Configure your access

Use your access settings file to set approval preferences and configure folders for saved projects. Your organization's policy remains the maximum access available to you.

Open your settings file

Open Settings → Agent access → Open settings.json. The editor opens your user settings file:

Platform	File location
macOS	`~/.glean/ui/settings.json`
Windows	`%USERPROFILE%\.glean\ui\settings.json`

New documents use the readable schemaVersion: 1 format. Existing documents with settingsSchemaVersion: 1 remain supported. Keep the format already in use unless you intend to migrate it. Don't combine both version fields.

The examples on this page use the macOS path. On Windows, use the same file contents at the Windows location.

Set global access preferences

The following example selects Approve for me, requests sandboxing, and excludes your SSH directory from governed file access:

~/.glean/ui/settings.json
{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "permissions": {
    "sandboxMode": "workspace-write",
    "approvalPolicy": "on-request",
    "approvalsReviewer": "auto-review",
    "filesystem": {
      "denyRead": ["~/.ssh/"]
    }
  }
}

The following fields apply to your global preference:

Field	Accepted values or purpose
`permissions.sandboxMode`	`read-only`, `workspace-write` (default), or `danger-full-access` (sandbox off)
`permissions.approvalPolicy`	`untrusted`, `on-request` (default), or `never`
`permissions.approvalsReviewer`	`user` or `auto-review` (default)
`permissions.fullAccess`	`true` selects Full access without changing the other three values
`permissions.filesystem.write`	Extra folders the sandbox can write to in every chat, including chats without a project
`permissions.filesystem.denyRead`	Paths that governed file operations can't read or write
`permissions.filesystem.denyWrite`	Paths that governed file operations can't change
`permissions.reviewShell`	Requests review of the agent's Bash commands

Omitted fields use the defaults. Each approval mode in the app corresponds to a combination of these values:

Approval mode	`sandboxMode`	`approvalPolicy`	`approvalsReviewer`
Ask for approval	`workspace-write`	`untrusted`	`user`
Approve for me	`workspace-write`	`on-request`	`auto-review`
Full access	`danger-full-access`	`never`	`user`

The app stores Full access as fullAccess: true and keeps your other three values unchanged. When you leave Full access, those values apply again. The mode picker changes only approvalPolicy and approvalsReviewer. The Sandbox Mode control changes only sandboxMode. Turning Sandbox Mode off in Ask for approval or Approve for me sets sandboxMode to danger-full-access and keeps the other two values.

note

After Glean Tau writes fullAccess to your settings file, an older version of the app that doesn't support the field can't read the file. Remove fullAccess before you downgrade.

reviewShell: true doesn't force a human prompt. Approve for me can review a command automatically. The setting doesn't control every form of Terminal input.

User restrictions don't create an administrator-enforced sandbox. Full access retains its broad access behavior. Use an admin policy with required confinement when a file boundary must apply to child processes and can't be changed by the user.

Add folders for every project

Use the global permissions.filesystem.write list for a folder the agent needs to write to in every project, such as a tool's cache or state folder. You add it once instead of to each project or worktree:

Global writable folder example
{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "permissions": {
    "filesystem": {
      "write": ["~/.cache/my-tool/"]
    }
  }
}

Each entry must be an absolute path or start with ~/. Glean Tau rejects the filesystem root, your home folder, a folder that contains your home folder, a protected folder, and a path that goes through a symbolic link. An entry that later goes missing or becomes invalid is skipped with a warning, and your other settings keep working. Writes to the .git, .agents, .codex, and .aws folders inside these folders still need review.

Your organization can't set this list for you, and it can't widen access beyond your organization's policy.

Add project folders

Add the project to Glean Tau before you reference it in the file. Use its explicit absolute or home-relative directory as the key under projects.

This example gives a saved project access to a reference directory and an output directory, then excludes sensitive paths:

Project access example
{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "permissions": {
    "sandboxMode": "workspace-write",
    "approvalPolicy": "on-request",
    "approvalsReviewer": "auto-review"
  },
  "projects": {
    "~/Company/Code/reports": {
      "filesystem": {
        "read": ["../../Reference/"],
        "write": ["./output/"],
        "denyRead": [".env", "secrets/"],
        "denyWrite": ["published/"]
      },
      "reviewShell": true
    }
  }
}

Download the user configuration example and user JSON schema.

Each folder in a read or write list must be an existing directory. It can't be a symbolic link. Adding a folder doesn't override operating-system permissions, so Glean Tau still can't reach files your account can't access.

Project read and write lists add folders to the project's available access. They don't remove its current working folder or another attached folder. An empty write list doesn't make the project read-only.

The app validates the project against your saved projects. An unknown project or conflicting directory alias is invalid. If you remove a referenced project, update the configuration.

Use explicit paths

Relative paths inside a project entry resolve from that project's directory. For example, secrets/ in the project access example means ~/Company/Code/reports/secrets/.

Use these path rules:

Read and write folder entries describe directory trees
A deny entry ending in / describes a subtree
A deny entry without a trailing / describes an exact path
Use { "path": "secrets", "scope": "subtree" } when you want to state the scope explicitly
A read denial also prevents writes to that location

A repository and its linked worktrees share the project's access identity. A project review preference can therefore apply in those worktrees. File denials remain tied to the specified paths. A relative .env entry doesn't automatically exclude .env in every worktree.

Your settings file can't grant execute permission for a folder. Commands are controlled by your approval mode, command rules, and the sandbox.

General glob patterns, negation, named-profile inheritance, and automatic discovery of repository-local access configuration are unsupported. An AGENTS.md file supplies instructions, not enforceable access settings.

Save and apply changes

Save through the Glean Tau editor. The app checks the document and applies a valid save. Changes to approval or sandbox controls preserve readable project declarations.

If you edit the file outside Glean Tau, restart the app to apply it. An open editor shows external edits, but they don't become active until you restart. The editor can reject a save if the file or relevant policy changed while you were editing. Reopen the current file before retrying.

Managed policy still applies after a valid save. A requested folder or approval mode can remain unavailable because your admin restricts it.

Recover from an invalid file

If the file is invalid or unreadable, Glean Tau blocks agent actions until you correct it. Open the file from Agent access, use the reported error to correct it, and save again.

Check for unsupported fields, duplicate JSON keys, invalid paths, and project entries that no longer exist. Don't change an admin policy or clear all app storage to repair a user-file error.

Removing a user setting reveals the applicable saved preference or default. It doesn't remove an admin restriction.

Open your settings file​

Set global access preferences​

Add folders for every project​

Add project folders​

Use explicit paths​

Save and apply changes​

Recover from an invalid file​

See also​