github / github/copilot-cli

Allow users to customize prompt symbols and status line

Open
#2,329 1 comment 2 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
area:configuration area:terminal-rendering
Dominant language
Shell
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Avg merge
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Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

## Feature Request

Allow users to customize the symbols and indicators shown in the Copilot CLI prompt, similar to how tools like Starship allow full prompt configuration.

## Context

The Copilot CLI prompt includes a git branch glyph (U+2387 ⎇) and dirty indicator. While these render, they may not look great depending on the user's font/terminal setup. There's currently no way to change them.

## Desired behavior

Allow users to configure prompt symbols via `~/.copilot/config.json` or a dedicated config, for example:

```json
{
"prompt": {
"branchIcon": "⎇",
"dirtyIndicator": "△",
"untrackedIndicator": "?",
"aheadIndicator": "⇡",
"behindIndicator": "⇣"
}
}
```

Or alternatively, allow users to disable the built-in prompt status line entirely and rely on their own shell prompt.

## Why

- Different fonts render glyphs differently — what looks good in one setup may look off in another
- Power users already have customized prompts (Starship, oh-my-posh, custom functions) and may prefer consistency
- Similar to Claude Code's `/statusline` configuration

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by locating the Copilot CLI prompt and status-line implementation, then review how ~/.copilot/config.json or another configuration source is loaded. Define whether completion means configurable branch and git-state symbols, disabling the built-in status line, or both, and verify the selected behavior in the CLI prompt.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
shell
Domain
cli
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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