Agent-created ignored artifacts are hidden from Files and cannot be opened fr...

[jfilcik]

Agent-created ignored artifacts are hidden from Files and cannot be opened from chat

Summary

Repository files under a gitignored directory are completely omitted from the GitHub Copilot Files navigator. When Copilot returns the file's absolute path in chat, the path is rendered as inert code rather than an actionable Open in editor link. The artifact exists and Copilot's editor canvas can open it, but the user cannot discover or open it through either visible surface.

If hiding ignored files is intentional, the lack of a Show ignored files toggle or an open-file action still makes this an end-to-end usability bug.

Priority

P1 - Major usability / artifact discoverability

Environment

• GitHub Copilot app: 1.0.80
• OS: Windows
• Workspace type: local branch workspace
• Repository: Azure/content-understanding-toolkit
• Branch: pr-4
• Repository root: C:\src\cu-cli

Preconditions

The repository ignores local QA artifacts:

**/_local_only/
_local_only/

Reproduction

1. In a repository with the ignore rules above, create a Markdown artifact:

  New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force .\cu-cli\_local_only
   Set-Content .\cu-cli\_local_only\repro.md "# Repro"

2. Confirm that the file exists and is ignored:

  Test-Path .\cu-cli\_local_only\repro.md
   git check-ignore -v -- .\cu-cli\_local_only\repro.md
   git status --short --ignored -- .\cu-cli\_local_only

3. Open the GitHub Copilot Files tab and expand cu-cli.
4. Observe that _local_only and repro.md are absent. There is no visible option to reveal ignored files.
5. Have Copilot respond with the full local path, for example:

   C:\src\cu-cli\cu-cli\_local_only\repro.md

6. Try to click the path in chat.
7. Ask Copilot to open the same file in an editor canvas. Observe that this succeeds, proving the artifact is present and readable by the application.

Actual result

• The Files navigator omits the entire ignored directory.
• The navigator provides no visible Show ignored files control or ignored-file indicator.
• The local path shown in chat is not clickable and has no context action to open or reveal it.
• The user can access the artifact only if the agent explicitly invokes an editor canvas or the user leaves the app and uses the terminal/file explorer.
• The UI therefore makes an existing artifact appear missing.

Expected result

At least one supported recovery path should be available:

1. Files provides a Show ignored files toggle and renders ignored files with a muted/ignored indicator; or
2. Copilot responses render recognized workspace paths as an actionable file chip/link with Open in editor and Reveal in Files; and
3. Tool-created artifacts return a visible artifact card that remains openable even when the backing file is ignored.

The ideal behavior is to provide both the navigator toggle and actionable workspace paths.

Frequency

100% for files under the reproduced ignored directory.

Impact

QA reports, generated diagnostics, benchmark output, local plans, and other artifacts are commonly gitignored intentionally. Users cannot find these outputs in Files and cannot open paths supplied by Copilot, so they may conclude that Copilot failed to create the artifact. This blocks review and sharing and forces terminal/file-explorer workarounds.

Evidence from the affected session

.gitignore:437:_local_only/  cu-cli\_local_only\cu-cli-comparison-cli-bugs-2026-08-27.md
!! cu-cli/_local_only/
Test-Path: True
File size: 9,175 bytes

The following repo-scoped editor canvases opened successfully even though their parent folder was absent from Files:

• cu-cli_local_only\cu-cli-bug-bash-2026-08-26.md
• cu-cli_local_only\cu-cli-comparison-cli-bugs-2026-08-27.md

Attach the screenshot showing the missing _local_only directory and the inert path in chat.

Workarounds

• Ask Copilot explicitly to open the path in an editor canvas.
• Open the file through the terminal or Windows File Explorer.
• Move/copy the artifact to a nonignored path, at the risk of accidentally committing local output.

Suggested fix

• Detect absolute and repo-relative workspace paths in assistant messages and render an Open file action.
• Preserve openability of artifacts created by tools regardless of git tracking/ignore state.
• Add a Files-view setting to include gitignored files, disabled by default if necessary.