Beginner

Setup & Install

Get GitHub Copilot Chat running in VS Code in under five minutes. This guide covers prerequisites, extension installation, authentication, and configuration.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  • Visual Studio Code — Version 1.84 or later. Download from code.visualstudio.com.
  • GitHub account — You need a GitHub account to authenticate. Sign up at github.com if you do not have one.
  • GitHub Copilot subscription — Copilot Chat requires an active GitHub Copilot subscription (Individual, Business, or Enterprise). A free trial is available for new users.
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Free for students & open source: GitHub Copilot is free for verified students (via GitHub Education) and maintainers of popular open-source projects. Check your eligibility at education.github.com.

Step-by-Step Installation

  1. Install the GitHub Copilot Extension

    Open VS Code and go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X). Search for "GitHub Copilot" and click Install. This extension provides both inline code completions and the Chat feature.

  2. Install the GitHub Copilot Chat Extension

    In the same Extensions view, search for "GitHub Copilot Chat" and click Install. This extension adds the chat panel, inline chat, and quick chat features.

  3. Sign In with GitHub

    After installation, VS Code will prompt you to sign in. Click "Sign in to GitHub" in the notification that appears. Your browser will open for GitHub authentication. Authorize the application and return to VS Code.

  4. Verify Installation

    Look for the Copilot icon in the VS Code status bar (bottom right). If it shows a small chat icon, both extensions are active and ready to use.

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Troubleshooting: If the Copilot icon shows a warning or is not visible, try reloading VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window"). Ensure your GitHub account has an active Copilot subscription.

Configuring Settings

Copilot Chat works well out of the box, but you can fine-tune it through VS Code settings. Open settings with Ctrl+, and search for "Copilot".

settings.json 
{
  // Enable or disable Copilot Chat
  "github.copilot.chat.enabled": true,

  // Control where the chat panel appears
  "github.copilot.chat.localeOverride": "en",

  // Enable inline chat suggestions
  "github.copilot.inlineSuggest.enable": true,

  // Control which languages Copilot is active for
  "github.copilot.enable": {
    "*": true,
    "plaintext": false,
    "markdown": true
  }
}

Opening the Chat Panel

There are several ways to open Copilot Chat:

Method How
Chat Panel Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+I (Mac)
Inline Chat Ctrl+I (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+I (Mac)
Quick Chat Ctrl+Shift+Alt+L
Activity Bar Click the Copilot Chat icon in the left activity bar
Command Palette Ctrl+Shift+P → type "Copilot Chat"

💡 Try It: Your First Chat Message

Open the chat panel with Ctrl+Shift+I and type the following message:

Copilot Chat should respond with a list of supported languages and explain how it can help with each one. If you see a response, your setup is complete!
✅
Keyboard shortcut tip: You can customize all Copilot Chat keyboard shortcuts through File → Preferences → Keyboard Shortcuts. Search for "copilot chat" to see all available commands and rebind them to your preference.