Pasting a formatted (rich text) link into chat drops the URL — only the link title is retained

**Summary:**

When a formatted/rich-text hyperlink is pasted into the chat composer, the underlying URL is stripped and only the display text (title) is sent to the assistant. The assistant receives the link as `[title]()` with an empty URL, so it cannot open or act on the link. This previously worked — pasted links used to arrive with their addresses intact — so this is a regression.

**Environment:**

- App: GitHub Copilot desktop app (chat)

- OS: Windows

- Date first observed: 2026-07-24

**Steps to reproduce:**

1. Copy a link that carries rich-text formatting (e.g., a hyperlink whose clipboard payload includes both display text and a URL — such as a local folder address copied from the browser, or a link from Word/Outlook/Teams/SharePoint).

2. Paste it into the chat composer with a normal paste (`Ctrl+V` / right-click → Paste).

3. Send the message.

**Expected result:**

The full URL is preserved and delivered to the assistant (as it was previously), so the assistant can open/act on it.

**Actual result:**

Only the display title is delivered. The assistant receives a markdown link with an empty target, e.g. `[Are people really lazy?]()`. The URL is gone entirely.

**Workaround (undesirable):**

Pasting as plain text (`Ctrl+Shift+V`) preserves the URL correctly. This confirms the issue is specific to how formatted-link pastes are handled. However, it's an awkward, non-discoverable key combination, and there is **no "Paste as plain text" option in the right-click context menu**, so users have no easy UI path to work around it.

**Impact:**

- Breaks a previously working, everyday workflow (sharing document/folder links with the assistant).

- Silent failure: the paste *looks* fine (title shows as a link), so users don't realize the URL was dropped until the assistant says it can't open it.

**Suggested fixes:**

1. Preserve the URL from the clipboard's rich-text/HTML payload when handling formatted-link pastes (root cause).

2. As a mitigation, add a "Paste as plain text" option to the composer's right-click context menu for discoverability.

**Additional notes:**

- Reproducible 100% of the time with formatted links.

- Regression: formatted-link pastes previously delivered the URL correctly.