---
title: "Configuration"
description: "How to configure Devin CLI behavior with config files"
icon: "gear"
---

Devin CLI is configured through JSON files (with comment support) at the user and project level. These config files control the agent's model, permissions, MCP servers, and more.

---

## Config File Locations

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="User config">
    **Path:** `~/.config/devin/config.json`

    Your personal defaults that apply across all projects. This is where you set your preferred model, theme, and global permissions.

    You can also place an `AGENTS.md` file in this directory (`~/.config/devin/AGENTS.md`) to define [global rules](/cli/extensibility/rules#global-rules) that apply to every project.

    <Note>
      On Windows, this path is `%APPDATA%\devin\config.json` (typically `C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\devin\config.json`).
    </Note>

    ```json
    {
      "agent": { "model": "claude-sonnet-4.5" },
      "permissions": {
        "allow": ["Read(**)", "Exec(git)"]
      }
    }
    ```
  </Tab>
  <Tab title="Project config">
    **Path:** `.devin/config.json` (at your project root)

    Shared team configuration committed to version control. Use this for project-specific MCP servers, permission policies, and import settings.

    ```json
    {
      "permissions": {
        "allow": ["Exec(npm run)", "Read(src/**)"],
        "deny": ["Exec(sudo)"]
      },
      "mcpServers": {
        "github": {
          "command": "npx",
          "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"]
        }
      }
    }
    ```
  </Tab>
  <Tab title="Local overrides">
    **Path:** `.devin/config.local.json`

    Personal overrides for this project that aren't committed to git (automatically gitignored). Use this for secrets, API keys, and personal preference overrides.

    ```json
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "github": {
          "env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token" }
        }
      }
    }
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

---

## What You Can Configure

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Model" icon="brain" href="/cli/models">
    Choose which AI model powers the agent — from Claude Opus to GPT 5.2 to Gemini 3.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Permissions" icon="shield" href="/cli/reference/permissions">
    Pre-approve safe actions, block dangerous ones, and control what the agent can do without asking.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP Servers" icon="server" href="/cli/extensibility/mcp/configuration">
    Connect external tool servers for GitHub, Linear, databases, and any custom APIs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="External Tool Imports" icon="arrow-right-to-bracket" href="/cli/extensibility/rules">
    Import rules, skills, and configuration from Cursor, Windsurf, and Claude Code.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

---

## Quick Start

The fastest way to get started is to create a `.devin/config.json` in your project root:

```json
{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Read(**)",
      "Exec(git)",
      "Exec(npm run)"
    ]
  }
}
```

This pre-approves file reads and common commands so the agent doesn't prompt you for every action.

<Tip>
  You can also configure Devin CLI interactively: when the agent asks for permission, choose to save the decision to your project or user config for next time.
</Tip>

---

## Project vs User Settings

Not all settings are available at every level. Project configs (`.devin/config.json` and `.devin/config.local.json`) support:

- **`permissions`** — allow, deny, and ask rules
- **`mcpServers`** — MCP server definitions
- **`read_config_from`** — import settings from Cursor, Windsurf, and Claude
- **`hooks`** — lifecycle hooks ([see Hooks](/cli/extensibility/hooks/overview))

All other settings — including `agent` (model), `theme_mode`, `unicode_mode`, `show_path`, `sandbox`, and other display/behavior options — are **user-config only** and can only be set in the user config (`~/.config/devin/config.json`; `%APPDATA%\devin\config.json` on Windows).

---

## Configuration Precedence

For settings that support multiple levels, higher-priority sources win:

| Priority | Source | Shared? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 (highest) | Organization / Team settings | Yes (enterprise) |
| 2 | Session grants (interactive approvals) | No (in-memory) |
| 3 | Project local (`.devin/config.local.json`) | No (gitignored) |
| 4 | Project (`.devin/config.json`) | Yes (committed) |
| 5 (lowest) | User (`~/.config/devin/config.json`; `%APPDATA%\devin\config.json` on Windows) | No (personal) |

Permissions are merged across levels, while MCP servers are merged by name (higher-priority source wins for same-named servers).

<Note>
  Organization-level (enterprise) settings can **never** be overridden by project or user config. See [Configuration Precedence](/cli/reference/configuration/global-vs-local) for full details on how merging works.
</Note>

---

## Limitations

<Warning>
  When run standalone, Devin CLI only respects `.gitignore` by default — it does not enforce `.devinignore`, `.codeiumignore`, or `.windsurfignore` files. When Devin CLI runs inside Devin Desktop, all four ignore files are enforced.
</Warning>

---

## Learn More

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Full Config Reference" icon="file-code" href="/cli/reference/configuration/config-file">
    Complete list of every configuration option and its format.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration Precedence" icon="layer-group" href="/cli/reference/configuration/global-vs-local">
    How global, project, and local settings interact and merge.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
