[ACP] toolCall.title contains high-level summary instead of executable command, hiding shell command in client approval modals
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- Dominant language
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Description
Describe the bug
When running the GitHub Copilot CLI in Agent Context Protocol (ACP) mode (e.g., connected to host editors like Zed), toolCall.title is populated with a high-level natural language summary (e.g., "Search whole monorepo for double-entry") while the actual shell execution string is nested deep inside toolCall.rawInput.command.
Because ACP host clients rely on standard fields like title or top-level arguments to render command preview cards in their permission dialogs, users are asked to approve tool execution without being able to see the underlying shell command, flags, or parameters.
During a tool approval request, Copilot CLI ACP emits a JSON-RPC payload structured as follows:
{
"sessionId": "d32e979a-eaa8-4e53-a31a-f9a1dba6bc09",
"toolCall": {
"toolCallId": "call-9480410f-3f47-441c-bcc3-decf647077aa-15",
"title": "Search whole monorepo for double-entry",
"kind": "execute",
"status": "pending",
"rawInput": {
"command": "grep -rn -i 'double.entry\\|double_entry\\|DoubleEntry' ./ --include='*.ts' 2>/dev/null | head -50; ls ./",
"commands": [
"grep -rn -i 'double.entry\\|double_entry\\|DoubleEntry' ./ --include='*.ts' 2>/dev/null | head -50; ls ./"
]
}
},
"options": [
{
"optionId": "allow_once",
"kind": "allow_once",
"name": "Allow once"
},
{
"optionId": "allow_always",
"kind": "allow_always",
"name": "Always allow"
},
{
"optionId": "reject_once",
"kind": "reject_once",
"name": "Deny"
}
]
}
toolCall.title contains the high-level intent: "Search whole monorepo for double-entry".
The actual raw command string is only present inside rawInput.command / rawInput.commands.
In ACP host clients (such as Zed), the UI permission modal displays toolCall.title as the title/code snippet preview, causing the actual executable string to remain completely hidden from the user during authorization
Affected version
GitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.77
Steps to reproduce the behavior
Steps to Reproduce
- Configure GitHub Copilot CLI as an ACP server in Zed (via the ACP Registry or in
settings.json):
{
"agent_servers": {
"Copilot": {
"type": "custom",
"command": "copilot",
"args": ["--acp"]
}
}
}
- Open any workspace or codebase in Zed.
- Open the Agent Panel (
Cmd+?on macOS /Ctrl+?on Linux/Windows) and start a new thread using the Copilot ACP agent. - Enter a prompt that triggers a shell tool call requiring client approval (e.g., "Search the whole monorepo for double-entry pattern").
- When Zed displays the tool execution approval dialog, observe the command preview card.
Observed Result
The approval card displays the natural-language intent string ("Search whole monorepo for double-entry") in place of the executable command. The actual shell command (grep -rn -i ...) remains hidden inside toolCall.rawInput.command.
Expected Result
The approval dialog should render the actual raw shell command string (or include it within toolCall.title / standard tool arguments), allowing the user to inspect the exact flags, paths, and commands before granting execution authorization.
Expected behavior
toolCall.title should explicitly contain or start with the raw command string being executed (e.g., grep -rn -i ...),
Additional context
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reproducing the ACP flow with the --acp server in Zed and inspect how toolCall.title, rawInput.command, and rawInput.commands are populated for approval requests. Trace the ACP approval payload generation and verify that the resulting client preview exposes the exact shell command, including flags and parameters, before authorization.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- shell
- Domain
- cli, security
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 48/100