Setting Up Copilot in Your IDE

Getting GitHub Copilot running in your development environment takes just a few minutes. This lesson covers installation for the most popular IDEs and essential configuration options.

Prerequisites

Before installing Copilot, you need:

1. A GitHub account - Create one at github.com if you don't have one
2. A Copilot subscription - Individual, Business, or Enterprise plan (or free tier)
3. A supported IDE - VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, or Visual Studio

Installing Copilot in VS Code

VS Code is the most popular editor for Copilot. Here's how to set it up:

Step 1: Install the Extension

1. Open VS Code
2. Click the Extensions icon in the sidebar (or press Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "GitHub Copilot"
4. Click Install on the official GitHub Copilot extension
5. Also install GitHub Copilot Chat for the chat interface

Step 2: Sign In to GitHub

1. After installation, you'll see a GitHub icon in the status bar
2. Click it and select Sign in to GitHub
3. A browser window opens - authorize the extension
4. Return to VS Code - you're now connected

Step 3: Verify Installation

Create a new file and start typing. You should see ghost text suggestions appear:

# Try typing this comment and see Copilot suggest the implementation
def calculate_average(numbers):

If you see gray suggestion text, Copilot is working.

Installing Copilot in JetBrains IDEs

Copilot works in all JetBrains IDEs: IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand, PhpStorm, and more.

Step 1: Install the Plugin

1. Open your JetBrains IDE
2. Go to Settings/Preferences → Plugins
3. Click the Marketplace tab
4. Search for "GitHub Copilot"
5. Click Install and restart the IDE

Step 2: Authenticate

1. After restart, go to Tools → GitHub Copilot → Login to GitHub
2. Copy the device code shown
3. Open the GitHub authentication page in your browser
4. Paste the code and authorize

Step 3: Configure Shortcuts

JetBrains IDEs use different default shortcuts:

Action	Shortcut
Accept suggestion	Tab
Dismiss suggestion	Escape
Next suggestion	Alt+]
Previous suggestion	Alt+[
Open Copilot Chat	Ctrl+Shift+C

Installing Copilot in Neovim

For Neovim users, Copilot has an official plugin.

Using vim-plug

Add to your init.vim:

Plug 'github/copilot.vim'

Then run :PlugInstall.

Using lazy.nvim

Add to your Lua config:

{
  "github/copilot.vim",
}

Authentication

Run :Copilot setup and follow the browser authentication flow.

Key Mappings

Default Neovim mappings:

Action	Shortcut
Accept suggestion	Tab
Dismiss	Ctrl+]
Next suggestion	Alt+]
Previous suggestion	Alt+[

Installing Copilot in Visual Studio

For Visual Studio 2022 users:

1. Go to Extensions → Manage Extensions
2. Search for "GitHub Copilot"
3. Download and install
4. Restart Visual Studio
5. Sign in via Tools → Options → GitHub Copilot

Essential VS Code Settings

Customize Copilot's behavior in VS Code settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,):

Enable/Disable for Specific Languages

{
  "github.copilot.enable": {
    "*": true,
    "markdown": false,
    "plaintext": false
  }
}

Inline Suggestions Settings

{
  "editor.inlineSuggest.enabled": true,
  "github.copilot.inlineSuggest.enable": true
}

Copilot Chat Settings

{
  "github.copilot.chat.localeOverride": "en",
  "github.copilot.chat.welcomeMessage": "always"
}

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference (VS Code)

Master these shortcuts to work efficiently with Copilot:

Action	Windows/Linux	macOS
Accept suggestion	Tab	Tab
Dismiss suggestion	Escape	Escape
Show next suggestion	Alt+]	Option+]
Show previous suggestion	Alt+[	Option+[
Accept word	Ctrl+Right	Cmd+Right
Open Copilot Chat	Ctrl+Shift+I	Cmd+Shift+I
Inline Chat	Ctrl+I	Cmd+I

Verifying Your Setup

Test that everything works:

1. Create a test file - test.js or test.py
2. Write a comment describing a function
3. Press Enter and wait for suggestions
4. Accept with Tab if the suggestion looks correct

Example test:

// Function that reverses a string
// Copilot should suggest something like:
function reverseString(str) {
  return str.split('').reverse().join('');
}

Troubleshooting Common Issues

No Suggestions Appearing

• Check your subscription status at github.com/settings/copilot
• Verify the extension is enabled (check the Copilot icon in status bar)
• Try restarting your IDE
• Check if Copilot is disabled for the current file type

Authentication Issues

• Sign out and sign back in
• Clear VS Code's stored credentials
• Check your GitHub account has Copilot access

Slow Suggestions

• Check your internet connection
• Copilot needs network access to generate suggestions
• Large files may take longer to process

Summary

Setting up GitHub Copilot involves installing the extension for your IDE, authenticating with GitHub, and optionally customizing settings. The key shortcuts to remember are:

• Tab to accept suggestions
• Escape to dismiss
• Alt+] / Alt+[ to cycle through alternatives

With Copilot installed, you're ready to learn how to write effective prompts that guide Copilot to generate exactly the code you need.