github / github/app

Plugin-provided extension canvases are unavailable in general chat sessions

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Description

### Feature summary

_No response_

### What problem are you trying to solve?

### Summary

A canvas extension bundled with an installed Copilot plugin cannot be opened from a general chat session. The extension is only discovered when the chat runs inside a project containing the extension under `.github/extensions`.

The plugin and its skills load successfully, but its bundled canvas does not.

### Reproduction

1. Install and enable a plugin containing a canvas extension such as `.github/extensions/report-viewer/extension.mjs`.
2. Declare the extension directory in the plugin manifest.
3. Start a general Copilot chat not attached to a project session.
4. Invoke a plugin skill that calls `open_canvas`.
5. The call fails:

```text
Canvas "project:report-viewer/report-viewer" is not registered.
No canvas "report-viewer" is registered.

### Proposed solution

_No response_

### Workflow impact

_No response_

### Installation context

_No response_

### Additional context

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by tracing how the plugin manifest exposes .github/extensions/report-viewer/extension.mjs and how a general chat handles the open_canvas call. Compare that path with project sessions where the canvas is discovered. Done means a canvas bundled in an enabled plugin is registered and can open from general chat, while existing project-session behavior remains intact.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
desktop, developer-experience
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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