Task 2.1: Select and configure agent tools

• ANo tools property, with the prompt telling the agent not to edit anything

  Incorrect

  Omitting tools enables all available tools; a prompt instruction doesn't remove them.

• Btools: [], since an empty list means read-only

  Incorrect

  An empty list disables all tools, including reading and searching.

• Ctools: ["read", "search"]

  Correct

  Listing specific aliases enables only those tools; read views files and search finds files or text.

• Dtools: ["Grep", "Glob"], since those aliases cover reading files

  Incorrect

  Grep and Glob are compatible aliases of search; they find files and text but don't read file contents.

The tools property of a custom agent filters the tools available to it, built-in or from MCP servers. Omit it or use ["*"] for all tools, list names or aliases such as read, edit, search and execute for only those, or use [] to disable all tools.

• A--deny-tool='web_fetch, web_search'

  Incorrect

  Deny rules stop a tool from running without a prompt, but the model still sees the tool and may try it and be denied.

• B--allow-tool='shell' combined with --no-ask-user, so other tools are never offered to the model

  Incorrect

  --allow-tool grants permission without prompting; neither option removes the web tools from the set the model can choose from.

• C/reset-allowed-tools at the start of the session

  Incorrect

  That command clears permissions granted in the session; the model still knows every tool.

• D--excluded-tools='web_fetch, web_search'

  Correct

  Excluded tools are removed from the set the model can choose from, so it never tries them.

Copilot CLI has two layers of tool control. --available-tools and --excluded-tools restrict the tools the model is aware of and can choose from; --allow-tool and --deny-tool decide whether a tool it chooses may run. A tool outside the available set can't be used even if it is allowed, and restricting the set stops the model wasting interactions on tools that would be denied.

• AAdd allowed-tools: shell to the frontmatter of the skill's SKILL.md

  Correct

  allowed-tools lists the tools Copilot may use without asking each time while following the skill.

• BRename the script to SKILL.sh so Copilot treats it as part of the skill

  Incorrect

  Copilot already makes every file in the skill's folder available; renaming doesn't pre-approve anything.

• CStart every session with --allow-all so no tool needs approval again

  Incorrect

  That removes approvals for every tool in every task, far beyond what this one skill needs.

• DMove the skill into ~/.copilot/skills, where personal skills run without prompts

  Incorrect

  Personal skills are shared across projects; their location doesn't pre-approve tools.

A skill folder holds SKILL.md and any scripts or resources it references. In the SKILL.md frontmatter, allowed-tools lists the tools Copilot may use without confirmation; any other tool still prompts. GitHub warns to pre-approve shell or bash only for skills and scripts you have reviewed and fully trust, because doing so removes the confirmation step for terminal commands.

• A/yolo

  Incorrect

  /yolo grants all permissions; it doesn't revoke them.

• B/undo

  Incorrect

  /undo rewinds conversation and files; it doesn't change permissions.

• C/compact

  Incorrect

  /compact summarizes the conversation to free context; it doesn't touch permissions.

• D/reset-allowed-tools

  Correct

  This command revokes permissions granted during the session, including /allow-all, and returns to the startup state.

/reset-allowed-tools revokes all permissions granted during the current interactive session, whether by answering prompts or with /allow-all or /yolo, and returns to the defaults or the command-line options the session started with.

• AThe profile fails to load until the name is removed

  Incorrect

  Unrecognized names don't cause errors; they are ignored.

• BThe unknown tool name is ignored and the rest of the list applies

  Correct

  All unrecognized tool names are ignored, so profiles can list product-specific tools.

• CAll available tools are enabled instead, because the whole list is treated as invalid

  Incorrect

  The rest of the list still applies; nothing extra is enabled.

• DThe cloud agent asks the user to approve the unknown tool

  Incorrect

  Cloud agent doesn't prompt; unknown names are ignored.

The tools property in an agent profile filters the tools available to the agent. All unrecognized tool names are ignored, which allows product-specific tools to be listed in a profile used across environments without causing problems.

• AA Suggest tools button that proposes tools based on the prompt

  Correct

  You can pick tools manually or use Suggest tools to have Copilot suggest them from your prompt.

• BA default that grants every tool until the first run finishes

  Incorrect

  Tools are chosen when you create the automation; there is no grant-everything trial run.

• CAn import of the tools list from the repository's custom agent

  Incorrect

  Automations have their own tool selection.

• DA requirement to list tools in copilot-setup-steps.yml

  Incorrect

  Tools are selected in the automation itself, not in the setup steps file.

The tools you select for an automation decide what Copilot can do when it runs, and selecting them is the main way to control its scope. You can select tools manually or use the Suggest tools button to have Copilot suggest tools based on your prompt; grant only what the task needs.

• ATool search is off until enabled with toolSearch: true

  Incorrect

  Tool search is enabled by default; toolSearch: false turns it off.

• BTool search only applies to built-in tools

  Incorrect

  Built-in tools are always loaded; tool search defers MCP and other external tools.

• CBelow roughly 30 tools, the CLI just loads every tool

  Correct

  Under about 30 tools the savings aren't worth it, so tool search is skipped.

• DTool search needs a cloud sandbox session

  Incorrect

  Tool search works in normal Copilot CLI sessions on supported models.

Tool search keeps the context small by loading MCP and other external tools only when needed. Each time you enter a prompt, the CLI checks the tool inventory; below roughly 30 tools it skips tool search and loads everything. It is on by default for supported models and can be turned off with toolSearch: false.