Skip tool button in agent mode should have option to give alternative instruction

Type: Feature Request

When using GitHub Copilot Agent mode in VS Code, clicking the "Skip" button on a pending tool call causes the agent to retry or self-correct using its original context. Often, skipping a tool means I want to redirect the agent's approach entirely. Currently, I have to explicitly stop the agent loop and type a new prompt to steer it, which disrupts the workflow.

Proposed Solution:
Add an optional prompt input field (or expand/popover on click) next to the "Skip Tool" button on the tool confirmation banner.

Desired User Flow:

Agent proposes a tool execution (e.g., running a terminal command or searching a specific file).

Developer clicks Skip with Instruction (or an inline expand arrow on Skip).

A small inline text box opens allowing input like: "Skip this search and check src/utils.ts instead."

Agent receives the user instruction as the outcome of the skipped step and instantly adjusts its trajectory without needing a full hard-stop/restart cycle.

VS Code version: Code 1.134.0 (110a328ea54b42367b803ec53ee0bf52ef26b419, 2026-08-18T18:24:44Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200
Modes:

System Info

|Item|Value|
|---|---|
|CPUs|Intel(R) Core(TM) Ultra 7 165H (22 x 3072)|
Extensions (1)

Name|Identifier|Author|Version
---|---|---|---
WSL|ms-vscode-remote.remote-wsl|ms-vscode-remote|0.104.3

A/B Experiments