Overview
Transform your development workflow with Kiro's terminal integration. Instead of memorizing command syntax or switching between windows, describe what you want to accomplish and Kiro translates your requests into executable commands, maintains context across operations, and provides a secure approval system that keeps you in control while managing dependencies, navigating git workflows, or exploring your codebase.
Getting Started
Simply describe what you want to do in natural language. For example:
- "Install the project dependencies"
- "Check the git status"
- "Find all TypeScript files in the src folder"
- "Run the development server"
Kiro translates your request into the appropriate terminal command and asks for your approval before executing. You'll review the suggested command and choose to Modify, Reject, Run, or Run and Trust, then see the output directly in chat.
How It Works
When Kiro suggests a command, you have four options:
- Modify - Edit the command before running
- Reject - Cancel execution
- Run - Execute once
- Run and Trust - Execute and trust similar commands in the future
Trust Commands
For security, Kiro asks for approval before running any command. You can streamline this process by configuring which commands to trust automatically.
Trust Read-Only Commands
Automatically run safe commands like ls, cat, pwd, find, and grep without prompts.
Trusted Commands
Create a custom list of trusted commands using wildcard patterns:
npm *- Trust all npm commandsgit status- Trust only git statusnpm run *- Trust npm run with any script name
You can add commands to this list by choosing Run and Trust when prompted, or by manually configuring them in Settings → Trusted Commands. These settings can be configured at both the user level (global across all workspaces) and workspace level (specific to your current project).
Advanced Usage
Using Terminal Context
Reference recent terminal output in your conversations with #Terminal:
#Terminal analyze the error from the last npm run build
Kiro maintains awareness of command history and outputs, enabling:
- Error Analysis - Understanding why commands failed
- Output Interpretation - Explaining complex command results
- Follow-up Actions - Suggesting next steps based on results
Troubleshooting
For issues with terminal integration and manual setup instructions, see the Shell Integration troubleshooting guide.
Terminal Integration