External .md/.yaml multi-attach now shows upload chip (PDF icon) instead of path pills

Support Bug Reports
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1

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor IDE

Describe the Bug

Attaching files from an external folder (outside the current workspace) into Agent/Chat used to create multiple path-reference pills (full absolute paths with purple ! icons).

Since around 2026-08-24, the same workflow produces a single upload-style attachment chip that shows only the filename, often with a PDF document icon even for .md files. Multi-select attach from Windows Explorer also no longer behaves like the old multi path-pill UI.

This worked normally through 2026-08-20. It started behaving incorrectly from 2026-08-24.

This may be related to the attach (content upload) vs @/path-reference split, but from a UX perspective it is a regression for the previous external-file linking workflow.

Conversation ID
N/A (UI/attachment issue; not a specific chat failure)

Already tried without success

  • Restarted Cursor
  • Reloaded window
  • New chat / new Agent conversation
  • Attaching via paperclip and via Windows Explorer drag-and-drop
  • Selecting multiple files in Explorer (.py + .md)

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Open a workspace in Cursor (e.g. an EdgeGW project).
  2. In Windows File Explorer, open an external folder outside that workspace.
  3. Select one or more files ( .md, .yaml).
  4. Drag them into the Agent/Chat input, or attach via the paperclip.
  5. Observe the attachment UI.

Expected Behavior

  • Multiple external files appear as stacked path pills.
  • Each pill shows the full absolute path.
  • Icons match file type / path-reference style (as before ~2026-08-20).

Actual Behavior

  • Attachment appears as a filename-only chip (upload style).
  • .md often shows a PDF-like document icon.
  • Multi-file linking no longer matches the previous path-pill behavior.

Screenshots / Screen Recordings

  • Before (working, ≤2026-08-20): path pills with full paths + purple ! icons, multiple files stacked
  • After (broken, from 2026-08-24): single chip EGW_demo_client_traffic.md with PDF-like icon inside the chat input
  • Source selection in Explorer: demo_client.py + EGW_demo_client_traffic.md selected together

Screenshots / Screen Recordings

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Operating System

Windows 10/11

Version Information

Version: 3.17.19 (user setup)
VS Code Extension API: 1.128.0
Commit: ae3a2b7231dd56194447fe4570dfdc61640b1e90
Date: 2026-08-24T06:42:14.583Z
Layout: IDE
Build Type: Stable
Release Track: Default
Electron: 40.10.3
Chromium: 144.0.7559.236
Node.js: 24.15.0
V8: 14.4.258.32-electron.0
xterm.js: 6.1.0-beta.291
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200

For AI issues: which model did you use?

N/A (attachment UI issue; reproduces before model response)

For AI issues: add Request ID with privacy disabled

No - Cursor works, but with this issue

Additional Information

  • Repro files are typical text docs (.md / .yaml), not binary Office files.
  • Goal is the old external path-link / multi-context behavior, not only content upload.
  • Please confirm whether this is intentional allowlist routing (md/yaml → content upload) or a regression in the Windows attach/DnD path after the mid/late August builds.

Does this stop you from using Cursor

No - Cursor works, but with this issue

4

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5

I’m seeing the same problem. It really gets in the way of using this, so I hope it can be fixed soon or a solution provided.

7

Hey, thanks for the detailed report, and thanks to @ziqing_ma for confirming. On your direct request, it’s both.

Starting in 3.17.19, document-type files like .md, .yaml, and similar dragged in from Explorer now get attached as a content upload, not as a path-reference pill. That’s intended. It keeps docs readable, including when the chat is connected to a remote workspace. But the PDF icon showing up on .md, and .py silently not attaching in a mixed multi-select, is not intended. I’ve passed both issues to the team, plus your feedback about losing the full-path workflow.

Workarounds to get path-references back:

  • Add the external folder to your workspace: File → Add Folder to Workspace, then in the @ input go to Files & Folders. Files will attach as path-references again, not uploads.
  • Files that don’t go through the upload routing like .py will still create a path pill when you drag them one by one. So drag them separately from .md and .yaml so you don’t lose .py in the same selection.

I can’t share an ETA yet, but I’ll update the thread once I have news.