From eeaa9816dcae1425feece38950071830fe97d447 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2026 03:30:57 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 01/12] Initial plan


From af2a58393ad7875408318fe4f51d66816a059926 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2026 03:37:17 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 02/12] Fix agent.yaml parsing panic when template field is
 missing

- Update ExtractAgentDefinition to handle both manifest and standalone formats
- Add nil check for template field before type assertion
- Support flat YAML structure with agent definition at root level
- Add comprehensive tests for both YAML formats and edge cases

Co-authored-by: vhvb1989 <24213737+vhvb1989@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go   |  16 +-
 .../pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go       | 235 ++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 249 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
index c4d5f2ad4a7..f9100bc5335 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
@@ -47,8 +47,20 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content is not valid: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	template := genericManifest["template"].(map[string]interface{})
-	templateBytes, _ := yaml.Marshal(template)
+	// Handle both manifest format (with "template" field) and standalone agent format (without "template" field)
+	var templateBytes []byte
+
+	if templateValue, exists := genericManifest["template"]; exists && templateValue != nil {
+		// Manifest format with "template" field
+		template, ok := templateValue.(map[string]interface{})
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("template field must be a map, got %T", templateValue)
+		}
+		templateBytes, _ = yaml.Marshal(template)
+	} else {
+		// Standalone agent format - the entire document is the agent definition
+		templateBytes = manifestYamlContent
+	}
 
 	var agentDef AgentDefinition
 	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(templateBytes, &agentDef); err != nil {
diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6026b4c2930
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the MIT License.
+
+package agent_yaml
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithTemplateField tests parsing YAML with a template field (manifest format)
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithTemplateField(t *testing.T) {
+	yamlContent := []byte(`
+name: test-manifest
+template:
+  kind: hosted
+  name: test-agent
+  description: Test agent with template field
+  protocols:
+    - protocol: responses
+      version: v1
+`)
+
+	agent, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ExtractAgentDefinition failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	containerAgent, ok := agent.(ContainerAgent)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected ContainerAgent, got %T", agent)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Name != "test-agent" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected name 'test-agent', got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Kind != AgentKindHosted {
+		t.Errorf("Expected kind 'hosted', got '%s'", containerAgent.Kind)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField tests parsing YAML without a template field (standalone format)
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField(t *testing.T) {
+	yamlContent := []byte(`
+kind: hosted
+name: lego-social-media-agent
+description: An AI-powered social media content generator for LEGO products.
+metadata:
+  authors:
+    - LEGO Social Media Team
+  tags:
+    - Social Media
+    - Content Generation
+protocols:
+  - protocol: responses
+    version: v1
+environment_variables:
+  - name: POSTGRES_SERVER
+    value: ${POSTGRES_SERVER}
+  - name: POSTGRES_DATABASE
+    value: ${POSTGRES_DATABASE}
+`)
+
+	agent, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ExtractAgentDefinition failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	containerAgent, ok := agent.(ContainerAgent)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected ContainerAgent, got %T", agent)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Name != "lego-social-media-agent" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected name 'lego-social-media-agent', got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Kind != AgentKindHosted {
+		t.Errorf("Expected kind 'hosted', got '%s'", containerAgent.Kind)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Description == nil || *containerAgent.Description == "" {
+		t.Error("Expected description to be set")
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Metadata == nil {
+		t.Error("Expected metadata to be set")
+	}
+
+	if len(containerAgent.Protocols) == 0 {
+		t.Error("Expected protocols to be set")
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.EnvironmentVariables == nil || len(*containerAgent.EnvironmentVariables) == 0 {
+		t.Error("Expected environment_variables to be set")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_InvalidTemplate tests that an invalid template field returns an error
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_InvalidTemplate(t *testing.T) {
+	yamlContent := []byte(`
+name: test-manifest
+template: "this is not a map"
+`)
+
+	_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for invalid template field, got nil")
+	}
+
+	expectedMsg := "template field must be a map"
+	if !contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingKind tests that missing kind field returns an error
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingKind(t *testing.T) {
+	yamlContent := []byte(`
+name: test-agent
+description: Test agent without kind field
+`)
+
+	_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for missing kind field, got nil")
+	}
+
+	expectedMsg := "unrecognized agent kind"
+	if !contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
+// TestLoadAndValidateAgentManifest_StandaloneFormat tests the full validation flow with standalone format
+func TestLoadAndValidateAgentManifest_StandaloneFormat(t *testing.T) {
+	yamlContent := []byte(`
+kind: hosted
+name: test-standalone-agent
+description: A standalone agent definition
+protocols:
+  - protocol: responses
+    version: v1
+`)
+
+	manifest, err := LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(yamlContent)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadAndValidateAgentManifest failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if manifest == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected manifest to be non-nil")
+	}
+
+	containerAgent, ok := manifest.Template.(ContainerAgent)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected Template to be ContainerAgent, got %T", manifest.Template)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Name != "test-standalone-agent" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected name 'test-standalone-agent', got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_IssueExample tests the exact YAML from the GitHub issue
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_IssueExample(t *testing.T) {
+	// This is the exact YAML from the GitHub issue that was causing the panic
+	yamlContent := []byte(`# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/AgentSchema/refs/heads/main/schemas/v1.0/ContainerAgent.yaml
+
+kind: hosted
+name: lego-social-media-agent
+description: |
+    An AI-powered social media content generator for LEGO products.
+metadata:
+    authors:
+        - LEGO Social Media Team
+    example:
+        - content: Generate a Twitter post about Star Wars LEGO sets
+          role: user
+    tags:
+        - Social Media
+        - Content Generation
+protocols:
+    - protocol: responses
+      version: v1
+environment_variables:
+    - name: POSTGRES_SERVER
+      value: ${POSTGRES_SERVER}
+    - name: POSTGRES_DATABASE
+      value: ${POSTGRES_DATABASE}
+`)
+
+	agent, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ExtractAgentDefinition failed with issue example: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	containerAgent, ok := agent.(ContainerAgent)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected ContainerAgent, got %T", agent)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Name != "lego-social-media-agent" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected name 'lego-social-media-agent', got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Kind != AgentKindHosted {
+		t.Errorf("Expected kind 'hosted', got '%s'", containerAgent.Kind)
+	}
+
+	// Test full validation flow
+	manifest, err := LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(yamlContent)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadAndValidateAgentManifest failed with issue example: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if manifest.Name != "lego-social-media-agent" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected manifest name 'lego-social-media-agent', got '%s'", manifest.Name)
+	}
+}
+
+// Helper function to check if a string contains a substring
+func contains(s, substr string) bool {
+	return len(s) >= len(substr) && (s == substr || len(substr) == 0 ||
+		(len(s) > 0 && len(substr) > 0 && stringContains(s, substr)))
+}
+
+func stringContains(s, substr string) bool {
+	for i := 0; i <= len(s)-len(substr); i++ {
+		if s[i:i+len(substr)] == substr {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}

From 428cbaf60d1471a6801559a7f4c41a821a72595c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2026 03:39:16 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 03/12] Support 'agent' field as alias for 'template' in
 agent.yaml

- Add support for both 'template' and 'agent' fields in manifest format
- Add test for 'agent' field format used in sample files
- Now supports three formats: template field, agent field, and standalone

Co-authored-by: vhvb1989 <24213737+vhvb1989@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go   | 10 +++++-
 .../pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go       | 32 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 41 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
index f9100bc5335..45968de5f7c 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
@@ -47,9 +47,10 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content is not valid: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Handle both manifest format (with "template" field) and standalone agent format (without "template" field)
+	// Handle both manifest format (with "template" or "agent" field) and standalone agent format (without wrapper field)
 	var templateBytes []byte
 
+	// Check for "template" field first, then "agent" field as an alias
 	if templateValue, exists := genericManifest["template"]; exists && templateValue != nil {
 		// Manifest format with "template" field
 		template, ok := templateValue.(map[string]interface{})
@@ -57,6 +58,13 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("template field must be a map, got %T", templateValue)
 		}
 		templateBytes, _ = yaml.Marshal(template)
+	} else if agentValue, exists := genericManifest["agent"]; exists && agentValue != nil {
+		// Manifest format with "agent" field (alias for "template")
+		template, ok := agentValue.(map[string]interface{})
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent field must be a map, got %T", agentValue)
+		}
+		templateBytes, _ = yaml.Marshal(template)
 	} else {
 		// Standalone agent format - the entire document is the agent definition
 		templateBytes = manifestYamlContent
diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
index 6026b4c2930..68335951960 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
@@ -39,6 +39,38 @@ template:
 	}
 }
 
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithAgentField tests parsing YAML with an agent field (alias for template)
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithAgentField(t *testing.T) {
+	yamlContent := []byte(`
+name: test-manifest
+agent:
+  kind: hosted
+  name: test-agent-with-agent-field
+  description: Test agent with agent field
+  protocols:
+    - protocol: responses
+      version: v1
+`)
+
+	agent, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ExtractAgentDefinition failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	containerAgent, ok := agent.(ContainerAgent)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected ContainerAgent, got %T", agent)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Name != "test-agent-with-agent-field" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected name 'test-agent-with-agent-field', got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
+	}
+
+	if containerAgent.Kind != AgentKindHosted {
+		t.Errorf("Expected kind 'hosted', got '%s'", containerAgent.Kind)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField tests parsing YAML without a template field (standalone format)
 func TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField(t *testing.T) {
 	yamlContent := []byte(`

From 3a34c6a7b4ab3d8080c4fefc00a192bd05427131 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2026 03:40:46 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 04/12] Address code review feedback

- Add error handling for yaml.Marshal calls
- Replace custom contains function with strings.Contains from stdlib
- Remove redundant helper functions

Co-authored-by: vhvb1989 <24213737+vhvb1989@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go   | 12 +++++++++--
 .../pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go       | 20 +++----------------
 2 files changed, 13 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
index 45968de5f7c..4da482440b6 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
@@ -57,14 +57,22 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 		if !ok {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("template field must be a map, got %T", templateValue)
 		}
-		templateBytes, _ = yaml.Marshal(template)
+		var err error
+		templateBytes, err = yaml.Marshal(template)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal template: %w", err)
+		}
 	} else if agentValue, exists := genericManifest["agent"]; exists && agentValue != nil {
 		// Manifest format with "agent" field (alias for "template")
 		template, ok := agentValue.(map[string]interface{})
 		if !ok {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent field must be a map, got %T", agentValue)
 		}
-		templateBytes, _ = yaml.Marshal(template)
+		var err error
+		templateBytes, err = yaml.Marshal(template)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal agent: %w", err)
+		}
 	} else {
 		// Standalone agent format - the entire document is the agent definition
 		templateBytes = manifestYamlContent
diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
index 68335951960..46eb30125aa 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package agent_yaml
 
 import (
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ template: "this is not a map"
 	}
 
 	expectedMsg := "template field must be a map"
-	if !contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
 }
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ description: Test agent without kind field
 	}
 
 	expectedMsg := "unrecognized agent kind"
-	if !contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
 }
@@ -250,18 +251,3 @@ environment_variables:
 		t.Errorf("Expected manifest name 'lego-social-media-agent', got '%s'", manifest.Name)
 	}
 }
-
-// Helper function to check if a string contains a substring
-func contains(s, substr string) bool {
-	return len(s) >= len(substr) && (s == substr || len(substr) == 0 ||
-		(len(s) > 0 && len(substr) > 0 && stringContains(s, substr)))
-}
-
-func stringContains(s, substr string) bool {
-	for i := 0; i <= len(s)-len(substr); i++ {
-		if s[i:i+len(substr)] == substr {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
-}

From 73d2ef21cdce937d174c3a2194e25c7300b08bab Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2026 03:45:22 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 05/12] Fix protobuf security vulnerability CVE (JSON recursion
 depth bypass)

Update protobuf from 5.29.5 to 6.33.5 in microsoft.azd.extensions
- Addresses JSON recursion depth bypass vulnerability
- Affected versions: <= 6.33.4
- Patched version: 6.33.5

Co-authored-by: vhvb1989 <24213737+vhvb1989@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt        | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/microsoft.azd.extensions/internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt b/cli/azd/extensions/microsoft.azd.extensions/internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt
index b8e8bb17834..d097860265c 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/microsoft.azd.extensions/internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/microsoft.azd.extensions/internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 grpcio==1.71.0  
 grpcio-tools==1.71.0  
-protobuf==5.29.5
+protobuf==6.33.5
 grpc-interceptor==0.15.4  
 azure.identity== 1.21.0
 azure.mgmt.resource== 22.0.0

From 859d1e8db5790b1c4c2b3320b6daf781955b9b02 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2026 00:37:01 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 06/12] Remove standalone format support per review feedback

- Return error when neither 'template' nor 'agent' field exists
- Add check for empty template/agent maps
- Update tests to expect errors for YAMLs without wrapper fields
- Add test for precedence when both fields present
- Add test for empty/null agent field handling

Per feedback: the rest of the code assumes manifest format, so supporting
standalone format would lead to undefined behavior. Now returns a clear
error message with link to AgentSchema documentation.

Co-authored-by: rajeshkamal5050 <11532743+rajeshkamal5050@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go   |  14 +-
 .../pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go       | 179 +++++++++++-------
 2 files changed, 117 insertions(+), 76 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
index 4da482440b6..265f6d1783f 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
@@ -47,16 +47,19 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content is not valid: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Handle both manifest format (with "template" or "agent" field) and standalone agent format (without wrapper field)
+	// Handle both manifest format with "template" or "agent" field
+	// If both "template" and "agent" are present, "template" takes precedence and "agent" is ignored
 	var templateBytes []byte
 
-	// Check for "template" field first, then "agent" field as an alias
 	if templateValue, exists := genericManifest["template"]; exists && templateValue != nil {
 		// Manifest format with "template" field
 		template, ok := templateValue.(map[string]interface{})
 		if !ok {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("template field must be a map, got %T", templateValue)
 		}
+		if len(template) == 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field with the agent definition. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
+		}
 		var err error
 		templateBytes, err = yaml.Marshal(template)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -68,14 +71,17 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 		if !ok {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent field must be a map, got %T", agentValue)
 		}
+		if len(template) == 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field with the agent definition. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
+		}
 		var err error
 		templateBytes, err = yaml.Marshal(template)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal agent: %w", err)
 		}
 	} else {
-		// Standalone agent format - the entire document is the agent definition
-		templateBytes = manifestYamlContent
+		// Neither "template" nor "agent" field found - return error
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field with the agent definition. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
 	}
 
 	var agentDef AgentDefinition
diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
index 46eb30125aa..0ee86969ab3 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
@@ -72,7 +72,81 @@ agent:
 	}
 }
 
-// TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField tests parsing YAML without a template field (standalone format)
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_BothTemplateAndAgent tests that template takes precedence when both fields are present
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_BothTemplateAndAgent(t *testing.T) {
+	yamlContent := []byte(`
+name: test-manifest
+template:
+  kind: hosted
+  name: test-agent-from-template
+  description: Agent from template field
+  protocols:
+    - protocol: responses
+      version: v1
+agent:
+  kind: hosted
+  name: test-agent-from-agent
+  description: Agent from agent field
+  protocols:
+    - protocol: responses
+      version: v1
+`)
+
+	agent, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ExtractAgentDefinition failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	containerAgent, ok := agent.(ContainerAgent)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected ContainerAgent, got %T", agent)
+	}
+
+	// Should use template field, not agent field
+	if containerAgent.Name != "test-agent-from-template" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected name 'test-agent-from-template' (from template field), got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_EmptyAgentField tests that an empty or null agent field returns an error
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_EmptyAgentField(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name string
+		yaml string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "null agent field",
+			yaml: `
+name: test-manifest
+agent: null
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "empty agent field",
+			yaml: `
+name: test-manifest
+agent: {}
+`,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition([]byte(tc.yaml))
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("Expected error for empty/null agent field, got nil")
+			}
+
+			// The error should indicate missing template/agent field
+			expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
+			if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
+				t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField tests that YAML without template or agent field returns an error
 func TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField(t *testing.T) {
 	yamlContent := []byte(`
 kind: hosted
@@ -94,38 +168,14 @@ environment_variables:
     value: ${POSTGRES_DATABASE}
 `)
 
-	agent, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("ExtractAgentDefinition failed: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	containerAgent, ok := agent.(ContainerAgent)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected ContainerAgent, got %T", agent)
-	}
-
-	if containerAgent.Name != "lego-social-media-agent" {
-		t.Errorf("Expected name 'lego-social-media-agent', got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
-	}
-
-	if containerAgent.Kind != AgentKindHosted {
-		t.Errorf("Expected kind 'hosted', got '%s'", containerAgent.Kind)
-	}
-
-	if containerAgent.Description == nil || *containerAgent.Description == "" {
-		t.Error("Expected description to be set")
-	}
-
-	if containerAgent.Metadata == nil {
-		t.Error("Expected metadata to be set")
-	}
-
-	if len(containerAgent.Protocols) == 0 {
-		t.Error("Expected protocols to be set")
+	_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	if containerAgent.EnvironmentVariables == nil || len(*containerAgent.EnvironmentVariables) == 0 {
-		t.Error("Expected environment_variables to be set")
+	expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
 }
 
@@ -147,26 +197,26 @@ template: "this is not a map"
 	}
 }
 
-// TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingKind tests that missing kind field returns an error
-func TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingKind(t *testing.T) {
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingTemplateOrAgentField tests that YAML without template or agent field returns an error
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingTemplateOrAgentField(t *testing.T) {
 	yamlContent := []byte(`
 name: test-agent
-description: Test agent without kind field
+description: Test agent without template or agent field
 `)
 
 	_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("Expected error for missing kind field, got nil")
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	expectedMsg := "unrecognized agent kind"
+	expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
 }
 
-// TestLoadAndValidateAgentManifest_StandaloneFormat tests the full validation flow with standalone format
-func TestLoadAndValidateAgentManifest_StandaloneFormat(t *testing.T) {
+// TestLoadAndValidateAgentManifest_WithoutTemplateField tests that YAML without template or agent field returns an error
+func TestLoadAndValidateAgentManifest_WithoutTemplateField(t *testing.T) {
 	yamlContent := []byte(`
 kind: hosted
 name: test-standalone-agent
@@ -176,28 +226,21 @@ protocols:
     version: v1
 `)
 
-	manifest, err := LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(yamlContent)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("LoadAndValidateAgentManifest failed: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if manifest == nil {
-		t.Fatal("Expected manifest to be non-nil")
-	}
-
-	containerAgent, ok := manifest.Template.(ContainerAgent)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected Template to be ContainerAgent, got %T", manifest.Template)
+	_, err := LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(yamlContent)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	if containerAgent.Name != "test-standalone-agent" {
-		t.Errorf("Expected name 'test-standalone-agent', got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
+	expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
 }
 
 // TestExtractAgentDefinition_IssueExample tests the exact YAML from the GitHub issue
 func TestExtractAgentDefinition_IssueExample(t *testing.T) {
 	// This is the exact YAML from the GitHub issue that was causing the panic
+	// It should now return a proper error message instead of panicking
 	yamlContent := []byte(`# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/AgentSchema/refs/heads/main/schemas/v1.0/ContainerAgent.yaml
 
 kind: hosted
@@ -223,31 +266,23 @@ environment_variables:
       value: ${POSTGRES_DATABASE}
 `)
 
-	agent, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("ExtractAgentDefinition failed with issue example: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	containerAgent, ok := agent.(ContainerAgent)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected ContainerAgent, got %T", agent)
-	}
-
-	if containerAgent.Name != "lego-social-media-agent" {
-		t.Errorf("Expected name 'lego-social-media-agent', got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
+	_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	if containerAgent.Kind != AgentKindHosted {
-		t.Errorf("Expected kind 'hosted', got '%s'", containerAgent.Kind)
+	expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
 
-	// Test full validation flow
-	manifest, err := LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(yamlContent)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("LoadAndValidateAgentManifest failed with issue example: %v", err)
+	// Test full validation flow - should also return error
+	_, err = LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(yamlContent)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected error from LoadAndValidateAgentManifest for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	if manifest.Name != "lego-social-media-agent" {
-		t.Errorf("Expected manifest name 'lego-social-media-agent', got '%s'", manifest.Name)
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
 }

From 748fbe79ba0c75fb7e6392e75be62814926f7b39 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2026 00:42:05 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 07/12] Revert protobuf version change in
 microsoft.azd.extensions

Remove changes to requirements.txt per review feedback - the protobuf
update is not related to the agent.yaml parsing fix and should be
handled in a separate PR.

Co-authored-by: vhvb1989 <24213737+vhvb1989@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt        | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/microsoft.azd.extensions/internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt b/cli/azd/extensions/microsoft.azd.extensions/internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt
index d097860265c..b8e8bb17834 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/microsoft.azd.extensions/internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/microsoft.azd.extensions/internal/resources/languages/python/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 grpcio==1.71.0  
 grpcio-tools==1.71.0  
-protobuf==6.33.5
+protobuf==5.29.5
 grpc-interceptor==0.15.4  
 azure.identity== 1.21.0
 azure.mgmt.resource== 22.0.0

From 707370572e4e7ded327b79c4ce618ad7227cd287 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2026 00:48:29 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 08/12] Standardize error messages to use AgentManifest format

Update error messages to follow the existing pattern:
"YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"

This provides consistency with error messages in LoadAndValidateAgentManifest
and makes it clearer to users what the expected format is.

Co-authored-by: vhvb1989 <24213737+vhvb1989@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go            |  6 +++---
 .../internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go       | 10 +++++-----
 2 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
index 265f6d1783f..f10210eff26 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("template field must be a map, got %T", templateValue)
 		}
 		if len(template) == 0 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field with the agent definition. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: template field is empty. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
 		}
 		var err error
 		templateBytes, err = yaml.Marshal(template)
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent field must be a map, got %T", agentValue)
 		}
 		if len(template) == 0 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field with the agent definition. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: agent field is empty. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
 		}
 		var err error
 		templateBytes, err = yaml.Marshal(template)
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 		}
 	} else {
 		// Neither "template" nor "agent" field found - return error
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field with the agent definition. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: must contain either 'template' or 'agent' field. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
 	}
 
 	var agentDef AgentDefinition
diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
index 0ee86969ab3..46ca42f9cc5 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ agent: {}
 			}
 
 			// The error should indicate missing template/agent field
-			expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
+			expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
 			if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 				t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 			}
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ environment_variables:
 		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
+	expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ description: Test agent without template or agent field
 		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
+	expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ protocols:
 		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
+	expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ environment_variables:
 		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	expectedMsg := "YAML must contain either a 'template' or 'agent' field"
+	expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}

From bdb2c84133d2e9f2f1dda3b8c81954022c4e1f6b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2026 02:13:48 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 09/12] Remove agent field support - only template field is
 valid

Per review feedback, the 'agent' field is not valid in AgentManifest format.
- Remove agent field handling from ExtractAgentDefinition
- Update error messages to only mention 'template' field
- Remove tests for agent field, BothTemplateAndAgent precedence
- Update sample files to use 'template' instead of 'agent'
- Rename EmptyAgentField test to EmptyTemplateField

The AgentManifest struct defines yaml:"template" as the only valid field.
Valid manifest examples: https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-samples

Co-authored-by: rajeshkamal5050 <11532743+rajeshkamal5050@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go   |  21 +---
 .../pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go       | 112 ++++--------------
 .../samples/declarativeNoTools/agent.yaml     |   2 +-
 .../tests/samples/githubMcpAgent/agent.yaml   |   2 +-
 4 files changed, 27 insertions(+), 110 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
index f10210eff26..793156e8c5a 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content is not valid: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Handle both manifest format with "template" or "agent" field
-	// If both "template" and "agent" are present, "template" takes precedence and "agent" is ignored
+	// Handle manifest format with "template" field
 	var templateBytes []byte
 
 	if templateValue, exists := genericManifest["template"]; exists && templateValue != nil {
@@ -65,23 +64,9 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal template: %w", err)
 		}
-	} else if agentValue, exists := genericManifest["agent"]; exists && agentValue != nil {
-		// Manifest format with "agent" field (alias for "template")
-		template, ok := agentValue.(map[string]interface{})
-		if !ok {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent field must be a map, got %T", agentValue)
-		}
-		if len(template) == 0 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: agent field is empty. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
-		}
-		var err error
-		templateBytes, err = yaml.Marshal(template)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal agent: %w", err)
-		}
 	} else {
-		// Neither "template" nor "agent" field found - return error
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: must contain either 'template' or 'agent' field. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
+		// "template" field not found - return error
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: must contain 'template' field. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
 	}
 
 	var agentDef AgentDefinition
diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
index 46ca42f9cc5..3679d528713 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse_test.go
@@ -40,92 +40,24 @@ template:
 	}
 }
 
-// TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithAgentField tests parsing YAML with an agent field (alias for template)
-func TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithAgentField(t *testing.T) {
-	yamlContent := []byte(`
-name: test-manifest
-agent:
-  kind: hosted
-  name: test-agent-with-agent-field
-  description: Test agent with agent field
-  protocols:
-    - protocol: responses
-      version: v1
-`)
-
-	agent, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("ExtractAgentDefinition failed: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	containerAgent, ok := agent.(ContainerAgent)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected ContainerAgent, got %T", agent)
-	}
-
-	if containerAgent.Name != "test-agent-with-agent-field" {
-		t.Errorf("Expected name 'test-agent-with-agent-field', got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
-	}
-
-	if containerAgent.Kind != AgentKindHosted {
-		t.Errorf("Expected kind 'hosted', got '%s'", containerAgent.Kind)
-	}
-}
-
-// TestExtractAgentDefinition_BothTemplateAndAgent tests that template takes precedence when both fields are present
-func TestExtractAgentDefinition_BothTemplateAndAgent(t *testing.T) {
-	yamlContent := []byte(`
-name: test-manifest
-template:
-  kind: hosted
-  name: test-agent-from-template
-  description: Agent from template field
-  protocols:
-    - protocol: responses
-      version: v1
-agent:
-  kind: hosted
-  name: test-agent-from-agent
-  description: Agent from agent field
-  protocols:
-    - protocol: responses
-      version: v1
-`)
-
-	agent, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("ExtractAgentDefinition failed: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	containerAgent, ok := agent.(ContainerAgent)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected ContainerAgent, got %T", agent)
-	}
-
-	// Should use template field, not agent field
-	if containerAgent.Name != "test-agent-from-template" {
-		t.Errorf("Expected name 'test-agent-from-template' (from template field), got '%s'", containerAgent.Name)
-	}
-}
-
-// TestExtractAgentDefinition_EmptyAgentField tests that an empty or null agent field returns an error
-func TestExtractAgentDefinition_EmptyAgentField(t *testing.T) {
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_EmptyTemplateField tests that an empty or null template field returns an error
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_EmptyTemplateField(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []struct {
 		name string
 		yaml string
 	}{
 		{
-			name: "null agent field",
+			name: "null template field",
 			yaml: `
 name: test-manifest
-agent: null
+template: null
 `,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "empty agent field",
+			name: "empty template field",
 			yaml: `
 name: test-manifest
-agent: {}
+template: {}
 `,
 		},
 	}
@@ -134,10 +66,10 @@ agent: {}
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition([]byte(tc.yaml))
 			if err == nil {
-				t.Fatal("Expected error for empty/null agent field, got nil")
+				t.Fatal("Expected error for empty/null template field, got nil")
 			}
 
-			// The error should indicate missing template/agent field
+			// The error should indicate the template field issue
 			expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
 			if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 				t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
@@ -146,7 +78,7 @@ agent: {}
 	}
 }
 
-// TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField tests that YAML without template or agent field returns an error
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField tests that YAML without template field returns an error
 func TestExtractAgentDefinition_WithoutTemplateField(t *testing.T) {
 	yamlContent := []byte(`
 kind: hosted
@@ -170,10 +102,10 @@ environment_variables:
 
 	_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
+	expectedMsg := "must contain 'template' field"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
@@ -197,25 +129,25 @@ template: "this is not a map"
 	}
 }
 
-// TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingTemplateOrAgentField tests that YAML without template or agent field returns an error
-func TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingTemplateOrAgentField(t *testing.T) {
+// TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingTemplateField tests that YAML without template field returns an error
+func TestExtractAgentDefinition_MissingTemplateField(t *testing.T) {
 	yamlContent := []byte(`
 name: test-agent
-description: Test agent without template or agent field
+description: Test agent without template field
 `)
 
 	_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
+	expectedMsg := "must contain 'template' field"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
 }
 
-// TestLoadAndValidateAgentManifest_WithoutTemplateField tests that YAML without template or agent field returns an error
+// TestLoadAndValidateAgentManifest_WithoutTemplateField tests that YAML without template field returns an error
 func TestLoadAndValidateAgentManifest_WithoutTemplateField(t *testing.T) {
 	yamlContent := []byte(`
 kind: hosted
@@ -228,10 +160,10 @@ protocols:
 
 	_, err := LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(yamlContent)
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
+	expectedMsg := "must contain 'template' field"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
@@ -268,10 +200,10 @@ environment_variables:
 
 	_, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(yamlContent)
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
+		t.Fatal("Expected error for YAML without template field, got nil")
 	}
 
-	expectedMsg := "YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format"
+	expectedMsg := "must contain 'template' field"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error message to contain '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
 	}
@@ -279,7 +211,7 @@ environment_variables:
 	// Test full validation flow - should also return error
 	_, err = LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(yamlContent)
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("Expected error from LoadAndValidateAgentManifest for YAML without template or agent field, got nil")
+		t.Fatal("Expected error from LoadAndValidateAgentManifest for YAML without template field, got nil")
 	}
 
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedMsg) {
diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/tests/samples/declarativeNoTools/agent.yaml b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/tests/samples/declarativeNoTools/agent.yaml
index 279897063b1..6458dc82dfb 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/tests/samples/declarativeNoTools/agent.yaml
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/tests/samples/declarativeNoTools/agent.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-agent:
+template:
   kind: prompt
   name: Learn French Agent
   description: |-
diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/tests/samples/githubMcpAgent/agent.yaml b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/tests/samples/githubMcpAgent/agent.yaml
index 59d98824513..1abf0813084 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/tests/samples/githubMcpAgent/agent.yaml
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/tests/samples/githubMcpAgent/agent.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-agent:
+template:
   kind: prompt
   name: github-agent
   description: An agent leveraging github-mcp to assist with GitHub-related tasks.

From dc2875d10905d2c6d903211ab3fd0db0da66e821 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2026 23:29:46 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 10/12] Update error messages with better documentation links

Per review feedback, update error messages to point to:
- AgentManifest reference: https://microsoft.github.io/AgentSchema/reference/agentmanifest
- Sample manifests: https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-samples

This provides users with both the format specification and working examples
when they encounter YAML format errors.

Co-authored-by: JeffreyCA <9157833+JeffreyCA@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go   | 4 ++--
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
index 793156e8c5a..8ac33c20097 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("template field must be a map, got %T", templateValue)
 		}
 		if len(template) == 0 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: template field is empty. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: template field is empty. See https://microsoft.github.io/AgentSchema/reference/agentmanifest for the expected format and https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-samples for examples")
 		}
 		var err error
 		templateBytes, err = yaml.Marshal(template)
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent []byte) (any, error) {
 		}
 	} else {
 		// "template" field not found - return error
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: must contain 'template' field. See https://github.com/microsoft/AgentSchema for the expected format")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: must contain 'template' field. See https://microsoft.github.io/AgentSchema/reference/agentmanifest for the expected format and https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-samples for examples")
 	}
 
 	var agentDef AgentDefinition

From 885e09fb4c06561fafbffb0278db85488b5f8a90 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2026 23:37:48 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 11/12] Enable unit tests for azure.ai.agents extension in CI

Add ci-test.ps1 script and remove SkipTests flag to enable unit tests in
the CI pipeline for azure.ai.agents extension.

Changes:
- Create ci-test.ps1 script matching other extensions (uses gotestsum or go test)
- Remove SkipTests: true from release-ext-azure-ai-agents.yml pipeline

This aligns with PR #6589 to enable unit test validation in the CI pipeline.

Co-authored-by: JeffreyCA <9157833+JeffreyCA@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .../extensions/azure.ai.agents/ci-test.ps1    | 27 +++++++++++++++++++
 eng/pipelines/release-ext-azure-ai-agents.yml |  1 -
 2 files changed, 27 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
 create mode 100644 cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/ci-test.ps1

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/ci-test.ps1 b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/ci-test.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2e66dea3138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/ci-test.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+$gopath = go env GOPATH
+$gotestsumBinary = "gotestsum"
+if ($IsWindows) {
+    $gotestsumBinary += ".exe"
+}
+$gotestsum = Join-Path $gopath "bin" $gotestsumBinary
+
+Write-Host "Running unit tests..."
+
+if (Test-Path $gotestsum) {
+    # Use gotestsum for better output formatting and summary
+    & $gotestsum --format testname -- ./... -count=1
+} else {
+    # Fallback to go test if gotestsum is not installed
+    Write-Host "gotestsum not found, using go test..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
+    go test ./... -v -count=1
+}
+
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "Tests failed with exit code: $LASTEXITCODE" -ForegroundColor Red
+    exit $LASTEXITCODE
+}
+
+Write-Host ""
+Write-Host "All tests passed!" -ForegroundColor Green
+exit 0
diff --git a/eng/pipelines/release-ext-azure-ai-agents.yml b/eng/pipelines/release-ext-azure-ai-agents.yml
index e7d75fee630..264bc42797e 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/release-ext-azure-ai-agents.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/release-ext-azure-ai-agents.yml
@@ -31,4 +31,3 @@ extends:
           AzdExtensionId: azure.ai.agents
           SanitizedExtensionId: azure-ai-agents
           AzdExtensionDirectory: cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents
-          SkipTests: true

From 7aea223963b8db475b037a97232fb9cad2334263 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Jeffrey Chen <jeffreychen@microsoft.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2026 23:50:04 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 12/12] Remove repetition in error messages

---
 cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/cmd/init.go       | 2 +-
 .../azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go   | 4 ++--
 2 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/cmd/init.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/cmd/init.go
index 8a322daa452..73591f94ff9 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/cmd/init.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/cmd/init.go
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ func (a *InitAction) downloadAgentYaml(
 	// Parse and validate the YAML content against AgentManifest structure
 	agentManifest, err := agent_yaml.LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(content)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("AgentManifest %w", err)
+		return nil, "", err
 	}
 
 	fmt.Println("✓ YAML content successfully validated against AgentManifest format")
diff --git a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
index 8ac33c20097..e81b3812e80 100644
--- a/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
+++ b/cli/azd/extensions/azure.ai.agents/internal/pkg/agents/agent_yaml/parse.go
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ func LoadAndValidateAgentManifest(manifestYamlContent []byte) (*AgentManifest, e
 
 	agentDef, err := ExtractAgentDefinition(manifestYamlContent)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: %w", err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	manifest.Template = agentDef
 
 	resourceDefs, err := ExtractResourceDefinitions(manifestYamlContent)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("YAML content does not conform to AgentManifest format: %w", err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	manifest.Resources = resourceDefs