by VibecodedThis

GitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.43–1.0.45: /autopilot Command, Hook Bypasses, and a Week of Polish

Three Copilot CLI releases shipped May 6–11, adding a /autopilot toggle for autonomous mode, hooks that can handle requests without hitting the LLM, username display in the status line, and a sweep of path completion and slash command fixes.

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GitHub shipped three Copilot CLI releases in the week of May 6–11: 1.0.43, 1.0.44, and 1.0.45. The last covered version was 1.0.40. Here’s what’s new across the three.

/autopilot Command (1.0.45)

The /autopilot slash command toggles between interactive and autopilot modes from within a session. In autopilot, Copilot CLI works through a task on its own — executing multiple steps without waiting for confirmation after each one — until it decides the task is done.

Previously, setting autopilot meant configuring it before starting the session. The /autopilot command lets you flip modes mid-task. Start interactively, verify the plan, then hand over to autopilot for the execution.

Version 1.0.45 also adds a fallback to Windows PowerShell (powershell.exe) when PowerShell 7+ (pwsh) isn’t available, and aligns the OpenTelemetry output format with the GenAI semantic conventions.

Hooks That Can Skip the LLM (1.0.44)

The most interesting addition in 1.0.44 is userPromptSubmitted hooks that can return a response directly, bypassing the model entirely. A hook handler now intercepts the request before it reaches the LLM and can return its own response. That makes it possible to route certain prompts to local logic, cached answers, or alternative endpoints without the model seeing them at all.

This is the kind of hook behavior that starts enabling local policy enforcement and custom routing without forking the client.

Other 1.0.44 additions:

  • Path completion in /add-dir no longer flickers or gets intercepted by the @ and # pickers.
  • Slash commands can now appear mid-input with multiple skills invoked in a single message — you’re no longer limited to one skill per turn.
  • copilot update and the /update command accept an optional prerelease argument to opt into pre-release builds.
  • Shell commands via the ! prefix work correctly with all shell configurations, including aliases and rc file settings.
  • Quota display now correctly shows remaining usage for Free users.
  • Tool permissions granted in autopilot mode persist after /clear.
  • Effort level applies correctly when switching models via /model.
  • Ctrl+C during a permission prompt no longer hangs the CLI.
  • Project info stays visible in the slash command picker when no results match a search.

Username in Status Line (1.0.43)

Version 1.0.43 added a username toggle to the /statusline picker. When enabled, the active account name appears in the footer, useful on machines where multiple Copilot accounts might be active. Auto mode also switched to server-side model routing in this release.

What to Update For

If you’re using hooks and want the option to intercept prompts before they hit the model, 1.0.44 has the userPromptSubmitted bypass. If you want /autopilot as an in-session toggle, 1.0.45 is the one to grab. The path completion and slash command fixes in 1.0.44 are worth having regardless.

Sources: Copilot CLI releases, Copilot CLI changelog, GitHub Copilot autopilot docs

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