GitHub Copilot Agent Mode Stuck or Failing
Quick answer
Agent runs that hang or loop are usually context overflow and repeated summarization, or a heavy workspace. Reduce context and update VS Code.
Most likely fix: Reset the session
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. Reset the session
- Stop the agent, start a new chat with a narrower task
- Undo unwanted file changes via Source Control
Did this fix it?2. Tune summarization
- Try toggling github.copilot.chat.summarizeAgentConversationHistory.enabled in settings
Did this fix it?3. Update or roll back
- Update VS Code and Copilot Chat; if a new build broke it, install the previous version
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
Stuck 'thinking', repeated 'Summarizing conversation history', request failed or out-of-memory.
Why it happens
- Context window fills and compaction repeats
- Very large workspace
- Extension version bugs
This guide also covers
- copilot agent mode stuck
- copilot agent mode not working
Still not working?
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