Code completion
Get inline suggestions for functions, tests, repetitive code, and documentation while you type.
Learn moreYour guide to GitHub Copilot
Build with confidence. Move with Copilot.
A friendly, practical guide to GitHub Copilot features, responsible workflows, and fresh updates from official GitHub sources.
Learn features
Improve prompts
Follow releases
Content sourced from
GitHub Docs
GitHub Blog
Changelog
8Core capabilities
3Official sources
15mUpdate refresh
Context aware
In your flow
✦ Copilot suggestion
You
Build the feature and add tests
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{ }
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One assistant, many workflows
Meet the Copilot toolkit
From your first idea to a reviewed pull request, Copilot supports the software development lifecycle while keeping you in control.
Copilot Chat
Ask questions, explain unfamiliar code, debug failures, and explore implementation options in natural language.
Learn moreAgent mode
Delegate multi-step coding work that can inspect a project, edit files, and iterate on the result.
Learn moreCopilot coding agent
Assign development tasks from GitHub and let Copilot create a pull request for human review.
Learn morePull request assistance
Draft descriptions, summarize changes, and support code review directly in the GitHub workflow.
Learn moreCopilot CLI
Use Copilot from the terminal to understand repositories, edit code, and complete development tasks.
Learn moreCustom instructions
Give Copilot repository-specific context, conventions, and guidance for more relevant responses.
Learn moreExtensions and MCP
Connect Copilot to external tools and context sources to support specialized workflows.
Learn moreC
Task completedTests are passing
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A better way to collaborate
You lead.
Copilot accelerates.
Great results come from a clear partnership: you set direction and constraints, Copilot helps explore and execute, and you verify the final work.
01
Describe the goal and context
02
Collaborate through focused iterations
03
Validate before you ship
Work smarter and responsibly
Best practices that matter
Start with a clear goal
Describe the outcome, relevant constraints, and what a successful answer should contain.
Provide useful context
Open relevant files, name the framework, and include examples or existing project conventions.
Break work into steps
Ask for focused changes and verify each meaningful stage instead of sending one oversized prompt.
Review every result
Treat suggestions as a draft. Check correctness, security, licensing, tests, and maintainability.
Keep humans accountable
Use Copilot to accelerate decisions, not replace engineering judgment or required approvals.
Protect sensitive data
Do not place secrets or confidential information in prompts, source files, or generated examples.
Get better results, faster
Small habits.
Much better Copilot.
These practical habits keep context focused, make workflows reusable, and help you stay in control of the result.
Explore Awesome GitHub Copilot
Browse community-created agents, instructions, skills, hooks, workflows, and plugins. Inspect each customization before installing it.
ExplorePoint to the exact context
Mention the relevant file with @ instead of making Copilot search the whole repository. Add only the context needed for the task.
ExploreDefine the finish line
State the goal, constraints, required output, and validation criteria. Clear acceptance conditions reduce unnecessary iterations.
ExploreReuse skills for repeatable work
Use focused skills for recurring workflows so Copilot receives proven instructions and supporting resources only when needed.
ExploreChoose a specialist agent
Use research, review, exploration, or task-focused agents when specialist context will produce a better result than one general conversation.
ExploreKeep side questions out of context
Use /ask for a quick side question that should not become part of the main conversation history.
ExploreInspect changes before accepting
Review the diff, run the smallest relevant tests, and use code or security review for changes where mistakes carry more risk.
ExploreGrant only needed permissions
Start Copilot in trusted directories and approve tools deliberately. Avoid broad permissions for destructive commands or unknown code.
ExploreSpend smarter with Copilot
Seven ways to get more value
from every AI credit.
Simple principle: use the least expensive capability that can complete the task well, then measure the result.
01
Lower model cost
Use automatic model selection
Let Copilot route routine work to an efficient model instead of manually choosing a costly reasoning model for every task.
Official guidance
02
Fewer AI credits
Match the model to the task
Use lighter models for explanations, small edits, and boilerplate. Reserve advanced reasoning models for genuinely complex problems.
Official guidance
03
Less token usage
Keep prompts and context focused
Share only relevant files, requirements, and examples. Smaller context reduces token usage and helps Copilot reach the answer faster.
Official guidance
04
Included usage
Prefer included coding assistance
Use code completions and next edit suggestions for everyday coding when they fit; these features do not consume GitHub AI Credits.
Official guidance
05
Smaller context
Compact long CLI sessions
Use /compact when a valuable Copilot CLI session becomes long. It summarizes the conversation so you can continue with less context.
Official guidance
06
Avoid rework
Research, plan, then implement
Use /research to gather evidence and /plan to agree on the approach before coding. Clear decisions reduce failed attempts and expensive rework.
Official guidance
07
Better first pass
Keep instructions specific and grounded
Make .github/copilot-instructions.md describe the real stack, layout, commands, and conventions. Remove vague or outdated guidance that causes repeated exploration.
Official guidanceCost behavior depends on your Copilot plan, enabled features, models, and organization settings. Review current GitHub billing documentation before making purchasing decisions.
Live from official sources
The latest from GitHub Copilot
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Ready to build your next idea?
Visit the official GitHub Copilot documentation for setup instructions, detailed concepts, and guides.