Feature request
Allow custom agent markdown frontmatter to accept an array of strings for the model: field, in addition to a single string.
Motivation
VS Code chat modes already support model: as a list — it's used to present a model picker for the chat mode. This means the same agent definition file can't currently be shared cleanly between VS Code and Copilot CLI: the CLI rejects the file with:
custom agent markdown frontmatter is malformed: model: Expected string, received array
This forces plugin authors to either:
- Maintain two copies of every agent file (one for VS Code, one for CLI), or
- Pick one tool and accept that the agent won't load in the other.
Proposed behavior
When model: is an array, the CLI uses the first entry as the default model for that agent (and ideally treats the rest as acceptable alternates the user can switch to with /model while invoking the agent). When model: is a string, behavior is unchanged.
Alternatives considered
- Authors flatten
model: to a single string — works in both, but loses the picker UX in VS Code.
- A local post-install patch script — fragile, breaks after every
plugin update.
Accepting an array in the CLI parser is the only change that lets the same plugin work unmodified in both surfaces.
Feature request
Allow custom agent markdown frontmatter to accept an array of strings for the
model:field, in addition to a single string.Motivation
VS Code chat modes already support
model:as a list — it's used to present a model picker for the chat mode. This means the same agent definition file can't currently be shared cleanly between VS Code and Copilot CLI: the CLI rejects the file with:custom agent markdown frontmatter is malformed: model: Expected string, received arrayThis forces plugin authors to either:
Proposed behavior
When
model:is an array, the CLI uses the first entry as the default model for that agent (and ideally treats the rest as acceptable alternates the user can switch to with/modelwhile invoking the agent). Whenmodel:is a string, behavior is unchanged.Alternatives considered
model:to a single string — works in both, but loses the picker UX in VS Code.plugin update.Accepting an array in the CLI parser is the only change that lets the same plugin work unmodified in both surfaces.