If you have access to GitHub Copilot via your organization, you won't be able to use GitHub Copilot Chat if your organization owner has disabled chat. See Managing policies for Copilot in your organization.
Submitting promptsYou can ask Copilot Chat to give you code suggestions, explain code, generate unit tests, and suggest code fixes.
To open the chat view, click the icon in the title bar of Visual Studio Code. If the icon is not displayed, right-click the title bar and make sure that Command Center is selected.
Enter a prompt in the prompt box, or click one of the suggested prompts. For an introduction to the kinds of prompts you can use, see Getting started with prompts for Copilot Chat.
Evaluate Copilot's response, and make a follow-up request if needed.
The response may contain text, code blocks, buttons, images, URIs, and file trees. The response often includes interactive elements. For example, the response may include a menu to insert a code block, or a button to invoke a Visual Studio Code command.
To see the files that Copilot Chat used to generate the response, select the Used n references dropdown at the top of the response. The references may include a link to a custom instructions file for your repository. This file contains additional information that is automatically added to all of your chat questions to improve the quality of the responses. For more information, see Adding repository custom instructions for GitHub Copilot.
You can use special keywords to help Copilot understand your prompt. For examples, see Getting started with prompts for Copilot Chat.
Chat participantsChat participants are like domain experts who have a specialty that they can help you with.
Copilot Chat can infer relevant chat participants based on your natural language prompt, improving discovery of advanced capabilities without you having to explicitly specify the participant you want to use in your prompt.
Note
Automatic inference for chat participants is currently in public preview and is subject to change.
Alternatively, you can manually specify a chat participant to scope your prompt to a specific domain. To do this, type @ in the chat prompt box, followed by a chat participant name.
For a list of available chat participants, type @ in the chat prompt box. See also GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet or Chat participants in the Visual Studio Code documentation.
You can also install Copilot Extensions that provide chat participants. You can install these extensions from GitHub Marketplace and from Visual Studio Code Marketplace. For information about extensions from GitHub Marketplace that provide chat participants, see Using extensions to integrate external tools with Copilot Chat.
Slash commandsUse slash commands to avoid writing complex prompts for common scenarios. To use a slash command, type / in the chat prompt box, followed by a command.
To see all available slash commands, type / in the chat prompt box. See also GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet or Slash commands in the Visual Studio Code documentation.
Use chat variables to include specific context in your prompt. To use a chat variable, type # in the chat prompt box, followed by a chat variable.
To see all available chat variables, type # in the chat prompt box. See also GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet or Chat variables in the Visual Studio Code documentation.
Copilot's GitHub-specific skills expand the type of information Copilot can provide. To access these skills in Copilot Chat, include @github in your question.
When you add @github to a question, Copilot dynamically selects an appropriate skill, based on the content of your question. You can also explicitly ask Copilot Chat to use a particular skill. You can do this in two ways:
@github Search the web to find the latest GPT model from OpenAI.#web variable in your question. For example, @github #web What is the latest LTS of Node.js?You can generate a list of currently available skills by asking Copilot: @github What skills are available?
You can change the large language model that Copilot uses to generate responses to chat prompts, including premium models with advanced capabilities. You may find that different models perform better, or provide more useful responses, depending on the type of questions you ask. For more information see Changing the AI model for Copilot Chat.
Additional ways to access Copilot ChatIn addition to submitting prompts through the chat view, you can submit prompts in other ways:
See inline chat, quick chat, and chat smart actions in the Visual Studio Code documentation for more details.
Copilot EditsUse Copilot Edits to make changes across multiple files directly from a single Copilot Chat prompt. Copilot Edits has the following modes:
Edit mode is only available in Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs.
Use edit mode when you want more granular control over the edits that Copilot proposes. In edit mode, you choose which files Copilot can make changes to, provide context to Copilot with each iteration, and decide whether or not to accept the suggested edits after each turn.
Edit mode is best suited to use cases where:
To start an edit session, select Open Chat from the Copilot Chat menu.
At the bottom of the chat panel, select Edit from the mode dropdown.
Optionally, add relevant files to the working set to indicate to GitHub Copilot which files you want to work on.
Submit a prompt. In response to your prompt, Copilot Edits determines which files in your working set to change and adds a short description of the change.
Review the changes and Apply or Discard the edits for each file.
For more detailed instructions, see Copilot Edits in the Visual Studio Code documentation.
Agent modeUse agent mode when you have a specific task in mind and want to enable Copilot to autonomously edit your code. In agent mode, Copilot determines which files to make changes to, offers code changes and terminal commands to complete the task, and iterates to remediate issues until the original task is complete.
Agent mode is best suited to use cases where:
You can also directly open agent mode in VS Code.
For more information, see Copilot Edits in the Visual Studio Code documentation.
When you use Copilot agent mode, each prompt you enter counts as one premium request, multiplied by the model’s multiplier. For example, if you're using the included model—which has a multiplier of 0—your prompts won’t consume any premium requests. Copilot may take several follow-up actions to complete your task, but these follow-up actions do not count toward your premium request usage. Only the prompts you enter are billed—tool calls or background steps taken by the agent are not charged.
The total number of premium requests you use depends on how many prompts you enter and which model you select. See Understanding and managing requests in Copilot.
Using images in Copilot ChatNote
You can attach images to your chat prompts and then ask Copilot about the images. For example, you can attach:
Note
The following types of image file are supported: JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg), PNG (.png), GIF (.gif), or WEBP (.webp).
If you see the AI model picker at the bottom right of the chat view, select one of the models that supports adding images to prompts:
Do one of the following:
Type your prompt into the chat view to accompany the image. For example, explain this diagram, describe each of these images in detail, what does this error message mean.
To indicate whether a response was helpful, use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons that appear next to the response.
To leave feedback about the GitHub Copilot Chat extension, open an issue in the microsoft/vscode-copilot-release repository.
Further readingAccess to GitHub Copilot. See What is GitHub Copilot?.
Visual Studio 2022 version 17.8 or later. See Install Visual Studio in the Visual Studio documentation.
For Visual Studio 17.8 and 17.9:
Visual Studio 17.10 and later have the GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat extensions built in. You don't need to install them separately.
Sign in to GitHub in Visual Studio. If you experience authentication issues, see Troubleshooting issues with GitHub Copilot Chat.
If you have access to GitHub Copilot via your organization, you won't be able to use GitHub Copilot Chat if your organization owner has disabled chat. See Managing policies for Copilot in your organization.
Submitting promptsYou can ask Copilot Chat to give you code suggestions, explain code, generate unit tests, and suggest code fixes.
In the Visual Studio menu bar, click View, then click GitHub Copilot Chat.
In the Copilot Chat window, enter a prompt, then press Enter. For example prompts, see Getting started with prompts for Copilot Chat.
Evaluate Copilot's response, and submit a follow up prompt if needed.
The response often includes interactive elements. For example, the response may include buttons to copy, insert, or preview the result of a code block.
To see the files that Copilot Chat used to generate the response, click the References link below the response. The references may include a link to a custom instructions file for your repository. This file contains additional information that is automatically added to all of your chat questions to improve the quality of the responses. For more information, see Adding repository custom instructions for GitHub Copilot.
You can use special keywords to help Copilot understand your prompt.
Extending Copilot ChatGitHub Copilot Extensions integrate the power of external tools into Copilot Chat, helping you reduce context switching and receive responses with domain-specific context. You can install Copilot Extensions from the GitHub Marketplace or build private ones within your organization, then type @ in a chat window to see a list of your available extensions. To use an extension, select the extension from the list or type the full slug name, then type your prompt.
To learn more, see Using extensions to integrate external tools with Copilot Chat.
Slash commandsUse slash commands to avoid writing complex prompts for common scenarios. To use a slash command, type / in the chat prompt box, followed by a command.
To see all available slash commands, type / in the chat prompt box. See also GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet or Slash commands in the Visual Studio documentation.
By default, Copilot Chat will reference the file that you have open or the code that you have selected. You can also use # followed by a file name, file name and line numbers, or solution to reference a specific file, lines, or solution.
See also GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet or Reference in the Visual Studio documentation.
Using GitHub skills for Copilot (preview)Copilot's GitHub-specific skills expand the type of information Copilot can provide. To access these skills in Copilot Chat in Visual Studio, include @github in your question.
When you add @github to a question, Copilot dynamically selects an appropriate skill, based on the content of your question. You can also explicitly ask Copilot Chat to use a particular skill. For example, @github Search the web to find the latest GPT4 model from OpenAI.
You can generate a list of currently available skills by asking Copilot: @github What skills are available?
You can change the large language model that Copilot uses to generate responses to chat prompts, including premium models with advanced capabilities. You may find that different models perform better, or provide more useful responses, depending on the type of questions you ask. For more information see Changing the AI model for Copilot Chat.
Additional ways to access Copilot ChatIn addition to submitting prompts through the chat window, you can submit prompts inline. To start an inline chat, right click in your editor window and select Ask Copilot.
See Ask questions in the inline chat view in the Visual Studio documentation for more details.
Copilot EditsNote
Copilot Edits lets you make changes across multiple files from a single Copilot Chat prompt
Use agent mode when you have a specific task in mind and want to enable Copilot to autonomously edit your code. In agent mode, Copilot determines which files to make changes to, offers code changes and terminal commands to complete the task, and iterates to remediate issues until the original task is complete.
Using agent modeWhen you use agent mode, Copilot may make multiple premium requests to complete a single task. This includes both user-initiated prompts and follow-up actions Copilot takes on your behalf. The total premium requests used will depend on the complexity of the task, the number of steps involved, and the model selected. See Understanding and managing requests in Copilot.
Using images in Copilot ChatNote
You can attach images to your chat prompts and then ask Copilot about the images. For example, you can attach:
Note
The following types of image file are supported: JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg), PNG (.png), GIF (.gif), or WEBP (.webp).
If you see the AI model picker at the bottom right of the chat view, select one of the models that supports adding images to prompts:
Do one of the following:
You can add multiple images if required.
Type your prompt into the chat view to accompany the image. For example, explain this image, or describe each of these images in detail.
To share feedback about Copilot Chat, you can use the Send feedback button in Visual Studio. For more information on providing feedback for Visual Studio, see the Visual Studio Feedback documentation.
In the top right corner of the Visual Studio window, click the Send feedback button.
Choose the option that best describes your feedback.
Access to GitHub Copilot. See What is GitHub Copilot?.
A compatible JetBrains IDE. GitHub Copilot is compatible with the following IDEs:
See the JetBrains IDEs tool finder to download.
GitHub Copilot plugin. See the GitHub Copilot plugin in the JetBrains Marketplace. For installation instructions, see Installing the GitHub Copilot extension in your environment.
Log in to GitHub in your JetBrains IDE. For authentication instructions, see Installing the GitHub Copilot extension in your environment.
If you have access to GitHub Copilot via your organization, you won't be able to use GitHub Copilot Chat if your organization owner has disabled chat. See Managing policies for Copilot in your organization.
Submitting promptsYou can ask Copilot Chat to give you code suggestions, explain code, generate unit tests, and suggest code fixes.
Open the Copilot Chat window by clicking the GitHub Copilot Chat icon at the right side of the JetBrains IDE window.
Enter a prompt in the prompt box. For example prompts, see Getting started with prompts for Copilot Chat.
Evaluate Copilot's response, and submit a follow up prompt if needed.
The response often includes interactive elements. For example, the response may include buttons to copy or insert a code block.
To see the files that Copilot Chat used to generate the response, click the References link below the response. The references may include a link to a custom instructions file for your repository. This file contains additional information that is automatically added to all of your chat questions to improve the quality of the responses. For more information, see Adding repository custom instructions for GitHub Copilot.
You can use special keywords to help Copilot understand your prompt.
Chat participantsChat participants are like domain experts who have a specialty that they can help you with. You can use a chat participant to scope your prompt to a specific domain. To do this, type @ in the chat prompt box, followed by a chat participant name.
For a list of available chat participants, type @ in the chat prompt box. See also GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet.
GitHub Copilot Extensions integrate the power of external tools into Copilot Chat, helping you reduce context switching and receive responses with domain-specific context. You can install Copilot Extensions from the GitHub Marketplace or build private ones within your organization, then type @ in a chat window to see a list of your available extensions. To use an extension, select the extension from the list or type the full slug name, then type your prompt.
To learn more, see Using extensions to integrate external tools with Copilot Chat.
Slash commandsUse slash commands to avoid writing complex prompts for common scenarios. To use a slash command, type / in the chat prompt box, followed by a command.
To see all available slash commands, type / in the chat prompt box. See also GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet.
By default, Copilot Chat will reference the file that you have open or the code that you have selected. You can also tell Copilot Chat which files to reference by dragging a file into the chat prompt box. Alternatively, you can right click on a file, select GitHub Copilot, then select Reference File in Chat.
Using GitHub skills for CopilotCopilot's GitHub-specific skills expand the type of information Copilot can provide. To access these skills in Copilot Chat, include @github in your question.
When you add @github to a question, Copilot dynamically selects an appropriate skill, based on the content of your question. You can also explicitly ask Copilot Chat to use a particular skill. You can do this in two ways:
@github Search the web to find the latest GPT model from OpenAI.#web variable in your question. For example, @github #web What is the latest LTS of Node.js?You can generate a list of currently available skills by asking Copilot: @github What skills are available?
You can change the large language model that Copilot uses to generate responses to chat prompts, including premium models with advanced capabilities. You may find that different models perform better, or provide more useful responses, depending on the type of questions you ask. For more information see Changing the AI model for Copilot Chat.
Additional ways to access Copilot ChatUse Copilot Edits to make changes across multiple files directly from a single Copilot Chat prompt. Copilot Edits has the following modes:
Edit mode is only available in Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs.
Use edit mode when you want more granular control over the edits that Copilot proposes. In edit mode, you choose which files Copilot can make changes to, provide context to Copilot with each iteration, and decide whether or not to accept the suggested edits after each turn.
Edit mode is best suited to use cases where:
Use agent mode when you have a specific task in mind and want to enable Copilot to autonomously edit your code. In agent mode, Copilot determines which files to make changes to, offers code changes and terminal commands to complete the task, and iterates to remediate issues until the original task is complete.
Agent mode is best suited to use cases where:
When you use Copilot agent mode, each prompt you enter counts as one premium request, multiplied by the model’s multiplier. For example, if you're using the included model—which has a multiplier of 0—your prompts won’t consume any premium requests. Copilot may take several follow-up actions to complete your task, but these follow-up actions do not count toward your premium request usage. Only the prompts you enter are billed—tool calls or background steps taken by the agent are not charged.
The total number of premium requests you use depends on how many prompts you enter and which model you select. See Understanding and managing requests in Copilot.
Sharing feedbackTo share feedback about Copilot Chat, you can use the share feedback link in JetBrains.
At the right side of the JetBrains IDE window, click the Copilot Chat icon to open the Copilot Chat window.
At the top of the Copilot Chat window, click the share feedback link.
To use GitHub Copilot for Xcode, you must install the GitHub Copilot for Xcode extension. See Installing the GitHub Copilot extension in your environment.
If you have access to GitHub Copilot via your organization, you won't be able to use GitHub Copilot Chat if your organization owner has disabled chat. See Managing policies for Copilot in your organization.
Submitting promptsYou can ask Copilot Chat to give you code suggestions, explain code, generate unit tests, and suggest code fixes.
To open the chat view, click Editor in the menu bar, then click Copilot then Open Chat. Copilot Chat opens in a new window.
Enter a prompt in the prompt box. For example prompts, see Getting started with prompts for Copilot Chat.
Evaluate Copilot's response, and submit a follow up prompt if needed.
The response often includes interactive elements. For example, the response may include buttons to copy or insert a code block.
To see the files that Copilot Chat used to generate the response, click the References link below the response. The references may include a link to a custom instructions file for your repository. This file contains additional information that is automatically added to all of your chat questions to improve the quality of the responses. For more information, see Adding repository custom instructions for GitHub Copilot.
You can change the large language model that Copilot uses to generate responses to chat prompts, including premium models with advanced capabilities. You may find that different models perform better, or provide more useful responses, depending on the type of questions you ask. For more information see Changing the AI model for Copilot Chat.
Using keywords in your promptYou can use special keywords to help Copilot understand your prompt.
Slash commandsUse slash commands to avoid writing complex prompts for common scenarios. To use a slash command, type / in the chat prompt box, followed by a command.
To see all available slash commands, type / in the chat prompt box. For more information, see GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet.
Use agent mode when you have a specific task in mind and want to enable Copilot to autonomously edit your code. In agent mode, Copilot determines which files to make changes to, offers code changes and terminal commands to complete the task, and iterates to remediate issues until the original task is complete.
Agent mode is best suited to use cases where:
When you use Copilot agent mode, each prompt you enter counts as one premium request, multiplied by the model’s multiplier. For example, if you're using the included model—which has a multiplier of 0—your prompts won’t consume any premium requests. Copilot may take several follow-up actions to complete your task, but these follow-up actions do not count toward your premium request usage. Only the prompts you enter are billed—tool calls or background steps taken by the agent are not charged.
The total number of premium requests you use depends on how many prompts you enter and which model you select. See Understanding and managing requests in Copilot.
File referencesBy default, Copilot Chat will reference the file that you have open or the code that you have selected. To attach a specific file as reference, click in the chat prompt box.
Chat managementYou can open a conversation thread for each Xcode IDE to keep discussions organized across different contexts. You can also revisit previous conversations and reference past suggestions through the chat history.
Sharing feedbackTo indicate whether a response was helpful, use or that appear next to the response.
Further readingIf you have access to GitHub Copilot via your organization, you won't be able to use GitHub Copilot Chat if your organization owner has disabled chat. See Managing policies for Copilot in your organization.
Submitting promptsYou can ask Copilot Chat to give you code suggestions, explain code, generate unit tests, and suggest code fixes.
To open the Copilot Chat panel, click the Copilot icon ( ) in the status bar at the bottom of Eclipse, then click Open Chat.
Enter a prompt in the prompt box, then press Enter.
For an introduction to the kinds of prompts you can use, see Getting started with prompts for Copilot Chat.
Evaluate Copilot's response, and make a follow up request if needed.
You can use special keywords to help Copilot understand your prompt. For examples, see Getting started with prompts for Copilot Chat.
Slash commandsUse slash commands to avoid writing complex prompts for common scenarios. To use a slash command, type / in the chat prompt box, followed by a command. For example, use /explain to ask Copilot to explain the code in the file currently displayed in the editor.
To see all available slash commands, type / in the chat prompt box.
You can change the large language model that Copilot uses to generate responses to chat prompts, including premium models with advanced capabilities. You may find that different models perform better, or provide more useful responses, depending on the type of questions you ask. For more information see Changing the AI model for Copilot Chat.
Copilot agent modeUse agent mode when you have a specific task in mind and want to enable Copilot to autonomously edit your code. In agent mode, Copilot determines which files to make changes to, offers code changes and terminal commands to complete the task, and iterates to remediate issues until the original task is complete.
Agent mode is best suited to use cases where:
When you use Copilot agent mode, each prompt you enter counts as one premium request, multiplied by the model’s multiplier. For example, if you're using the included model—which has a multiplier of 0—your prompts won’t consume any premium requests. Copilot may take several follow-up actions to complete your task, but these follow-up actions do not count toward your premium request usage. Only the prompts you enter are billed—tool calls or background steps taken by the agent are not charged.
The total number of premium requests you use depends on how many prompts you enter and which model you select. See Understanding and managing requests in Copilot.
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