diff --git a/.changeset/fn-7557-plan-auto-approve-default.md b/.changeset/fn-7557-plan-auto-approve-default.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f849b72911
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fn-7557-plan-auto-approve-default.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+"@runfusion/fusion": minor
+---
+
+summary: Plan auto-approval is now the default; specified tasks skip manual approval unless you opt into workflow/require-all.
+category: feature
+dev: `DEFAULT_PROJECT_SETTINGS.planApprovalMode` flips `workflow` → `auto-approve-all`; existing projects with an explicit stored value are unchanged; consumed by `resolvePlanApprovalRequired` at the triage gating sites.
diff --git a/docs/settings-reference.md b/docs/settings-reference.md
index 0b59b4ab99..890fb8861f 100644
--- a/docs/settings-reference.md
+++ b/docs/settings-reference.md
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ Security-sensitive file-browser escape hatches are project-only. `allowAbsoluteF
| `overlapIgnorePaths` | `string[]` | `[]` | Optional project-relative file or directory paths to exclude from overlap blocking (for example `docs` or `generated/openapi.json`). Entries are trimmed, deduplicated, and must not be absolute or contain `..` traversal. |
| `allowAbsoluteFileBrowserPaths` | `boolean` | `false` | Project-scoped Settings → General toggle for the workspace file browser. When enabled, slash-prefixed paths such as `/tmp` can be listed/read/written/downloaded through workspace file-browser routes while keeping existing file-size, binary, type, null-byte, traversal, and permission checks. Windows drive-letter paths remain blocked, and task-local file routes, memory APIs, worktree-copy validation, plugin bundle paths, and other validators are unchanged. |
| `autoMerge` | `boolean` | `true` | Auto-finalize tasks from `in-review`. Tasks can override this per-task (including at create time in New Task modal via **Auto-merge** = Default/Enabled/Disabled); explicit overrides are tagged with `autoMergeProvenance: "user"`, while tasks left at **Default** keep following the live global setting and do not snapshot it when entering review. Legacy pre-FN-6245 in-review rows that were stamped `autoMerge: true` are marked `autoMergeProvenance: "legacy-stamp"` on startup and can be inspected/cleared with Settings → Merge → **Legacy auto-merge stamp cleanup**, `fn pr automerge-cleanup [--apply] [--json]`, or `reconcileLegacyAutoMergeStamps({ apply: true })` after operator review. For grouped branch flows, per-task `autoMerge` governs member→group-integration landing while group `autoMerge` governs group→default-branch promotion eligibility. |
-| `planApprovalMode` | `"workflow" \| "auto-approve-all" \| "require-all"` | `"workflow"` | Project-scoped override for the manual planning approval gate. `"workflow"` preserves the workflow-resolved `requirePlanApproval`; `"auto-approve-all"` moves every successfully specified task to `todo` without manual plan approval even when the selected workflow or stored workflow setting has `requirePlanApproval: true`; `"require-all"` parks every specified task at `status: "awaiting-approval"` regardless of workflow settings. Settings → Merge remains the full three-state editor; the Board Triage/intake **Auto-approve plan** switch is a binary shortcut for `"auto-approve-all"` vs `"workflow"`. This does not disable Workflow Plan Review, release authorization, or other non-plan safety gates. |
+| `planApprovalMode` | `"workflow" \| "auto-approve-all" \| "require-all"` | `"auto-approve-all"` | Project-scoped override for the manual planning approval gate. Defaults to auto-approve-all (FN-7557) so new/unset projects skip the manual gate; `"workflow"` instead preserves the workflow-resolved `requirePlanApproval`; `"auto-approve-all"` moves every successfully specified task to `todo` without manual plan approval even when the selected workflow or stored workflow setting has `requirePlanApproval: true`; `"require-all"` parks every specified task at `status: "awaiting-approval"` regardless of workflow settings. Settings → Merge remains the full three-state editor; the Board Triage/intake **Auto-approve plan** switch is a binary shortcut for `"auto-approve-all"` vs `"workflow"`. This does not disable Workflow Plan Review, release authorization, or other non-plan safety gates. |
| `maxAutoMergeRetries` | `number` | `3` | Project-scoped positive-integer cap for auto-merge conflict-resolution retries before Fusion parks or bounces a task for human/recovery handling. Unset, non-finite, zero, or negative values fall back to `3` to preserve historical behavior. |
| `mergeRequestContractShadowEnabled` | `boolean` | `false` | Phase-1 FN-5741 write-only shadow flag (project/global setting). When enabled, executor/self-healing/merger persist merge-request records and `completion_handoff_accepted` markers for observation only; legacy mergeQueue + lifecycle remains authoritative. |
| `mergeStrategy` | `"direct" \| "pull-request"` | `"direct"` | Completion mode (local direct merge vs PR-first). |
diff --git a/packages/core/src/settings-schema.ts b/packages/core/src/settings-schema.ts
index 714bc159a4..77aef733a4 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/settings-schema.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/settings-schema.ts
@@ -321,7 +321,11 @@ export const DEFAULT_PROJECT_SETTINGS = {
*/
allowAbsoluteFileBrowserPaths: false,
autoMerge: true,
- planApprovalMode: "workflow",
+ /*
+ FNXC:PlanApproval 2026-07-04-00:00:
+ FN-7557: plan auto-approval is the default project posture; unset projects bypass the manual awaiting-approval gate. Previously defaulted to "workflow" (deferring to each workflow's requirePlanApproval); projects with an explicit stored value are unaffected.
+ */
+ planApprovalMode: "auto-approve-all",
// U18 (R15): the Review-response loop is default-on. Independent of `autoMerge` —
// with this on but auto-merge off, review threads are resolved but the PR is not merged.
autoResolveReviewComments: true,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/types.ts b/packages/core/src/types.ts
index 674891e498..b389202104 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/types.ts
@@ -4147,6 +4147,9 @@ export interface ProjectSettings {
/**
* FNXC:PlanApproval 2026-06-26-00:00:
* Per-project setting to control plan approval for every task: workflow defers to the per-workflow requirePlanApproval setting, auto-approve-all bypasses approval for all tasks, and require-all parks every approved spec for manual approval.
+ *
+ * FNXC:PlanApproval 2026-07-04-00:00:
+ * FN-7557: default is now "auto-approve-all" (previously deferred to workflow via "workflow"). Unset/new projects bypass the manual awaiting-approval gate by default; projects with an explicit stored value are unaffected.
*/
planApprovalMode?: "workflow" | "auto-approve-all" | "require-all";
/** Controls task-worker execution mode.
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/app/components/SettingsModal.tsx b/packages/dashboard/app/components/SettingsModal.tsx
index d3a272175a..5737f86e5b 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/app/components/SettingsModal.tsx
+++ b/packages/dashboard/app/components/SettingsModal.tsx
@@ -893,7 +893,8 @@ export function SettingsModal({
overlapIgnorePaths: [],
allowAbsoluteFileBrowserPaths: false,
autoMerge: true,
- planApprovalMode: "workflow",
+ // FNXC:PlanApproval 2026-07-04-00:00: FN-7557: local fallback mirrors DEFAULT_PROJECT_SETTINGS — auto-approve-all is now the default project posture.
+ planApprovalMode: "auto-approve-all",
mergeStrategy: "direct",
maxAutoMergeRetries: 3,
mergeIntegrationWorktree: "reuse-task-worktree",
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/app/components/settings/sections/MergeSection.tsx b/packages/dashboard/app/components/settings/sections/MergeSection.tsx
index e19b3afb53..5f9e4f7b5e 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/app/components/settings/sections/MergeSection.tsx
+++ b/packages/dashboard/app/components/settings/sections/MergeSection.tsx
@@ -96,14 +96,17 @@ export function MergeSection({ scopeBanner, form, setForm, integrationBranchOpti
{/*
FNXC:PlanApproval 2026-06-26-00:00:
Operators need one project-scoped control beside review/merge policy to force all tasks to auto-approve or require manual plan approval without editing each workflow.
+
+ FNXC:PlanApproval 2026-07-04-00:00:
+ FN-7557: auto-approve-all is now the project default (previously workflow), so the select fallback and "(default)" label marker move to the auto-approve option to keep the dropdown truthful.
*/}
-