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Description
Describe the bug
Regression of #4230 (closed as completed 2026-07-30).
When Copilot asks a question during planning (plan mode) and I select the last option to enter free text, pressing Ctrl+G — the "edit prompt in $EDITOR" shortcut that works for a normal prompt — exits question mode instead of opening my editor. It is not clear whether an answer was accepted or the question was abandoned; the session state afterward is ambiguous.
Under the hood the keypress is registered as a cancel of the elicitation. In a session where this reproduced, the tool call telemetry shows the freeform ask_user question completing with elicitation_action: "cancel" and result "User cancelled the request." — i.e. Ctrl+G silently cancels the question rather than round-tripping the answer through $EDITOR.
Previously fixed under #4230, but the behavior is back (or a closely related regression).
Affected version
GitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.89
Steps to reproduce the behavior
- Start in plan mode (or any flow where Copilot calls a question/elicitation).
- Trigger a question that offers a freeform "type your own answer" option (e.g. a text field).
- Select that option and start typing an answer.
- Press Ctrl+G (the normal "edit prompt in $EDITOR" shortcut).
Result: Question prompt is torn down. No editor opens with the freeform answer, and there is no clear accepted/abandoned signal. Internally the elicitation completes with elicitation_action: "cancel" (result: "User cancelled the request.").
Expected behavior
Ctrl+G should open the current freeform answer in $EDITOR and, on save, return the edited text to the question's freeform field while staying in question mode — the same round-trip behavior it has for a normal prompt.
Alternatively, if Ctrl+G is not supported in that context, it should be disabled there with a clear message instead of silently cancelling the question.
Additional context
- Regression of Ctrl+G (edit in $EDITOR) breaks ask_user question mode #4230 "Ctrl+G (edit in $EDITOR) breaks ask_user question mode" (closed as completed).
- OS: Linux (WSL).
- Reproduced in plan mode with model gpt-5.6-sol; the question was a freeform multi-field
ask_userelicitation. - Session telemetry for the cancelled elicitation:
elicitation_action: "cancel",elicitation_field_types: ["string"], result "User cancelled the request."
Activity