VSCode / Copilot YOLO Mode - how to auto-approve tools and terminal commans in copilot chat agent

vscode-yolo.md

Do You like to YOLO?

You can auto-approve tool calls and terminal commands in Copilot’s Agent mode.

---

With ❤️ from Eleanor < @intellectronica > ( OKIGU Consulting | Elite AI-assisted Coding )

---

Auto-approve specific terminal commands

Add an allow/deny list in your VS Code settings.json:

{
  // Auto-approve only these terminal commands in Agent mode
  "chat.tools.terminal.autoApprove": {
    "/^git\\s+(status|diff|log|show)\\b/": true,
    "/^npm\\s+(test|run\\s+lint)\\b/": true,
    "/^pnpm\\s+(test|lint)\\b/": true,
    "/^mvn\\s+test\\b/": true,

    // Keep risky commands explicitly gated
    "rm": false,
    "rmdir": false,
    "del": false,
    "kill": false,
    "chmod": false,
    "chown": false,
    "/^git\\s+(push|reset|revert|clean)\\b/": false
  }
}

This uses regex keys for patterns (wrap them in /…/). Anything not matched falls back to the normal confirmation dialog. (code.visualstudio.com)

Auto-approve all tool calls

Flip this experimental switch:

{
  "chat.tools.autoApprove": true
}

That removes confirmations for every tool invocation, which is handy for sandboxes but risky on real projects. (code.visualstudio.com)

Where to switch it on in the UI

• Settings → “Agent mode”: look for Auto-approve tools and Auto-approve terminal commands toggles, or search for chat.tools.autoApprove and chat.tools.terminal.autoApprove. (code.visualstudio.com)

Notes

• These features are marked Experimental in current VS Code docs; make sure you’re on a recent VS Code + Copilot extension. (code.visualstudio.com)

roocode has an interface for this. you just add '*' wildcard lol

"chat.tools.autoApprove" is an unknown configuration in the latest insiders release