If an AI coding agent cannot inspect or change a project file, do not start by turning off every safeguard. First identify where the agent is running, then confirm its project root, inspect the effective filesystem policy, and grant only the access level the task requires. A local editor, worktree, container, remote host and cloud task can all show different files and obey different rules.
Use this diagnostic order
Most file-access failures come from one of three mismatches: the agent is pointed at the wrong workspace, its tools run on a different machine or container, or a sandbox rule denies the path. Work through these checks in order:
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- Identify the agent harness and execution host.
- Open or select the intended repository root.
- Check the exact path the agent is trying to read or edit.
- Inspect effective sandbox and filesystem rules.
- Grant the smallest necessary permission: read-only for inspection or read/write for edits.
- If the task is cloud-hosted, verify repository and environment setup.
- Retry with one known file and inspect the result or diff.
This sequence prevents a common mistake: changing an approval prompt when the real problem is that the agent is running in a worktree or container that does not contain the file.
1. Identify the agent and where it runs
The product name alone does not tell you where file operations occur. A harness may run tools in the editor’s local workspace, a separate Git worktree, a Dev Container, a connected remote host or provider-managed cloud infrastructure. Each target has its own filesystem.
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Local editor workspace
In a local editor session, the agent normally sees the folder opened as the current workspace. Built-in agent tools in Visual Studio Code are documented as being able to read and write within the current workspace folder. A path on your desktop that is not part of that workspace can therefore be unavailable even though you can see it in the operating system’s file browser.
Worktree
Some agents create or select a separate Git worktree for a task. The worktree may contain the same repository history but live at a different path and branch. Check the worktree location before granting access to the original checkout; editing the wrong copy can make a successful change appear to have vanished.
Dev Container or other container
When the agent runs inside a container, only mounted folders and files present in the image are visible. A path such as C:Projectsapp or /Users/name/Projects/app on the client machine may not exist inside the container. Use the path shown by the agent’s terminal or file explorer inside the container, not the host’s path.
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Remote Agent Host
A connected remote host resolves settings and path values on that host. A folder permission configured on your laptop does not automatically grant access to a server. Confirm the remote operating system, the remote workspace path and the account under which the agent process runs.
Cloud task
Cloud agents work in an isolated task environment. The environment must contain the repository, and the connected account must have permission to that repository. Access to the cloud environment itself does not replace repository permissions or Git setup.
2. Make the intended project root active
Before changing policy, make sure the agent is operating in the repository you mean to change.
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- Close unrelated folders or workspaces in the editor.
- Open the repository’s top-level directory—the folder containing its
.gitdirectory, package manifest or solution file. - If using a CLI, change into that directory and start the agent. OpenAI’s Codex CLI quickstart, for example, instructs users to open a project directory and run
codex. - Ask the agent to print its current working directory and list one harmless, known file.
- Compare that path with the repository root shown by your editor or terminal.
Use an exact path when diagnosing. Check spelling, capitalization on case-sensitive systems, punctuation, symlinks and whether the target is a file or directory. If a symlink points outside the workspace, the apparent in-workspace path may still resolve to an out-of-scope location.
For a remote or container session, verify the path from inside that execution target. The agent cannot read a local path merely because the client interface displays it.
3. Check workspace scope before permissions
A workspace boundary is different from an operating-system permission error. If the requested file is outside the active workspace, the agent may be correctly refusing it.
Visual Studio Code built-in tools
Visual Studio Code documents workspace-limited access for built-in agent tools: “Built-in agent tools can only read and write files within the current workspace folder.” For inspection of a separate folder, the github.copilot.chat.additionalReadAccessFolders setting can grant built-in tools read-only access to additional locations. Use it only for folders the agent genuinely needs to inspect.
Adding a read-only folder will not make edits possible. If the task includes changing files outside the workspace, configure an appropriate read/write path where the product supports it, or move the project into the active workspace instead.
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Check the path seen by the host
In sandbox documentation, configured paths refer to the machine where the agent runs. A path that exists on the client may be absent on a remote host. Verify mounts and shared folders for containers, and verify that the remote account can traverse every parent directory.
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4. Inspect the effective sandbox and path rules
Do not infer the active policy from a preference you remember setting. Inspect the policy for the current session.
Visual Studio Code Agent Host
In an Agent Host chat, run /sandbox policy. The command reports the execution host, sandbox state, implementation and effective filesystem and network policy; it does not change settings. The documented Agent Host sandbox default is off, but the session’s report is authoritative.
When sandboxing is enabled, the current working directory is automatically read/write under the documented rules. Additional readwritePaths, readonlyPaths and deniedPaths entries can alter access. Precedence matters:
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deniedPathsremains denied. - A denial takes precedence over a read-only grant.
- A read-only rule takes precedence over a read/write grant.
Consequently, a parent folder can appear writable while a more-specific nested folder still fails. Look for the exact denied path, not only the broad project directory.
GitHub Copilot local sandbox
GitHub Copilot’s local sandbox documentation describes separate settings for additional read/write paths, additional read-only paths and denied paths. A sandboxed session has read/write access to its workspace and current working directory by default. A more-specific denied folder remains denied even when a parent folder has read/write access.
Approval prompts are not sandbox rules
Visual Studio Code states that “Sandboxing is independent of the permission level.” Switching from manual approval to automatic approval can change whether commands require confirmation, but it does not remove an enabled terminal sandbox restriction. Treat command approval and filesystem scope as two separate controls.
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5. Grant the minimum access that solves the task
Choose access by operation, not by convenience.
| Need | Minimum scope | What to configure | Risk and trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read one file | That file or its containing folder | Read-only access | Inspection is possible; edits remain blocked |
| Search several project folders | The smallest common parent | Read-only access to that parent | More files become visible than with a single-file grant |
| Edit source or configuration | The specific project folder | Read/write access | Agent can modify files in that scope; review the diff |
| Run build or test commands | Workspace plus required tool and cache paths | Filesystem grants and command approvals separately | Broader command effects may require additional review |
| Cloud pull request task | Repository in the task environment | Repository permission, environment setup and Git credentials | Local-folder settings do not fix a missing repository |
After changing a setting, reload or start a new session if the product requires it, then inspect the effective policy again. Remove temporary grants when the task is complete.
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When the file is outside the workspace
- Confirm that the path is genuinely outside the current workspace and not a spelling or symlink problem.
- If the agent only needs to inspect it, add the containing folder to
github.copilot.chat.additionalReadAccessFolders. - If the agent must edit it, use the product’s documented read/write path configuration or open that folder as the active workspace.
- Re-run
/sandbox policyand verify that no more-specific denial still applies.
When a nested folder is denied
Compare the full target path with every deniedPaths, readonlyPaths and readwritePaths entry. Remove or narrow the conflicting denial only if you control the policy and the task justifies it. Do not assume a writable parent overrides a child denial.
When the editor is connected remotely
Apply settings on the Agent Host, not only in the local client. Confirm the host path and account, then test a file that is known to exist on that host.
7. Fix local Copilot sandbox scope
For a local sandboxed session, inspect the project settings for additional read/write paths, additional read-only paths and denied paths. Keep the workspace and current working directory as the normal scope. Add an additional read-only path for analysis, or an additional read/write path for a required edit. If a nested denial conflicts with a broader grant, the denial wins and must be addressed explicitly.
Do not use an approval change as a substitute for a path grant. Approval controls whether an operation can proceed after a prompt; sandbox configuration controls which paths the operation can reach.
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For a cloud task, identify the stage that failed before changing local settings:
- Repository selection: the task may point to a different repository or branch.
- Environment preparation: the isolated environment may not include the checkout or required setup.
- Fetch or clone: the connected account may lack repository permission.
- Push or pull request update: credentials or repository write permission may be missing.
Confirm that the connected account can access the repository and that the task environment is configured to include it. A user who can open the cloud environment is not necessarily authorized to read or push to every repository.
9. Verify with a narrow, reversible retry
Do not test a large refactor immediately after changing permissions. Use a small probe that tells you exactly what is fixed.
- Ask the agent to read one known, non-sensitive file and report its path.
- For an edit test, request one small, reversible change such as adding a comment or changing a single configuration value.
- Inspect the file contents and version-control diff from the same host where the agent made the change.
- Revert the probe if it was only a permission test.
- If it fails, record the exact error, agent and harness version, operating system, host type, workspace path, target path and effective policy report.
A successful read proves visibility, not write access. A successful write proves that the selected file is writable, not that every repository folder is.
10. Troubleshoot by symptom
“File not found”
- Print the current working directory from the agent host.
- List the parent directory using that host’s path.
- Check container mounts, remote paths and worktree selection.
- Check case and spelling, then resolve symlinks.
“Permission denied” or “access denied”
- Determine whether the denial comes from the agent sandbox or the operating system account.
- Inspect path-specific denied rules and parent-directory traversal permissions.
- Grant read-only or read/write access according to the task, then retry one file.
The agent can read but cannot edit
- Check whether the path is covered only by a read-only grant.
- Check whether the file itself is read-only or locked by another process.
- Verify that the requested edit is in the same host and worktree that you inspected.
The agent edits a file, but you cannot see the change
- Compare the agent’s working directory with your local checkout.
- Check for a separate worktree or container-mounted copy.
- Inspect the diff inside the execution host before assuming the change failed.
Changing approvals had no effect
This usually indicates a sandbox or workspace-scope problem. Approval level and sandboxing are independent controls; inspect the effective filesystem policy instead of repeatedly changing confirmation settings.
Compare fixes before choosing one
| Decision axis | Narrow option | Broader option | When the broader option is justified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Single file or folder | Entire workspace | The agent must search or modify many project areas |
| Access level | Read-only | Read/write | The task includes an actual file edit |
| Execution location | Local workspace | Container, remote host or cloud | The project and tools are intentionally hosted there |
| Persistence | Session-level grant | Saved policy or project setting | The same controlled workflow runs repeatedly |
| Command control | Manual approvals | Automatic approvals | Only when the command risk is understood; this does not expand filesystem scope |
Prevent the problem on future tasks
- Open the repository root before launching the agent.
- State the intended host explicitly: local, worktree, container, remote or cloud.
- Use repository-relative paths when possible, then verify the resolved absolute path.
- Keep read-only access as the default for analysis.
- Use a narrowly scoped read/write grant for edits and review the resulting diff.
- Document container mounts, remote workspace paths and cloud repository setup for your team.
- Periodically review denied-path rules so stale entries do not surprise a new task.
- Never disable all safeguards as a first-line fix; identify the specific boundary blocking the operation.
What to include when escalating
If the problem remains after the checks above, provide support with reproducible context rather than a screenshot of a generic error. Include the agent and harness name and version, operating system, execution host, workspace or worktree path, exact target path, whether the operation was read or write, the full error text and the effective sandbox-policy output. For cloud tasks, also include repository, branch, environment and the stage at which setup failed. This information separates a wrong path from a policy denial, an operating-system permission issue or a repository-access failure.
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