Skip to main content
All products
GitHub Copilot

Getting started with GitHub Copilot

In this article

You can start using GitHub Copilot by installing the extension in your preferred environment.

GitHub Copilot can be managed through personal accounts with GitHub Copilot for Individuals or through organization or enterprise accounts with GitHub Copilot for Business.

GitHub Copilot is free to use for verified students, teachers, and maintainers of popular open source projects. For more information, see "About billing for GitHub Copilot."

Try GitHub Copilot

About GitHub Copilot and JetBrains IDEs

GitHub Copilot provides autocomplete-style suggestions from an AI pair programmer as you code. For more information, see "About GitHub Copilot for Individuals".

If you use a JetBrains IDE, you can view and incorporate suggestions from GitHub Copilot directly within the editor. This guide demonstrates how to use GitHub Copilot within a JetBrains IDE for macOS, Windows, or Linux.

Prerequisites

  • To use GitHub Copilot you must have an active GitHub Copilot subscription. For more information, see "About billing for GitHub Copilot."

  • To use GitHub Copilot in JetBrains, you must have a compatible JetBrains IDE installed. GitHub Copilot is compatible with the following IDEs:

    • IntelliJ IDEA (Ultimate, Community, Educational)
    • Android Studio
    • AppCode
    • CLion
    • Code With Me Guest
    • DataGrip
    • DataSpell
    • GoLand
    • JetBrains Client
    • MPS
    • PhpStorm
    • PyCharm (Professional, Community, Educational)
    • Rider
    • RubyMine
    • WebStorm

    For more information, see the JetBrains IDEs tool finder.

Installing the GitHub Copilot extension in your JetBrains IDE

To use GitHub Copilot in a JetBrains IDE, you must install the GitHub Copilot extension. The following procedure will guide you through installation of the GitHub Copilot plugin in IntelliJ IDEA. Steps to install the plugin in another supported IDE may differ.

  1. In your JetBrains IDE, under the File menu for Windows or under the name of your IDE for Mac (for example, PyCharm or IntelliJ), click Settings for Windows or Preferences for Mac.

  2. In the left-side menu of the Settings/Preferences dialog box, click Plugins.

  3. At the top of the Settings/Preferences dialog box, click Marketplace. In the search bar, search for GitHub Copilot, then click Install.

    Screenshot of Marketplace search

  4. After GitHub Copilot is installed, click Restart IDE.

  5. After your JetBrains IDE has restarted, click the Tools menu. Click GitHub Copilot, then click Login to GitHub.

    Screenshot of JetBrains tools menu.

  6. In the "Sign in to GitHub" dialog box, to copy the device code and open the device activation window, click Copy and Open.

    Screenshot of device code copy and open

  7. A device activation window will open in your browser. Paste the device code, then click Continue.

  8. GitHub will request the necessary permissions for GitHub Copilot. To approve these permissions, click Authorize GitHub Copilot Plugin.

  9. After the permissions have been approved, your JetBrains IDE will show a confirmation. To begin using GitHub Copilot, click OK.

Seeing your first suggestion

Note: If you have duplication detection enabled for GitHub Copilot, you may receive limited suggestions, or no suggestions, when using the code examples provided. As an alternative, you can start by typing your own code to see suggestions from GitHub Copilot. For more information on duplication detection, see "Configuring GitHub Copilot settings on GitHub.com."

GitHub Copilot provides suggestions for numerous languages and a wide variety of frameworks, but works especially well for Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, C# and C++. The following samples are in Java, but other languages will work similarly.

  1. In your JetBrains IDE, create a new Java (*.java) file.
  2. In the Java file, create a class by typing class Test. GitHub Copilot will automatically suggest a class body in grayed text. The exact suggestion may vary.
  3. To accept the suggestion, press Tab.
  4. To prompt GitHub Copilot to suggest a function body, type the following line below the bracket of the main function. The exact suggestion may vary.
    Java
    int calculateDaysBetweenDates(
  5. To accept the suggestion, press Tab.

GitHub Copilot will attempt to match the context and style of your code. You can always edit the suggested code.

Seeing alternative suggestions

For any given input, GitHub Copilot may offer multiple suggestions. You can select which suggestion to use, or reject all suggestions.

  1. In your JetBrains IDE, create a new Java (*.java) file.

  2. To prompt GitHub Copilot to show you a suggestion, type the following line in the Java file.

    Java
    int calculateDaysBetweenDates(

  3. Optionally, you can see alternative suggestions, if any are available.

    OSSee next suggestionSee previous suggestion
    macOSOption+]Option+[
    WindowsAlt+]Alt+[
    LinuxAlt+]Alt+[

  4. To accept a suggestion, press Tab. To reject all suggestions, press Esc.

Seeing multiple suggestions in a new tab

You may not want any of the initial suggestions GitHub Copilot offers. You can use a keyboard shortcut to prompt GitHub Copilot to show you multiple suggestions in a new tab.

  1. In your JetBrains IDE, create a new Java (*.java) file.

  2. To prompt GitHub Copilot to show you a suggestion, type the following line in the Java file.

    Java
    int calculateDaysBetweenDates(

  3. Open a new tab with multiple additional suggestions.

    • On macOS, press Command+Shift+A, then click Open GitHub Copilot, or press Command+Shift+\ to open the new tab immediately.
    • On Windows or Linux, press Ctrl+Enter, then click Open GitHub Copilot.

  4. To accept a suggestion, above the suggestion, click Accept Solution. To reject all suggestions, close the tab.

Generating code suggestions from comments

You can describe something you want to do using natural language within a comment, and GitHub Copilot will suggest the code to accomplish your goal.

  1. In your JetBrains IDE, create a new Java (*.java) file.
  2. To prompt GitHub Copilot to suggest an implementation of a function in the Java file, type the following lines.
    Java
    // find all images without alternate text
// and give them a red border
void process () {

Enabling and disabling GitHub Copilot

You can enable or disable GitHub Copilot for all languages, or for individual languages. The GitHub Copilot status icon in the bottom panel of your JetBrains IDE window indicates whether GitHub Copilot is enabled or disabled. When enabled, the icon is highlighted. When disabled, the icon is grayed out.

  1. To enable or disable GitHub Copilot, click the status icon in the bottom panel of the JetBrains window.

    Screenshot of the status icon in IntelliJ IDEA

  2. If you are disabling GitHub Copilot, you will be asked whether you want to disable it globally, or for the language of the file you are currently editing.

    • To disable suggestions from GitHub Copilot globally, click Disable Completions.
    • To disable suggestions from GitHub Copilot for the specified language, click Disable Completions for LANGUAGE.

    Screenshot of option to disable GitHub Copilot globally or for the current language

Further reading

About GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio

GitHub Copilot provides autocomplete-style suggestions from an AI pair programmer as you code. For more information, see "About GitHub Copilot for Individuals".

If you use Visual Studio, you can view and incorporate suggestions from GitHub Copilot directly within the editor. This guide demonstrates how to use GitHub Copilot within Visual Studio for Windows.

Prerequisites

  • To use GitHub Copilot you must have an active GitHub Copilot subscription. For more information, see "About billing for GitHub Copilot."

  • To use GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio, you must have Visual Studio 2022 17.4.4 or later installed. For more information, see the Visual Studio IDE documentation.

Note: GitHub Copilot is not currently available for use with Visual Studio for Mac.

Installing the Visual Studio extension

To use GitHub Copilot, you must first install the Visual Studio extension.

  1. In the Visual Studio toolbar, click Extensions, then click Manage Extensions.

    Screenshot of the Visual Studio toolbar

  2. In the "Manage Extensions" window, click Visual Studio Marketplace, search for the GitHub Copilot extension, then click Download.

    Screenshot of GitHub Copilot extension for Visual Studio with the download button emphasized

  3. Close the "Manage Extensions" window, then exit and relaunch Visual Studio.

  4. Optionally, to check that GitHub Copilot is installed and enabled, go back to Manage Extensions, click Installed to view your currently installed extensions, then click GitHub Copilot to see status information.

    Screenshot of installed extensions in Visual Studio with GitHub Copilot emphasized

  5. Open or create a new project in Visual Studio.

  6. In the "Microsoft Visual Studio" dialog box, to copy your device activation code, click OK.

  7. A device activation window will open in your browser. Paste the device code, then click Continue.

  8. GitHub will request the necessary permissions for GitHub Copilot. To approve these permissions, click Authorize GitHub Copilot Plugin.

  9. After you approve the permissions, Visual Studio will show a confirmation.

Seeing your first suggestion

Note: If you have duplication detection enabled for GitHub Copilot, you may receive limited suggestions, or no suggestions, when using the code examples provided. As an alternative, you can start by typing your own code to see suggestions from GitHub Copilot. For more information on duplication detection, see "Configuring GitHub Copilot settings on GitHub.com."

GitHub Copilot provides suggestions for numerous languages and a wide variety of frameworks, but works especially well for Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, C# and C++. The following samples are in C#, but other languages will work similarly.

  1. In Visual Studio, create a new C# (*.cs) file.

  2. In the C# file, type the following function signature. GitHub Copilot will automatically suggest an entire function body in grayed text, as shown below. The exact suggestion may vary.

    C#
    int CalculateDaysBetweenDates(

  3. To accept the suggestion, press Tab.

Seeing alternative suggestions

For any given input, GitHub Copilot may offer multiple suggestions. You can select which suggestion to use, or reject all suggestions.

  1. In Visual Studio, create a new C# (*.cs) file.

  2. In the C# file, type the following function signature. GitHub Copilot will show you a suggestion.

    C#
    int CalculateDaysBetweenDates(

  3. If alternative suggestions are available, you can see these alternatives by pressing Alt+] (or Alt+[).

  4. Optionally, you can hover over the suggestion to see the GitHub Copilot command palette for choosing suggestions.

  5. To accept a suggestion, press Tab. To reject all suggestions, press Esc.

Generating code suggestions from comments

You can describe something you want to do using natural language within a comment, and GitHub Copilot will suggest the code to accomplish your goal.

  1. In Visual Studio, create a new C# (*.cs) file.

  2. In the C# file, type the following comment. GitHub Copilot will suggest an implementation of the function.

    C#
    using System.Xml.Linq;

var doc = XDocument.Load("index.xhml");

// find all images

  3. To accept the suggestion, press Tab.

Enabling or disabling GitHub Copilot

The GitHub Copilot status icon in the bottom panel of the Visual Studio window indicates whether GitHub Copilot is enabled or disabled. When enabled, the background color of the icon will match the color of the status bar. When disabled, it will have a diagonal line through it.

  1. To enable or disable GitHub Copilot, click the GitHub Copilot icon in the bottom panel of the Visual Studio window.

    Screenshot of editor margin in Visual Studio with the GitHub Copilot icon emphasized

  2. If you are disabling GitHub Copilot, you will be asked whether you want to disable suggestions globally, or for the language of the file you are currently editing.

    • To disable suggestions from GitHub Copilot globally, click Enable Globally.
    • To disable suggestions from GitHub Copilot for the specified language, click Enable for LANGUAGE.

Further reading

About GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio Code

GitHub Copilot provides autocomplete-style suggestions from an AI pair programmer as you code. For more information, see "About GitHub Copilot for Individuals".

If you use Visual Studio Code, you can view and incorporate suggestions from GitHub Copilot directly within the editor. This guide demonstrates how to use GitHub Copilot within Visual Studio Code for macOS, Windows, or Linux.

Prerequisites

Installing the Visual Studio Code extension

To use GitHub Copilot, you must first install the Visual Studio Code extension.

  1. In the Visual Studio Code Marketplace, go to the GitHub Copilot extension page and click Install.

  2. A popup will appear, asking to open Visual Studio Code. Click Open Visual Studio Code.

  3. In the "Extension: GitHub Copilot" tab in Visual Studio Code, click Install.

  4. If you have not previously authorized Visual Studio Code in your GitHub account, you will be prompted to sign in to GitHub in Visual Studio Code.

    • If you have previously authorized Visual Studio Code for your account on GitHub, GitHub Copilot will be automatically authorized.

  5. In your browser, GitHub will request the necessary permissions for GitHub Copilot. To approve these permissions, click Authorize Visual Studio Code.

  6. To confirm the authentication, in Visual Studio Code, in the "Visual Studio Code" dialog box, click Open.

Seeing your first suggestion

Note: If you have duplication detection enabled for GitHub Copilot, you may receive limited suggestions, or no suggestions, when using the code examples provided. As an alternative, you can start by typing your own code to see suggestions from GitHub Copilot. For more information on duplication detection, see "Configuring GitHub Copilot settings on GitHub.com."

GitHub Copilot provides suggestions for numerous languages and a wide variety of frameworks, but works especially well for Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, C# and C++. The following samples are in JavaScript, but other languages will work similarly.

  1. In Visual Studio Code, create a new JavaScript (*.js) file.

  2. In the JavaScript file, type the following function header. GitHub Copilot will automatically suggest an entire function body in grayed text, as shown below. The exact suggestion may vary.

    JavaScript
    function calculateDaysBetweenDates(begin, end) {

  3. To accept the suggestion, press Tab.

Seeing alternative suggestions

For any given input, GitHub Copilot may offer multiple suggestions. You can select which suggestion to use, or reject all suggestions.

  1. In Visual Studio Code, create a new JavaScript (*.js) file.

  2. In the JavaScript file, type the following function header. GitHub Copilot will show you a suggestion.

    JavaScript
    function calculateDaysBetweenDates(begin, end) {

  3. Optionally, you can see alternative suggestions, if any are available.

    OSSee next suggestionSee previous suggestion
    macOSOption (⌥) or Alt+]Option (⌥) or Alt+[
    WindowsAlt+]Alt+[
    LinuxAlt+]Alt+[

  4. Alternatively, you can hover over the suggestion to see the GitHub Copilot command palette for choosing suggestions.

  5. To accept a suggestion, press Tab. To reject all suggestions, press Esc.

Seeing multiple suggestions in a new tab

You may not want any of the initial suggestions GitHub Copilot offers. You can use a keyboard shortcut to prompt GitHub Copilot to show you multiple suggestions in a new tab.

  1. In Visual Studio Code, create a new JavaScript (*.js) file.
  2. In the JavaScript file, type the following function header. GitHub Copilot will show you a suggestion.
    JavaScript
    function calculateDaysBetweenDates(begin, end) {
  3. To open a new tab with multiple additional options, press Ctrl+Enter.
  4. To accept a suggestion, above the suggestion, click Accept Solution. To reject all suggestions, close the tab.

Generating code suggestions from comments

You can describe something you want to do using natural language within a comment, and GitHub Copilot will suggest the code to accomplish your goal.

  1. In Visual Studio Code, create a new JavaScript (*.js) file.
  2. In the JavaScript file, type the following comment. GitHub Copilot will suggest an implementation of the function.
    JavaScript
    // find all images without alternate text
// and give them a red border
function process() {

Using a framework

You can also use GitHub Copilot to generate suggestions for APIs and frameworks. The following example uses GitHub Copilot to create a simple Express server that returns the current time.

  1. In Visual Studio Code, create a new JavaScript (*.js) file.
  2. In the JavaScript file, type the following comment and then press Enter. GitHub Copilot will suggest an implementation of the Express app.
    JavaScript
    // Express server on port 3000
  3. To accept each line, press Tab, then Enter.
  4. Type the following comment and then press Enter. GitHub Copilot will suggest an implementation for the default handler.
    JavaScript
    // Return the current time
  5. To accept each line, press Tab.

Enabling or disabling GitHub Copilot

You can enable or disable GitHub Copilot from within Visual Studio Code. The GitHub Copilot status icon in the bottom panel of the Visual Studio Code window indicates whether GitHub Copilot is enabled or disabled. When enabled, the background color of the icon will match the color of the status bar. When disabled, the background color of the icon will contrast with the color of the status bar.

  1. To enable or disable GitHub Copilot, click the status icon in the bottom panel of the Visual Studio Code window.

    Screenshot of the bottom panel in Visual Studio Code. The GitHub Copilot icon is outlined in dark orange.

  2. If you are disabling GitHub Copilot, you will be asked whether you want to disable suggestions globally, or for the language of the file you are currently editing.

    • To disable suggestions from GitHub Copilot globally, click Disable Globally.
    • To disable suggestions from GitHub Copilot for the specified language, click Disable for LANGUAGE. Screenshot of option to disable GitHub Copilot globally or for the current language

Further reading

About GitHub Copilot and Neovim

GitHub Copilot provides autocomplete-style suggestions from an AI pair programmer as you code. For more information, see "About GitHub Copilot for Individuals".

If you use Neovim, you can view and incorporate suggestions from GitHub Copilot directly within the editor.

Prerequisites

Installing the Neovim extension on macOS

  1. GitHub recommends that you install the GitHub Copilot plugin with Neovim's built-in plugin manager. Alternatively, you can use a plugin manager of your choice to install github/copilot.vim.

  2. GitHub recommends that you install the GitHub Copilot plugin with Neovim's built-in plugin manager. Alternatively, you can use a plugin manager of your choice to install github/copilot.vim.

    • To install GitHub Copilot with Neovim's built-in plugin manager, enter the following command in Terminal:

      git clone https://github.com/github/copilot.vim \
   ~/.config/nvim/pack/github/start/copilot.vim

  3. To configure GitHub Copilot, open Neovim and enter the following command.

    :Copilot setup

  4. Enable GitHub Copilot in your Neovim configuration, or with the Neovim command.

    :Copilot enable

Installing the Neovim extension on Windows

  1. GitHub recommends that you install the GitHub Copilot plugin with Neovim's built-in plugin manager. Alternatively, you can use a plugin manager of your choice to install github/copilot.vim.

    • To install GitHub Copilot with Neovim's built-in plugin manager, enter the following command in Git Bash:

        git clone https://github.com/github/copilot.vim.git \
   $HOME/AppData/Local/nvim/pack/github/start/copilot.vim

  2. To configure GitHub Copilot, open Neovim and enter the following command.

    :Copilot setup

  3. Enable GitHub Copilot in your Neovim configuration, or with the Neovim command.

    :Copilot enable

Installing the Neovim extension on Linux

  1. GitHub recommends that you install the GitHub Copilot plugin with Neovim's built-in plugin manager. Alternatively, you can use a plugin manager of your choice to install github/copilot.vim.

    • To install GitHub Copilot with Neovim's built-in plugin manager, enter the following command:

      git clone https://github.com/github/copilot.vim \
   ~/.config/nvim/pack/github/start/copilot.vim

  2. To configure GitHub Copilot, open Neovim and enter the following command.

    :Copilot setup

  3. Enable GitHub Copilot in your Neovim configuration, or with the Neovim command.

    :Copilot enable

Learning to use GitHub Copilot in Neovim

For guidance on using GitHub Copilot in Neovim, you can view the plugin documentation. To see the documentation, open Neovim and run the following command:

:help copilot

Further reading