microsoft / microsoft/vscode

Copilot refuses to implement an explicitly requested in-app help page due to bundled frontend instructions

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#336,560 0 comments 0 reactions 1 assignee Claimed by @roblourens View on GitHub
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Description

- Copilot Chat Extension Version: 0.66.0 (built-in)
- VS Code Version: 1.138.0
- OS Version: Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 (OS build 26200.9445)
- Feature: Agent mode
- Selected model: GPT-6 Astra
- Logs: Not attached yet; relevant conversation summarized below.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. In an existing React/TypeScript app, discuss adding user-facing help.
2. Ask Copilot to implement a separate, mobile-friendly help page inside
the app, accessible from the account menu.
3. If Copilot refuses, clarify that this is an explicitly requested help
page, not unsolicited explanatory text throughout the interface.

Actual Behavior:

In this session, Copilot initially recommended an in-app help page.
When asked to implement it, it refused, citing this instruction:

"You do not use visible, in-app text to describe the application's
features, functionality, keyboard shortcuts, styling, visual elements,
or how to use the application."

Copilot stated that the instruction had higher priority than the user's
request and that it could not treat a dedicated help page as an exception.

A local text search found this wording in the installed Copilot
extension bundle:
resources/app/extensions/copilot/dist/extension.js
(lines 1809 and 1810 in this installation).

Expected Behavior:

Copilot should be able to implement an explicitly requested, dedicated
help page. Guidance against unnecessary explanatory UI text should not
prevent intentional user documentation.

Additional Context:

The request was to keep help inside the app so that it follows the app's
version and works well on mobile without opening an external website.

The conversation was in Swedish. This happened in an ongoing session;
reproduction in a fresh session has not yet been verified.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Assessment

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