SetDefaultToolApprovalMode("ask");

Enable automatic approval for a specific high-trust bot while keeping others in ask mode:

await bridge.SetBotConnectionToolApprovalMode(trustedBotId, "auto");

Temporarily disable all confirmation prompts for a debugging session, then revert:

import { toggleYoloToolApprovalMode } from "./toolApprovalMode";

const tabId = "session-123";
const current = "ask"; // From tab metadata

// Enter YOLO mode
const yoloState = toggleYoloToolApprovalMode(current);
await bridge.SetToolApprovalModeForTab(tabId, yoloState.mode);

// ... perform automated operations ...

// Restore previous mode
if (yoloState.restore) {
  await bridge.SetToolApprovalModeForTab(tabId, yoloState.restore);
}

Summary

• Three modes control the workflow: "ask" requires confirmation, "auto" executes silently, and "yolo" forces auto-approval for the current session only.
• Configuration hierarchy: Settings apply globally by default, but can be overridden per-tab via TabMeta or per-bot via BotConnection.
• Key source files: src/lib/types.ts defines the types and normalization logic, src/lib/bridge.ts provides the API surface (lines 4166-4205), and src/lib/toolApprovalMode.ts handles YOLO toggling.
• Normalization function: normalizeToolApprovalMode ensures backward compatibility with legacy settings.
• Runtime changes: Use SetToolApprovalModeForTab for immediate session changes and SetDefaultToolApprovalMode for persistent defaults.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between "yolo" and "auto" modes?

While both "yolo" and "auto" allow tools to execute without prompting the user, "yolo" is designed as a temporary session override that can be toggled on and off, preserving the previous mode for restoration. The "auto" mode is a persistent setting suitable for long-term configuration, whereas "yolo" acts as a manual bypass for the current session only.

Can I set "yolo" as the global default for all new sessions?

No, the SetDefaultToolApprovalMode method in src/lib/bridge.ts explicitly restricts global defaults to "ask" or "auto" only. The "yolo" mode is intentionally excluded from global defaults because it is meant to be a temporary, per-session override rather than a permanent security policy.

How does DeepSeek-Reasonix handle invalid or legacy tool approval mode values?

The normalizeToolApprovalMode function in src/lib/types.ts sanitizes inputs by trimming and lowercasing strings, checking against valid values, and falling back to "ask" if the input is invalid. It also checks legacy boolean flags like legacyAutoApproveTools to migrate older configurations to the appropriate modern mode.

Where is the tool approval state stored when I change it for a specific tab?

Per-tab tool approval states are stored in the TabMeta.toolApprovalMode property, which is part of each tab's metadata structure. This allows different browser tabs or conversation sessions to maintain independent approval settings without affecting each other or the global default.

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}