Support overriding built-in tools (#636)

Author: SteveSandersonMS

dotnet/README.md

@@ -415,6 +415,30 @@ var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
 
 When Copilot invokes `lookup_issue`, the client automatically runs your handler and responds to the CLI. Handlers can return any JSON-serializable value (automatically wrapped), or a `ToolResultAIContent` wrapping a `ToolResultObject` for full control over result metadata.
 
+#### Overriding Built-in Tools
+
+If you register a tool with the same name as a built-in CLI tool (e.g. `edit_file`, `read_file`), the runtime will return an error unless you explicitly opt in by setting `is_override` in the tool's `AdditionalProperties`. This flag signals that you intend to replace the built-in tool with your custom implementation.
+
+```csharp
+var editFile = AIFunctionFactory.Create(
+    async ([Description("File path")] string path, [Description("New content")] string content) => {
+        // your logic
+    },
+    "edit_file",
+    "Custom file editor with project-specific validation",
+    new AIFunctionFactoryOptions
+    {
+        AdditionalProperties = new ReadOnlyDictionary<string, object?>(
+            new Dictionary<string, object?> { ["is_override"] = true })
+    });
+
+var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
+{
+    Model = "gpt-5",
+    Tools = [editFile],
+});
+```
+
 ### System Message Customization
 
 Control the system prompt using `SystemMessage` in session config:

dotnet/src/Client.cs

@@ -1416,10 +1416,15 @@ internal record CreateSessionRequest(
     internal record ToolDefinition(
         string Name,
         string? Description,
-        JsonElement Parameters /* JSON schema */)
+        JsonElement Parameters, /* JSON schema */
+        bool? OverridesBuiltInTool = null)
     {
         public static ToolDefinition FromAIFunction(AIFunction function)
-            => new ToolDefinition(function.Name, function.Description, function.JsonSchema);
+        {
+            var overrides = function.AdditionalProperties.TryGetValue("is_override", out var val) && val is true;
+            return new ToolDefinition(function.Name, function.Description, function.JsonSchema,
+                overrides ? true : null);
+        }
     }
 
     internal record CreateSessionResponse(

dotnet/src/Types.cs

@@ -802,6 +802,7 @@ protected SessionConfig(SessionConfig? other)
     public string? ConfigDir { get; set; }
 
     public ICollection<AIFunction>? Tools { get; set; }
+
     public SystemMessageConfig? SystemMessage { get; set; }
     public List<string>? AvailableTools { get; set; }
     public List<string>? ExcludedTools { get; set; }

dotnet/test/ToolsTests.cs

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 using GitHub.Copilot.SDK.Test.Harness;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
+using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
 using System.ComponentModel;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Text.Json;
@@ -152,6 +153,34 @@ record City(int CountryId, string CityName, int Population);
     [JsonSerializable(typeof(JsonElement))]
     private partial class ToolsTestsJsonContext : JsonSerializerContext;
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Overrides_Built_In_Tool_With_Custom_Tool()
+    {
+        var session = await CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
+        {
+            Tools = [AIFunctionFactory.Create((Delegate)CustomGrep, new AIFunctionFactoryOptions
+            {
+                Name = "grep",
+                AdditionalProperties = new ReadOnlyDictionary<string, object?>(
+                    new Dictionary<string, object?> { ["is_override"] = true })
+            })],
+            OnPermissionRequest = PermissionHandler.ApproveAll,
+        });
+
+        await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions
+        {
+            Prompt = "Use grep to search for the word 'hello'"
+        });
+
+        var assistantMessage = await TestHelper.GetFinalAssistantMessageAsync(session);
+        Assert.NotNull(assistantMessage);
+        Assert.Contains("CUSTOM_GREP_RESULT", assistantMessage!.Data.Content ?? string.Empty);
+
+        [Description("A custom grep implementation that overrides the built-in")]
+        static string CustomGrep([Description("Search query")] string query)
+            => $"CUSTOM_GREP_RESULT: {query}";
+    }
+
     [Fact(Skip = "Behaves as if no content was in the result. Likely that binary results aren't fully implemented yet.")]
     public async Task Can_Return_Binary_Result()
     {

go/README.md

@@ -267,6 +267,18 @@ session, _ := client.CreateSession(context.Background(), &copilot.SessionConfig{
 
 When the model selects a tool, the SDK automatically runs your handler (in parallel with other calls) and responds to the CLI's `tool.call` with the handler's result.
 
+#### Overriding Built-in Tools
+
+If you register a tool with the same name as a built-in CLI tool (e.g. `edit_file`, `read_file`), the SDK will throw an error unless you explicitly opt in by setting `OverridesBuiltInTool = true`. This flag signals that you intend to replace the built-in tool with your custom implementation.
+
+```go
+editFile := copilot.DefineTool("edit_file", "Custom file editor with project-specific validation",
+    func(params EditFileParams, inv copilot.ToolInvocation) (any, error) {
+        // your logic
+    })
+editFile.OverridesBuiltInTool = true
+```
+
 ## Streaming
 
 Enable streaming to receive assistant response chunks as they're generated:

go/client_test.go

@@ -448,6 +448,47 @@ func TestResumeSessionRequest_ClientName(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestOverridesBuiltInTool(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("OverridesBuiltInTool is serialized in tool definition", func(t *testing.T) {
+		tool := Tool{
+			Name:                 "grep",
+			Description:          "Custom grep",
+			OverridesBuiltInTool: true,
+			Handler:              func(_ ToolInvocation) (ToolResult, error) { return ToolResult{}, nil },
+		}
+		data, err := json.Marshal(tool)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to marshal: %v", err)
+		}
+		var m map[string]any
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &m); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to unmarshal: %v", err)
+		}
+		if v, ok := m["overridesBuiltInTool"]; !ok || v != true {
+			t.Errorf("expected overridesBuiltInTool=true, got %v", m)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("OverridesBuiltInTool omitted when false", func(t *testing.T) {
+		tool := Tool{
+			Name:        "custom_tool",
+			Description: "A custom tool",
+			Handler:     func(_ ToolInvocation) (ToolResult, error) { return ToolResult{}, nil },
+		}
+		data, err := json.Marshal(tool)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to marshal: %v", err)
+		}
+		var m map[string]any
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &m); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to unmarshal: %v", err)
+		}
+		if _, ok := m["overridesBuiltInTool"]; ok {
+			t.Errorf("expected overridesBuiltInTool to be omitted, got %v", m)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 func TestClient_CreateSession_RequiresPermissionHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("returns error when config is nil", func(t *testing.T) {
 		client := NewClient(nil)

go/internal/e2e/tools_test.go

@@ -264,6 +264,44 @@ func TestTools(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 
+	t.Run("overrides built-in tool with custom tool", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx.ConfigureForTest(t)
+
+		type GrepParams struct {
+			Query string `json:"query" jsonschema:"Search query"`
+		}
+
+		grepTool := copilot.DefineTool("grep", "A custom grep implementation that overrides the built-in",
+			func(params GrepParams, inv copilot.ToolInvocation) (string, error) {
+				return "CUSTOM_GREP_RESULT: " + params.Query, nil
+			})
+		grepTool.OverridesBuiltInTool = true
+
+		session, err := client.CreateSession(t.Context(), &copilot.SessionConfig{
+			OnPermissionRequest: copilot.PermissionHandler.ApproveAll,
+			Tools: []copilot.Tool{
+				grepTool,
+			},
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to create session: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		_, err = session.Send(t.Context(), copilot.MessageOptions{Prompt: "Use grep to search for the word 'hello'"})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to send message: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		answer, err := testharness.GetFinalAssistantMessage(t.Context(), session)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to get assistant message: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		if answer.Data.Content == nil || !strings.Contains(*answer.Data.Content, "CUSTOM_GREP_RESULT") {
+			t.Errorf("Expected answer to contain 'CUSTOM_GREP_RESULT', got %v", answer.Data.Content)
+		}
+	})
+
 	t.Run("invokes custom tool with permission handler", func(t *testing.T) {
 		ctx.ConfigureForTest(t)
 

go/types.go

@@ -410,10 +410,11 @@ type SessionConfig struct {
 
 // Tool describes a caller-implemented tool that can be invoked by Copilot
 type Tool struct {
-	Name        string         `json:"name"`
-	Description string         `json:"description,omitempty"`
-	Parameters  map[string]any `json:"parameters,omitempty"`
-	Handler     ToolHandler    `json:"-"`
+	Name                 string         `json:"name"`
+	Description          string         `json:"description,omitempty"`
+	Parameters           map[string]any `json:"parameters,omitempty"`
+	OverridesBuiltInTool bool           `json:"overridesBuiltInTool,omitempty"`
+	Handler              ToolHandler    `json:"-"`
 }
 
 // ToolInvocation describes a tool call initiated by Copilot

nodejs/README.md

@@ -402,6 +402,19 @@ const session = await client.createSession({
 
 When Copilot invokes `lookup_issue`, the client automatically runs your handler and responds to the CLI. Handlers can return any JSON-serializable value (automatically wrapped), a simple string, or a `ToolResultObject` for full control over result metadata. Raw JSON schemas are also supported if Zod isn't desired.
 
+#### Overriding Built-in Tools
+
+If you register a tool with the same name as a built-in CLI tool (e.g. `edit_file`, `read_file`), the SDK will throw an error unless you explicitly opt in by setting `overridesBuiltInTool: true`. This flag signals that you intend to replace the built-in tool with your custom implementation.
+
+```ts
+defineTool("edit_file", {
+    description: "Custom file editor with project-specific validation",
+    parameters: z.object({ path: z.string(), content: z.string() }),
+    overridesBuiltInTool: true,
+    handler: async ({ path, content }) => { /* your logic */ },
+})
+```
+
 ### System Message Customization
 
 Control the system prompt using `systemMessage` in session config:

nodejs/src/client.ts

@@ -533,6 +533,7 @@ export class CopilotClient {
                 name: tool.name,
                 description: tool.description,
                 parameters: toJsonSchema(tool.parameters),
+                overridesBuiltInTool: tool.overridesBuiltInTool,
             })),
             systemMessage: config.systemMessage,
             availableTools: config.availableTools,
@@ -621,6 +622,7 @@ export class CopilotClient {
                 name: tool.name,
                 description: tool.description,
                 parameters: toJsonSchema(tool.parameters),
+                overridesBuiltInTool: tool.overridesBuiltInTool,
             })),
             provider: config.provider,
             requestPermission: true,