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Start in Plan mode by default #1861
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area:toolsBuilt-in tools: file editing, shell, search, LSP, git, and tool call behaviorBuilt-in tools: file editing, shell, search, LSP, git, and tool call behavior
Description
Describe the feature or problem you'd like to solve
There's no way to default Copilot CLI to plan mode. Users must manually switch via Shift+Tab or /plan each session, which is
easy to forget — leading to unintended code edits before a plan can be reviewed.
Proposed solution
Add a --plan CLI flag and/or a persistent config option (e.g., "defaultMode": "plan") so sessions start in plan mode
automatically.
Example prompts or workflows
- copilot --plan — Launch Copilot CLI directly in plan mode via a command-line flag.
- A persistent config option (e.g., in ~/.copilot/config.json) like "defaultMode": "plan" so every new session starts in plan mode without needing the flag.
- Typical workflow: I run copilot, describe a feature idea, and expect to review a structured plan before any code changes happen. Without defaulting to plan mode, the agent immediately begins editing files, which requires me to undo unwanted changes.
Additional context
I often forget to enable plan mode when I'm excited about an idea, Copilot then starts making code edits while I was expecting the plan to approve.
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area:toolsBuilt-in tools: file editing, shell, search, LSP, git, and tool call behaviorBuilt-in tools: file editing, shell, search, LSP, git, and tool call behavior
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