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GitHub Copilot frequently asked questions

This article answers frequently asked questions about using GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code.

GitHub Copilot subscription

How can I get a Copilot subscription?

If you want to use GitHub Copilot, you either need an active subscription for GitHub Copilot in your personal account, or you need to be assigned a seat in a subscription managed by an organization or enterprise.

Account type Instructions
Personal account Set up a subscription to GitHub Copilot Individual with your personal GitHub account. You can activate a one-time 30-day trial to evaluate GitHub Copilot.
Member of an organization You need to be assigned a seat by an organization owner.

You can request access to GitHub Copilot Business from the GitHub Copilot settings for your personal account.

Learn more about billing for GitHub Copilot.

My Copilot subscription is not detected in VS Code

  • To use Copilot Chat in Visual Studio Code, you must be signed into Visual Studio Code with a GitHub ID that has access to GitHub Copilot. If your Copilot subscription is associated with another GitHub account, you might have to sign out of your GitHub account and sign in with another account. Use the Accounts menu in the Activity Bar for signing out of your current GitHub account.

  • Verify that your Copilot subscription is still active in GitHub Copilot settings.

How can I switch accounts for Copilot

To switch to another GitHub account for using Copilot:

  1. Open the Extensions view from the Activity Bar ( or use ⇧⌘X (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+X)) and enter GitHub Copilot in the search box.

    Extensions view in VS Code, showing the GitHub Copilot extension.

    Note

    There are two Copilot extensions: GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat.

  2. For the GitHub Copilot extension, select the gear icon, and then select Account Preferences.

    Accounts menu in VS Code, showing the option to sign out of the current GitHub account.

  3. From the Account Preferences Quick Pick, choose an existing account or select Use a new account... to sign in with a different GitHub account.

    Accounts menu in VS Code, showing the option to sign in with GitHub to use GitHub Copilot.

  4. Repeat these steps for the GitHub Copilot Chat extension.

General

Network and firewall configuration for Copilot

  • If you or your organization employs security measures like a firewall or proxy server, it may be beneficial to include certain domain URLs in an "allowlist" and open specific ports and protocols. Learn more about troubleshooting firewall settings for GitHub Copilot.

  • If you're working on company equipment and connecting to a corporate network, you may be connecting to the Internet via a VPN or an HTTP proxy server. In some cases, these types of network setups may prevent GitHub Copilot from connecting to GitHub's server. Learn more about troubleshooting network errors for GitHub Copilot.

How can I provide feedback on Copilot?

You can give feedback on Copilot inline suggestions and responses in the GitHub Copilot Discussions.

If you would like to provide feedback on the Copilot Chat features, you can create issues in the vscode-copilot-release repository.

It can be helpful to include information from the GitHub Copilot logs if you're reporting an issue.

View logs for GitHub Copilot in VS Code

The log files for the GitHub Copilot extension are stored in the standard log location for Visual Studio Code extensions. The log files are useful for diagnosing connection issues.

Use the Toggle Output command (⇧⌘U (Windows Ctrl+Shift+U, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+H)) and select GitHub Copilot or GitHub Copilot Chat in the dropdown.

Are there pre-release builds of the Copilot extensions?

Yes, you can switch to the pre-release (nightly) version of a Copilot extension to try the latest features and fixes. From the Extensions view, right-click or select the gear icon to bring up the context menu, and then select Switch to Pre-Release Version:

Extensions view context menu with Switch to Pre-Release Version option

You can tell if you're running a pre-release version by the "Pre-release" badge in the extension details:

Pre-release version of the GitHub Copilot extension

Copilot code completions

How do I enable/disable Copilot?

You can temporarily deactivate Copilot completions from the Status Bar. You're prompted whether you want to disable Copilot for all code (globally) or just the programming language detected in the active editor (for example, Python).

Screenshot showing the VS Code status bar, highlighting the Copilot icon that indicates Copilot is active.

Inline completions are not working in the editor

Copilot Chat

Copilot Chat features aren't working for me?

Check each requirement if Copilot Chat doesn't work:

  • Make sure you are on the latest version of Visual Studio Code (run Code: Check for Updates).
  • Make sure you have the latest version of both the GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat extensions.
  • Your GitHub account that is signed into VS Code must have an active Copilot subscription. Check your Copilot subscription.

Why is my Copilot Chat extension blocked?

If you receive a message that an extension is blocked from using Copilot Chat, the extension was likely disabled due to a detected pattern of abuse coming from that specific extension. Contact the publisher of the extension when you encounter this issue. You can find the publisher information on the extension details page in the Visual Studio Marketplace.

Additional resources

10/29/2024