05 Errors & recovery · Blocked-action explanation

When the agent is blocked, it says what, why, and how to unblock it

GitHub Copilot cloud agent · Pull request (web)

GitHub Copilot warning in a pull request: 'Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses'. It lists packages.contoso.corp with the triggering command 'apt-get install ruby-full (http block)', and offers two fixes: configure Actions setup steps, or add the URLs or hosts to the firewall allow list. — Screenshot from GitHub Docs, © GitHub, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Unmodified. License · Original image · Credits & takedown

The insight

Report a blocked action as a receipt (what was blocked, which command, the two narrowest ways forward) so a security control reads as a next step, not a failure.

Documented

from the source

Visible in the image: A Warning callout reads 'Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses'. Expanded, it lists the blocked host (packages.contoso.corp), the triggering command (apt-get install ruby-full, 'http block'), and two links: 'Configure Actions setup steps … which run before the firewall is enabled' and 'Add the appropriate URLs or hosts to my firewall allow list'.

When a request is blocked by the firewall, the warning is added to the pull request body (new PRs) or to a comment (existing PRs).“a warning is added to the pull request body (for new pull requests) or to a comment (for existing pull requests)” — Customizing the firewall
The warning shows the blocked address and the command that tried to make the request.“The warning shows the blocked address and the command that tried to make the request.” — Customizing the firewall
A recommended allowlist is on by default; the firewall always allows hosts Copilot needs to interact with GitHub.“By default, a recommended allowlist is also enabled to allow the agent to download dependencies.” — Customizing the firewall
Disabling the firewall entirely is possible but carries an explicit exfiltration warning.“Disabling the firewall will allow Copilot to connect to any host, increasing risks of exfiltration of code or other sensitive information.” — Customizing the firewall

Our read

design interpretation

Why it works

The message lives where the work is reviewed (the PR), so nobody has to dig through logs. Naming the exact host and command turns a vague 'network error' into a scoped decision, and both suggested fixes are narrow: allow one host, or move the install to setup. 'Disable the firewall' isn't offered at all.

Trade-off

Collapsed by default and phrased in the first person, it's easy to skim past in a long PR description. And the allowlist fix is a repository-admin setting by default, so a contributor who sees the warning may not be able to act on it alone.