GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is a third-party coding agent by GitHub available for use in AI Assistant. It can write, debug, and explain code, perform Git operations such as committing and branching, and manage pull requests and issues on GitHub.

Get started with GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is bundled with AI Assistant and comes preinstalled, so you don't need to install it separately.

To start using it, select GitHub Copilot in AI Chat and activate it with your GitHub account.

Collect IDE context

GitHub Copilot can automatically receive context about your current editing session, so you don't have to attach it manually with every prompt. When automatic context is enabled, each request you send includes:

The file currently open in the editor.
The text you have selected in that file, if any.

An indicator in the chat input field shows the current state of automatic context. Click it to switch between the two states:

IDE context enabled – the active file name and any selected text are attached to each prompt.
IDE context disabled – no editor context is attached automatically.

Automatic context indicator in the chat input field

Select operation mode

GitHub Copilot can operate in different modes, each providing a distinct level of autonomy and interaction.

To select an operation mode, click and select a mode from the list.

The following modes are available:

Agent – GitHub Copilot can read and modify files and run commands to complete the requested task.
Plan – a read-only mode. GitHub Copilot analyzes your request and produces a structured plan for you to review before any changes are made.
Autopilot – GitHub Copilot works through a multi-step task on its own, without pausing for your input between steps, until it finishes.
Autopilot controls whether the agent pauses for your input between steps, not whether it asks for approval. Even in Autopilot, GitHub Copilot still requests approval before actions that require permission unless Allow All is turned on.

Select a processing model

To select a model that GitHub Copilot uses to process your requests, click and select the model from the list.

You can also select the Reasoning level for the model. Model reasoning refers to a model's ability to perform multi-step analysis and solve complex tasks. The selected level controls how much analytical processing the model applies when generating responses.

The list includes only the models enabled in your GitHub Copilot account.

Grant permissions to the agent

By default, GitHub Copilot requests your permission to use a tool, access a path, or open a URL. You can control this behavior with the Allow All setting in the chat input field:

The Allow All setting in the chat input field

Allow All turned on – GitHub Copilot proceeds without asking for approval each time it needs to use a tool, access a file path, or open a URL.
Use this setting with caution, as it allows the agent to act without your approval, which may lead to data loss or security issues.
Allow All turned off – GitHub Copilot asks for your approval each time it needs to use a tool, access a file path, or open a URL.

Approve operations

When Allow All is turned off, GitHub Copilot requests your permission to run suggested bash commands, introduce changes, perform file operations, or use external tools. In this case, you can either approve or reject the operation.

Allow once – allows GitHub Copilot to perform the action this time only. You will be asked again if the same action is requested later.
Always allow – allows GitHub Copilot to perform this action automatically, without asking for permission.
Deny – prevents GitHub Copilot from performing this action.

Before you decide, you can review what the agent is about to do:

For a suggested file change, click to review the changes the agent introduces.
For a suggested command, click Open in editor in the top-right corner of the widget to review the complete command the agent suggests to run.

Rollback operations

If the changes introduced by GitHub Copilot do not suit you, you can roll them back. To do this:

Navigate to the pane listing the changed files.
Do one of the following:
- To roll back changes in a specific file, hover over it and click .
- To roll back changes in all files, click Rollback.

Enable use of external tools

You can enable GitHub Copilot to use tools provided by configured Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, extending its capabilities to perform a wider range of tasks. The available tools can be invoked automatically when the agent considers them necessary, or you can call them manually when writing a request.

To enable GitHub Copilot to use tools:

In the IDE settings (Ctrl+Alt+S), go to Tools | AI Assistant | Agents.
Enable the Pass custom MCP servers setting.
Click OK.

Add guidelines

Guidelines allow you to provide persistent, reusable context to the agent. GitHub Copilot adds this context to every task it works on.

GitHub Copilot reads guidelines from the AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md files in the root project directory, so you can keep them under version control and reuse across the project. For more information on the format, see the AGENTS.md documentation.

Use /commands

GitHub Copilot supports a subset of /commands for executing actions directly in the chat. For details on specific commands, refer to the official GitHub Copilot documentation.

17 June 2026