GitHub Copilot Global .agent.md Files: Define Custom Agents Once in ~/.copilot/agents/, Use Across All Workspaces — Plus Ask Question Tool for Agent Clarification

GitHub Blog·medium signal

GitHub Copilot's May 13 update introduced global agent definitions via .agent.md files in ~/.copilot/agents/, making custom agents available across all workspaces without per-project configuration. Additionally, agent mode now includes an Ask Question tool — agents can pause and ask focused clarifying questions when additional information is needed, reducing ambiguity and improving task accuracy. The same update brought Copilot CLI agent into JetBrains IDEs with a unified sessions view showing live status for running and queued sessions. This mirrors Claude Code's skills/agents pattern but with cross-IDE portability.