Copilot Chat "Keep/Discard" creates unsafe state for vibe-coding workflows

[sonnyandersson]

Type: Feature Request

Problem:

When using Copilot Chat in agent mode to write and edit code (vibe-coding — the user never manually edits code), the "Keep/Discard" buttons on file edits create an unsafe workflow:

Files left in dirty (unsaved) state. If the user doesn't click "Keep", the file remains modified but unsaved. When closing the editor tab, VS Code warns about unsaved changes — confusing for a user who never writes code themselves.

Risk with parallel chat sessions. When running multiple Copilot Chat sessions (not simultaneously, but interleaved) that touch the same files, the Keep/Discard mechanism creates a hazard: Session A edits a file → user forgets to click Keep → Session B edits the same file → user later clicks Discard on Session A's edit → Session B's changes are silently lost. The undo history spans across sessions, making accidental rollbacks likely.

Misaligned with the vibe-coding paradigm. In vibe-coding, the AI is the sole code author. The user trusts the AI to make correct edits and relies on git commits as checkpoints — not per-edit review. The Keep/Discard UI adds friction and risk without providing value to this workflow. The user doesn't read or review code diffs.

Suggested improvements:

Auto-accept edits option: A setting like chat.edits.autoAccept: true that automatically keeps all edits without requiring user interaction.
Auto-save after edit: When Copilot edits a file, save it to disk immediately (respecting files.autoSave settings).
Warn on cross-session conflicts: If a file has pending (un-kept) edits from Session A and Session B tries to edit the same file, warn or auto-resolve.
Workaround: Setting files.autoSave: afterDelay mitigates the unsaved-file issue but doesn't address the Keep/Discard undo-history risk.

Environment: VS Code Insiders, Copilot Chat agent mode, multiple parallel chat sessions, single developer (no team collaboration).

VS Code version: Code 1.112.0 (07ff9d6, 2026-03-17T18:09:23Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200
Modes:

[connor4312]

There is already a setting for auto-accepting edits. Can you screencap what you see about them not saving? That should also be happening.

/gifPlease

[vs-code-engineering]

Thanks for reporting this issue! Unfortunately, it's hard for us to understand what issue you're seeing. Please help us out by providing a screen recording showing exactly what isn't working as expected. While we can work with most standard formats, .gif files are preferred as they are displayed inline on GitHub. You may find https://gifcap.dev helpful as a browser-based gif recording tool.

If the issue depends on keyboard input, you can help us by enabling screencast mode for the recording (Developer: Toggle Screencast Mode in the command palette). Lastly, please attach this file via the GitHub web interface as emailed responses will strip files out from the issue.

Happy coding!

[sonnyandersson]

I want the “Keep” button to be disabled. It doesn’t fit into a vibe coding workflow.

I never review code manually—I commit all changes immediately. The “Keep” feature, while excellent for traditional programming, is confusing and potentially dangerous in a vibe coding context.

If you forget to click “Keep” in one session, and a later session updates the same code, clicking “Keep” in the earlier session can overwrite those newer changes.

This creates risk unless you follow a strict manual process for reviewing and approving everything Copilot does.

But strict, manual, code-level procedures are the opposite of the vibe coding philosophy.

Auto approve doesn't make the keep button disappear. As long as the button is there I have a potential of loosing changes. And I lost a few already. Very frustrating. Please add a setting to turn of the whole "keep" feature.

Or explain what I missed here, thanks

[connor4312]

clicking “Keep” in the earlier session can overwrite those newer changes.

Clicking "keep" just saves the file + triggers save participants. It does not rewrite the file

[sonnyandersson]

Thanks Connor for trying to help out here.
The Keep function has caused several lost edits if you hit it retroactively.
And its confusing. You write that it saves the file but does not rewrite the file. That terminology is confusing to me.
Saving is in the rest of the computer-world typically about writing to disk.

To offer a switch to just disable this feature must be very easy. And for a growing number of vibe coder it will be a relief.
In vscode we have settings for a ton of things - many not that necessary - but this on would be a game changer

Please consider to adopt vscode to vibecoding-mode

[sonnyandersson]

Hi Connor, any news here?
I have totally stopped klicking the Keep button, things works fine, but vscode seems to now forever remember line changes an colors changed lines and presents the keep button when i look at code (which I almost newer do) .
So in the background things are not pretty.
I really need this bad keep button to be turned off

KInd regards
Sonny

[connor4312]

You can also set chat.editing.autoAcceptDelay to 1 to basically 'auto keep'. I think that would probably solve your pain point.

Long term I think keep/undo are going away. We have #262495 and actually in new work I've been doing to refactor our agent loop, I haven't reimplemented keep/undo and don't plan to do so. This will certainly cause some derision when it goes away, but it's an expensive and complex feature and as you say its worth is arguable in the world of Opus and Clawds.

[sonnyandersson]

Thanks!