troubleshoot

Diagnose unexpected chat agent behavior by analyzing JSONL debug session logs.

Updated Aug 20, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/basedgod55hjl/vsbrax --skill troubleshoot-basedgod55hjl
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: troubleshoot
Source: https://github.com/basedgod55hjl/vsbrax/tree/main/extensions/copilot/assets/prompts/skills/troubleshoot
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/basedgod55hjl/vsbrax --skill troubleshoot-basedgod55hjl

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? When a chat agent behaves unexpectedly—running slowly, skipping tools, failing to load instructions or skills, or producing surprising responses—users have no visibility into why. This Skill investigates the underlying debug logs to find evidence-based root causes instead of guessing. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Log-Based Root Cause Analysis: Parses session debug logs (main.jsonl, system prompts, tool definitions, subagent traces) to explain latency, tool failures, and model behavior. - Discovery Diagnostics: Identifies why instruction, skill, or agent files failed to load, including name mismatches and folder resolution issues. - Network Diagnostics: Runs the Copilot diagnostics command to check authentication, proxy, and connectivity when logs suggest network failures. - Use Case: A user asks why their custom skill never loaded. The Skill searches the session log, finds a name mismatch between the folder and SKILL.md frontmatter, and provides the exact fix. ## Quick Start Ask the agent why your last chat request was slow or why a specific tool was not called, and it will analyze the session debug logs to explain what happened.

Frequently Asked Questions about troubleshoot

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I find out why my Copilot chat request was slow?▼

Analyze the session debug log for events with high duration values, filtering for entries where dur exceeds 5000 milliseconds. Check llm_request events for time-to-first-token and token counts to identify whether latency came from the model or from tool execution.

Why did my custom skill or agent file not load in chat?▼

Check the discovery events in the session debug log, which report loaded and skipped customization files with reasons. A common cause is a name mismatch between the folder name and the name field in the file's frontmatter.

How do I search large JSONL debug log files?▼

Use terminal tools like grep, jq, or Select-String to filter by event type or status rather than reading entire files. For example, grep for '"status":"error"' to find failures, or use jq to filter events by duration or type.

Can I troubleshoot Copilot network or authentication errors?▼

Yes, run the github.copilot.debug.collectDiagnostics command when logs show timeouts or 401/403 errors. It returns a diagnostics report covering authentication status, network reachability, proxy settings, and certificate configuration.

What should I do when log analysis finds no clear root cause?▼

Consult the Copilot Issues wiki on the VS Code GitHub repository for known issues matching the symptoms. If the wiki has no relevant guidance, report that the logs show no clear cause and suggest filing an issue.