docs/content/copilot/github-copilot-enterprise/copilot-chat-in-github/using-github-copilot-chat-in-githubcom.md

title, shortTitle, intro, product, versions, topics

title	shortTitle	intro	product	versions	topics
Using GitHub Copilot Chat in GitHub.com	Using Chat in GitHub.com	You can use {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} to answer general questions about software development, or specific questions about the code in a repository.	{% data reusables.gated-features.copilot-chat-in-github %}	feature copilot-on-dotcom	Copilot

Overview

{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} is a chat interface that lets you ask and receive answers to coding-related questions either on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %} or within a supported IDE. For information on using {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} in an IDE, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% 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."

On {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}, you can use {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} to ask:

• General software-related questions, without a particular context. For more information, see "Asking a general question about software development."
• Questions asked in the context of your project, or a documentation set. For more information, see "Asking a question with a specific context."
• Questions about a specific file or specified lines of code within a file. For more information, see "Asking questions about specific pieces of code."

Limitations

The following limitations apply to this beta release of {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %}:

• {% data reusables.copilot.chat-limited-docset-availability %}
• 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. {% data reusables.copilot.chat-beta-indexing %}
• 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.

Prerequisites

{% data reusables.copilot.chat-subscription-prerequisite %}

• 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."

Asking a general question about software development

You can ask a general question about software development that is not focused on a particular context, such as a repository or a documentation set.

{% data reusables.copilot.go-to-copilot-page %}

1. On the "Chat with {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" page, click General coding chat.

   

2. At the bottom of the page, in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, type a question and press Enter.

   Some examples of general questions you could ask are:

   • What are the advantages of the Go programming language?
   • What is Agile software development?
   • What is the most popular JavaScript framework?
   • Give me some examples of regular expressions.
   • Write a bash script to output today's date.

3. 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.

   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" on the {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} Blog.

{% data reusables.copilot.chat-conversation-buttons %}

Asking a question with a specific context

You can choose a specific context, such as a particular repository or a documentation set, and then ask a question with that context in mind.

{% note %}

Note: {% data reusables.copilot.chat-limited-docset-availability %}

{% endnote %}

{% data reusables.copilot.go-to-copilot-page %}

1. Click a docset or a repository to provide a context for your question.

   For example, you could choose a repository whose code you want to understand better, or the documentation for a technology you want to learn more about.

   You can search for a docset or repository, if you don't see one you want to use.

2. At the bottom of the page, in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, type a question and press Enter.

   For example, if you chose the repository you are working in as the context, you could ask:

   • What is the main purpose of this repo? What problem does it solve or what functionality does it provide?
   • What web frameworks are used in this project?
   • Where is rate limiting implemented in our API?
   • How is the code organized? Explain the project architecture.
   • Are there any specific environment requirements for working on this project?

   {% note %}

   Note: {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}'s ability to answer natural language questions like these in a repository context depends on the repository being indexed for semantic code search. The indexing status of the repository is displayed when you start a conversation that has a repository context.

   

   {% data reusables.copilot.chat-beta-indexing %}

   {% endnote %}

   If you chose a documentation set as the context - for example, the Azure documentation - you could ask:

   • What advantages does Azure have over other types of cloud storage?
   • How do I block Azure from accessing locations on my network?
   • How can I reduce the cost of a hosted website?
   • How do I enable MFA?

3. The response typically contains numbered references to files that {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} used to generate the answer, from the repository or docset you selected. To list the sources that were used, click Search results from DOCSET.

   

4. To display information about a source reference, click its entry in the list.

   Alternatively, to open the complete file, click the ellipsis (...), then select Open.

5. To display the complete list of references, click the "Reference list" icon at the top right of the page.

   

{% data reusables.copilot.chat-conversation-buttons %}

Asking questions about specific pieces of code

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.

1. On {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}, navigate to a repository and open a file.

2. Do one of the following:

   • 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.

     

   • To ask a question about specific lines within the file:

     1. Select the lines by clicking the line number for the first line you want to select, holding down Shift and clicking the line number for the last line you want to select.
     2. 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. This displays the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} panel with the selected lines indicated as the context of your question.
     3. 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.

     

3. 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 Enter.

   For example, if you are asking about the entire file, you could enter:

   • Explain this file.
   • How could I improve this code?
   • How can I test this script?

   If you are aksing about specific lines, you could enter:

   • Explain the function at the selected lines.
   • How could I improve this class?
   • Add error handling to this code.
   • Write a unit test for this method.

   {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} responds to your request in the panel.

   

4. 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.

5. 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 Enter.

6. 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.

   

Sharing feedback about {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %}

To give feedback about a particular {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} response:

1. Click either the thumbs up or thumbs down icon at the bottom of each chat response.

2. Optionally, provide information about why you liked or disliked the response.

   

3. Click Submit feedback.

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 %}.