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VS Code Copilot has two separate gates: approval controls whether an action asks you first, while sandboxing controls which files, folders, processes, and network destinations an Agent Host process can reach. An enabled sandbox still blocks paths after you choose Allow all or Autopilot. Fix the problem by identifying the failed resource, checking the session’s effective sandbox policy, and granting the smallest required path on the machine where the agent actually runs.
The steps below apply primarily to Copilot Agent Host sessions. Local chat and custom terminal harnesses can implement different controls, and a remote Agent Host uses the remote machine’s paths and policy. Setting names and defaults can change with VS Code releases, so verify them in the documentation for your installed version.
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Why can’t Copilot access my files in VS Code?
A permission message can describe several different failures. Copilot may be waiting for approval, the Agent Host sandbox may deny a path, a network rule may block a destination, or the agent may be running on a different computer than the one whose files you are viewing. These cases require different fixes.
VS Code’s approval controls decide whether an operation requires confirmation. Sandboxing is an execution boundary for supported agent processes. Changing an approval choice does not enlarge that boundary. This is why selecting Allow all can remove repeated prompts while a file outside the permitted paths remains inaccessible.
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First establish the session harness. The Agent Host sandbox documentation covers the built-in SDK tool implementation used by Copilot Agent Host. A Local chat session, a custom terminal integration, or an extension-provided process can have its own behavior. Applying Agent Host settings to another harness may have no effect.
Identify which control blocked the action
| What you see | Most likely control | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot pauses and asks whether to run a command or use a tool | Approval policy | Session approval settings and the requested action |
| A command runs but cannot read, create, modify, or delete a path | File-system sandbox | Sandbox status, effective policy, execution host, and path lists |
| A script reaches local files but cannot contact a service or URL | Network sandbox | Outbound, local-network, and domain restrictions |
| The same request works locally but fails in a remote session | Remote execution context | Configuration and paths on the connected host |
| Allow all or Autopilot is selected but access is still denied | Sandbox boundary or managed policy | Permissions menu, /sandbox policy, and organization controls |
Read VS Code’s trust and safety guidance when the operation involves source code, credentials, or untrusted instructions. Do not treat an approval prompt as proof that the requested path is safe.
Confirm that you are troubleshooting an Agent Host session
- Open the Copilot Agent session that produced the error.
- Open the session’s Permissions menu and locate Sandboxing for terminal. Record whether sandboxing is enabled, disabled, or controlled by a policy.
- Check whether the session is local or connected to a remote Agent Host. The host that executes the process, not necessarily the desktop running the VS Code window, determines which paths exist.
- If the session was restored, remember that its permission choice can persist. A new session can inherit the effective configuration of the execution host, subject to managed restrictions.
If you are using Local chat or a custom terminal, consult that harness’s documentation instead of assuming the Agent Host menu or settings apply. A setting that appears correct for Agent Host can be ignored by another implementation.
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In an Agent Host session, enter:
/sandbox policyThe command reports the effective permissions after runtime defaults, user settings, session choices, and organization-managed restrictions are combined. Use it to answer four questions:
- Is terminal sandboxing currently enabled?
- Which file-system paths are read/write, read-only, or denied?
- Are network capabilities restricted?
- Is a setting locked or imposed by an administrator?
Inspecting the effective policy is more reliable than looking only at a Settings editor value. A restored session, a remote host, or a managed profile can change the result that actually governs the process.
Use the working directory rule correctly
Agent Host automatically grants read/write access to the session’s current working directory. That grant does not automatically cover every folder visible in the VS Code Explorer. A sibling directory, another checkout, a mounted volume, or a generated output tree may need an explicit rule.
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Determine which directory the agent is using and which machine contains it. For a remote session, a path such as /home/dev/project refers to the remote host; adding C:Usersyouproject on your desktop will not grant access to it. Likewise, a path visible through a remote file-system extension is not evidence that the local Agent Host can open that path.
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Add only the path Copilot needs
Additional file access is configured with chat.agent.sandbox.fileSystem.userConfiguredPaths. Open the appropriate user or remote-host settings JSON using the Command Palette command Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON), then add absolute paths to the relevant lists. Use the settings location that belongs to the execution host.
{
"chat.agent.sandbox.fileSystem.userConfiguredPaths": {
"readwritePaths": [
"/work/project/build"
],
"readonlyPaths": [
"/work/shared-specs"
],
"deniedPaths": [
"/work/project/secrets"
]
}
}Use readonlyPaths when Copilot only needs to inspect documentation, schemas, or another repository. Use readwritePaths for a directory where it must create or modify files, such as a build output folder. Keep credentials, key stores, production configuration, and other sensitive locations in deniedPaths when they should remain inaccessible.
Do not grant an entire home directory as a first response. A broad grant can expose shell history, SSH material, cloud credentials, registry tokens, and unrelated projects. Start with the smallest directory that satisfies the task, then expand only when a specific operation still fails.
Understand path-rule precedence
Overlapping entries are resolved in this order:
- Denied takes precedence over read-only and read/write.
- Read-only takes precedence over read/write.
- Read/write applies only when no stronger rule matches.
For example, placing /work/project in readwritePaths and /work/project/secrets in deniedPaths allows normal project work while protecting the nested secrets directory. If the same exact path appears in both read-only and read/write lists, the effective result is read-only. If an intended write path is denied by a parent or nested entry, remove or narrow the denial only when you are authorized to do so.
Choose the right access level for common tasks
| Task | Recommended rule | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Read API documentation stored beside the project | Add that directory to readonlyPaths |
Prevents accidental edits while allowing inspection |
| Generate compiled assets into a separate folder | Add only the output folder to readwritePaths |
Leaves source and unrelated files protected |
| Inspect a second repository | Add its root to readonlyPaths unless edits are required |
Separates review from modification rights |
| Protect credentials or deployment files | Keep the sensitive path in deniedPaths |
Explicitly overrides broader grants |
Why “Allow all” still blocks a command
Allow all changes approval behavior: actions that would normally pause for confirmation can proceed without another prompt. Autopilot similarly concerns how the agent proceeds through actions. Neither option disables an enabled file-system sandbox, removes a denied path, or overrides an organization policy.
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If a command is still denied after selecting one of these options, run /sandbox policy. If the target path is absent from the allowed lists, add a narrowly scoped rule. If it appears under deniedPaths, correct the conflict or ask the policy owner. If the policy says sandboxing is mandatory, an approval choice cannot bypass it.
Check organization-managed restrictions
VS Code can receive managed settings that require sandboxing, limit network access, lock path configuration, or prevent bypass. A lock icon, a read-only setting, or a policy line in the effective report indicates that your local preference is not authoritative.
Do not work around a managed restriction by copying files to an unapproved location, disabling security software, or switching to an unapproved harness. Ask your administrator to grant the minimum business-required path, provide an approved workspace, or explain the required workflow. Include the exact path, operation (read or write), execution host, and output of /sandbox policy in the support request.
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Agent Host file-system isolation and network isolation are separate controls. A path can be readable while an API, package registry, database, or local service remains unreachable. Investigate network settings only when the error names a host, URL, socket, proxy, DNS lookup, or connection.
The documented network controls include:
chat.agent.sandbox.network.allowNetworkfor outbound network access.chat.agent.sandbox.network.allowLocalNetworkfor local-network destinations.chat.agent.sandbox.network.allowedDomainsanddeniedDomainsfor domain filtering.
On Windows, proxy or domain-filtering configurations can require local-network access for a host loopback proxy. Enable local-network access only when that specific setup requires it, because it permits a wider class of destinations than an ordinary approval prompt. Keep domain rules as narrow as the task allows.
Know the documented Agent Host defaults
The current Agent Host reference lists these defaults; they are version-sensitive and should be checked against your installed VS Code release:
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| Setting | Documented default | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
chat.agent.sandbox.enabled |
Off | Sandboxing is not enabled by default in the referenced configuration |
chat.agent.sandbox.network.allowNetwork |
True | General outbound network access is allowed unless another rule applies |
chat.agent.sandbox.network.allowLocalNetwork |
False | Local-network destinations require separate permission |
chat.agent.sandbox.network.allowedDomains |
Empty | No explicit allow-list entries are configured |
chat.agent.sandbox.network.deniedDomains |
Empty | No explicit deny-list entries are configured |
chat.agent.sandbox.fileSystem.userConfiguredPaths |
Empty path lists | No additional user-configured paths are added; the working directory still receives its automatic grant |
chat.agent.sandbox.fileSystem.allowDevToolAccess |
True | Common developer tools, configuration, and caches may receive automatic access |
These values describe the referenced documentation, not a promise that every release, platform, or managed profile uses them.
Decide whether to change allowDevToolAccess
chat.agent.sandbox.fileSystem.allowDevToolAccess grants access to common developer tools, their configuration, and caches. That convenience can include registry tokens and write access to shared build caches. It may explain why a package manager or compiler works without an explicit path rule.
Disabling it reduces those automatic grants but can break tool workflows that previously worked. You may then need to add narrowly scoped tool, cache, or output directories to readonlyPaths or readwritePaths. Change this setting only after weighing the credential exposure and build-cache implications against the task’s requirements; do not toggle it merely because a single project folder is denied.
Do not copy legacy platform settings into Agent Host
The current documentation says the platform-specific legacy settings chat.agent.sandbox.fileSystem.linux, chat.agent.sandbox.fileSystem.mac, and chat.agent.sandbox.fileSystem.windows are ignored by Agent Host. Adding them to new Agent Host guidance will not grant access and can make troubleshooting misleading.
Those names may still appear in older Local or custom-terminal instructions. Match the setting to the harness that executes the process, and remove obsolete entries when they create conflicting expectations.
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A remote Agent Host evaluates paths on the connected host. A workspace opened through SSH, a development container, or another remote connection can therefore have a different home directory, mount layout, operating-system path syntax, and policy source than your local desktop.
- Identify the host shown by the Agent session and the path named in the error.
- Open or edit the settings used by that host, not only local user settings.
- Run
/sandbox policyin the remote session to confirm the effective lists. - Add the remote absolute path with the minimum required access.
- Retry the exact operation and check whether the error changed from a denial to an approval request or a normal command error.
If the remote administrator manages the policy, send the request to that administrator. A local setting cannot override a restriction enforced on the execution host.
Scenario playbooks
Copilot cannot read a sibling folder
Check that the sibling folder is outside the current working directory. Add its absolute path to readonlyPaths, using the remote host’s path if applicable. Re-run /sandbox policy, then ask Copilot to read one known file before attempting a larger operation.
Copilot can read files but cannot write output
Reading may be covered by a read-only rule while writing requires readwritePaths. Add only the output directory to the read/write list. Check for a more specific deniedPaths entry or a read-only parent that takes precedence.
Allow all changed nothing
Use the policy report rather than changing approval options again. Confirm that sandboxing is enabled, identify the denied path, and check for a managed lock. The remedy is a path-policy change or administrator approval, not another approval-mode selection.
Files work but a service call fails
Classify this as a network problem. Check allowNetwork, allowLocalNetwork, and domain lists. For a Windows loopback proxy, verify whether the documented configuration requires local-network access. Do not add broad file-system permissions for a network error.
The same prompt succeeds locally and fails remotely
Compare execution hosts, current working directories, path syntax, and effective policy reports. Add the path on the host that runs the remote Agent, or request a managed-policy change there.
A setting is visible but cannot be edited
Treat it as managed or inherited configuration. Record the lock and effective value, then ask the administrator for the smallest allowed path or an approved alternative workspace.
Verify the fix without over-granting access
- Close or restart the affected session if its permission choice was restored from an earlier state.
- Run
/sandbox policyand confirm the intended path appears with the required access level. - Test a harmless read of a known file.
- If writing is required, create or update a disposable file inside the approved output directory rather than testing against source or secrets.
- Confirm that a protected path remains denied.
- For network tasks, test only the required destination and review the domain or local-network rule separately.
A successful test should demonstrate both capability and containment: the requested operation works, while unrelated folders and sensitive paths remain unavailable.
When to escalate
Contact the workspace or organization administrator when the effective policy is locked, sandboxing is mandatory, the needed path belongs to another team, or the remote host is managed. Provide the operation, exact path, read/write requirement, execution host, session type, and relevant policy output. This gives the administrator enough information to approve a narrow exception instead of disabling protection globally.
Quick Recap
Official references
- VS Code: Sandbox Copilot Agent Host sessions
- VS Code: Manage approvals and permissions
- VS Code: Understand trust and safety for AI agents
- VS Code: Secure AI-assisted development in VS Code
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