253 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
253 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Using GitHub Copilot Chat in GitHub.com
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shortTitle: Using Chat in GitHub.com
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intro: 'You can use {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %} to answer general questions about software development, or specific questions about the code in a repository.'
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product: '{% data reusables.gated-features.copilot-chat-in-github %}'
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versions:
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feature: 'copilot-on-dotcom'
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topics:
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- Copilot
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---
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## Overview
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{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %} is a chat interface that lets you ask and receive answers to coding-related questions on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}.
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{% note %}
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**Note**: {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} is also available in selected IDEs. For information on using {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} in an IDE, see "[AUTOTITLE](/copilot/github-copilot-chat/using-github-copilot-chat-in-your-ide)."
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{% endnote %}
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{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} can help you with a variety of coding-related tasks, like offering you code suggestions, providing natural language descriptions of a piece of code's functionality and purpose, generating unit tests for your code, and proposing fixes for bugs in your code. For more information, see "[AUTOTITLE](/copilot/github-copilot-enterprise/copilot-chat-in-github/about-github-copilot-chat-in-githubcom)."
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On {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}, you can use {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} to ask:
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- General software-related questions, without a particular context. For more information, see "[Asking a general question about software development](#asking-a-general-question-about-software-development)."
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- Questions asked in the context of a specific repository. For more information, see "[Asking a question about a specific repository](#asking-a-question-about-a-specific-repository)."
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- Questions asked in the context of a knowledge base (that is, Markdown documentation across one or more repositories). For more information, see "[Asking a question about a knowledge base](#asking-a-question-about-a-knowledge-base)."
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- Questions about a specific file or specified lines of code within a file. For more information, see "[Asking questions about specific pieces of code](#asking-questions-about-specific-pieces-of-code)."
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- Questions about a pull request diff. For more information, see "[Finding out about the changes in a pull request](#finding-out-about-the-changes-in-a-pull-request)."
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### Limitations
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The following limitations apply to this beta release of {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %}:
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- Chat responses may be suboptimal if you ask questions about a specific repository that you've selected as a context, and the repository has not been indexed for semantic code search. Anyone who gets access to {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} from the organization that owns a repository can index that repository.
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- The quality of the results from {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} may, in some situations, be degraded if very large files, or a large number of files, are used as a context for a question.
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## Prerequisites
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{% data reusables.copilot.chat-subscription-prerequisite %}
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- To use {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %}, you must have been granted access to {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} as part of {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_enterprise %}. For more information, see "[AUTOTITLE](/copilot/github-copilot-enterprise/overview/enabling-github-copilot-enterprise)."
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## Asking a general question about software development
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You can ask a general question about software development that is not focused on a particular context, such as a repository or a knowledge base.
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{% data reusables.copilot.go-to-copilot-page %}
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1. On the "Chat with {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" page, click **General coding chat**.
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1. At the bottom of the page, in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, type a question and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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Some examples of general questions you could ask are:
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- What are the advantages of the Go programming language?
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- What is Agile software development?
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- What is the most popular JavaScript framework?
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- Give me some examples of regular expressions.
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- Write a bash script to output today's date.
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1. Within a conversation thread, you can ask follow-up questions. {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} will answer within the context of the conversation. For example, you could type "tell me more" to get {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to expand on its last comment.
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You can use your initial question as a foundation for follow-up questions. A detailed foundational prompt can help {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} provide more relevant answers to your follow-up questions. For more information, see "[Prompting {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} to become your personal AI assistant for accessibility](https://github.blog/2023-10-09-prompting-github-copilot-chat-to-become-your-personal-ai-assistant-for-accessibility/)" on the {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} Blog.
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{% data reusables.copilot.chat-conversation-buttons %}
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## Asking a question about a specific repository
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You can choose a particular repository, and then ask a question with that context in mind.
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{% data reusables.copilot.go-to-copilot-page %}
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1. Click a repository to provide a context for your question.
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For example, you could choose a repository whose code you want to understand better.
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You can search for a repository if you don't see one you want to use.
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1. At the bottom of the page, in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, type a question and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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For example, if you chose the repository you are working in as the context, you could ask:
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- What is the main purpose of this repo? What problem does it solve or what functionality does it provide?
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- What web frameworks are used in this project?
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- Where is rate limiting implemented in our API?
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- How is the code organized? Explain the project architecture.
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- Are there any specific environment requirements for working on this project?
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{% note %}
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**Note**:
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{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}'s ability to answer natural language questions like these in a repository context is improved when the repository has been indexed for semantic code search. The indexing status of the repository is displayed when you start a conversation that has a repository context.
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If you get access to {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} from the organization that owns the repository, and the repository has not been indexed, an **Index this repository** button is displayed. Click this button to start the indexing process.
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{% endnote %}
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1. The response typically contains numbered references to files that {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} used to generate the answer, from the repository you selected. To list the sources that were used, click the "references" link.
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1. To display information about a source reference, click its entry in the list.
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Alternatively, to open the complete file, click the ellipsis (**...**), then select **Open**.
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{% data reusables.copilot.chat-conversation-buttons %}
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## Asking a question about a knowledge base
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You can create a knowledge base, grouping together Markdown documentation across one or more repositories, and then ask questions with that context in mind.
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When you enter a query, {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} searches for relevant documentation snippets, synthesizes a summary of the relevant snippets to answer your question, and provides links to the source documentation for additional context.
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{% data reusables.copilot.go-to-copilot-page %}
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1. Start a conversation with Copilot, either picking a repository or selecting "General coding chat".
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1. Click the "Attach knowledge" button to view a list of the knowledge bases that you have access to.
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1. Click the knowledge base that you want to use as context.
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For example, you could choose a knowledge base containing your organization's internal developer documentation.
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You can search for a knowledge base if you don't see one you want to use.
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1. At the bottom of the page, in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, type a question and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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For example, if you chose a knowledge base with your organization's internal developer documentation, you could ask:
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- How do I deploy a new application?
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- What's the process for creating a new REST API?
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- What are our best practices for logging?
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1. The response will typically contain numbered references to files that {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} uses to generate the answer, from the knowledge base you selected. To list the sources that were used, click the "references" link.
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1. To display information about a source reference, click its entry in the list.
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Alternatively, to open the complete file, click the ellipsis (**...**), then select **Open**.
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1. Within a conversation thread, you can ask follow-up questions. Follow-up questions will continue to use the selected knowledge base as context until you explicitly detatch the knowledge base or select a different one.
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{% data reusables.copilot.chat-conversation-buttons %}
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## Asking questions about specific pieces of code
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You can chat with {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} about a file in your repository, or about specific lines of code within a file.
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1. On {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}, navigate to a repository and open a file.
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1. Do one of the following:
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- To ask a question about the entire file, click the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon ({% octicon "copilot" aria-hidden="true" %}) at the top right of the file view.
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- To ask a question about specific lines within the file:
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1. Select the lines by clicking the line number for the first line you want to select, holding down <kbd>Shift</kbd> and clicking the line number for the last line you want to select.
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1. To ask your own question about the selected lines, click the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon ({% octicon "copilot" aria-hidden="true" %}) to the right of your selection.
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This displays the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} panel with the selected lines indicated as the context of your question.
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1. To ask a predefined question, click the downward-pointing button beside the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon, then choose one of the options.
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1. If you clicked the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon, type a question in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box at the bottom of the chat panel and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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For example, if you are asking about the entire file, you could enter:
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- Explain this file.
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- How could I improve this code?
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- How can I test this script?
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If you are asking about specific lines, you could enter:
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- Explain the function at the selected lines.
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- How could I improve this class?
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- Add error handling to this code.
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- Write a unit test for this method.
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{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} responds to your request in the panel.
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1. You can continue the conversation by asking a follow-up question. For example, you could type "tell me more" to get {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to expand on its last comment.
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1. To clear, delete, or rename the current conversation thread, or to start a new thread, type `/` in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, select from the options that are displayed, then press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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1. To view a conversation in immersive mode, displaying just the conversation thread, click the dashed box icon at the top right of the conversation thread.
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## Finding out about the changes in a pull request
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You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to explain what's changed in any of the files in a pull request.
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1. On {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}, navigate to a pull request in a repository.
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1. Click the **Files changed** tab.
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1. Do one of the following:
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- To ask a question about a file that's being changed by a pull request, click {% octicon "kebab-horizontal" aria-label="Show options" %} at the top right of the file, then click **Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} about this diff**.
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- To ask a question about specific lines within a file in the pull request:
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1. Select the lines by clicking the line number for the first line you want to select, holding down <kbd>Shift</kbd> and clicking the line number for the last line you want to select.
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1. To ask your own question about the selected lines, click the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon ({% octicon "copilot" aria-hidden="true" %}) to the right of your selection.
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This displays the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} panel with the selected lines indicated as the context of your question.
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1. To ask a predefined question, click the downward-pointing button beside the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon and click **Explain**.
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1. If you clicked the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon, or you chose **Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} about this diff**, type a question in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box at the bottom of the chat panel and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>. For example, you could enter:
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- Why has this module been included?
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- What is `actorData` in this line?
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- Explain this `do..end` block.
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- What's the purpose of this file?
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## Accessing {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} from the search bar
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You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} a question about an entire repository by typing your question in the main search box of the repository.
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1. Navigate to a repository on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}.
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1. Press <kbd>/</kbd>, or click in the main search box at the top of the page.
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1. In the search box, after `repo:OWNER/REPO`, type the question you want to ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}.
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For example, you could enter:
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- What does this repo do?
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- Where is authentication implemented in this codebase?
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- How does license file detection work in this repo?
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1. Click **Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}**.
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The {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} panel is displayed and {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} responds to your request.
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## Sharing feedback about {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %}
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To give feedback about a particular {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} response:
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1. Click either the thumbs up or thumbs down icon at the bottom of each chat response.
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1. Optionally, provide information about why you liked or disliked the response.
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1. Click **Submit feedback**.
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To give feedback about {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} in general, click the "Give feedback" link at the top right of any {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} page on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}.
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