docs/content/copilot/using-github-copilot/guides-on-using-github-copilot/getting-started-with-prompts-for-copilot-chat.md

title, intro, topics, defaultTool, versions, redirect_from, shortTitle

title	intro	topics	defaultTool	versions	redirect_from	shortTitle
Getting started with prompts for Copilot Chat	Get an overview of ways to use {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %}.	Copilot	vscode	feature copilot	/copilot/using-github-copilot/example-use-cases/example-prompts-for-copilot-chat	Getting started with chat

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} specific questions about your project or general software questions. You can also ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} to write code, fix errors, write tests, and document code.

Use the tabs above to select the environment where you are using {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %}.

{% vscode %}

Some of the following example prompts use chat participants (preceded by @), slash commands (preceded by /), or chat variables (preceded by #). For more information on keywords in prompts, see AUTOTITLE.

Ask general software questions

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} general software questions. For example:

• tell me about nodejs web server frameworks
• how to create an express app
• @terminal how to update an npm package

Ask questions about your project

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} questions about your project.

• what sorting algorithm does this function use
• @workspace how are notifications scheduled
• #file:gameReducer.js #file:gameInit.js how are these files related

To give {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} the correct context, try some of these strategies:

• Highlight relevant lines of code
• Use chat variables like #selection, #file, #editor, #codebase, or #git
• Use the @workspace chat participant

Write code

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to write code for you. For example:

• write a function to sum all numbers in a list
• add error handling to this function
• @workspace add form validation, similar to the newsletter page

When {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} returns a code block, the response includes options to copy the code, or to insert the code at your cursor, into a new file, or into the terminal.

Ask questions about alerts from {% data variables.product.prodname_GH_advanced_security %} features

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} about security alerts in repositories in your organization from {% data variables.product.prodname_GH_advanced_security %} features ({% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %}, {% data variables.product.prodname_secret_scanning %}, and {% data variables.product.prodname_dependabot_alerts %}). For example:

• How would I fix this alert?
• How many alerts do I have on this pull request?
• Which line of code is this {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} alert referencing?
• What library is affected by this {% data variables.product.prodname_dependabot %} alert?

Set up a new project

Use the /new slash command to set up a new project. For example:

• /new react app with typescript
• /new python django web application
• /new node.js express server

Copilot will suggest a directory structure and provide a button to create the suggested files and contents. To preview a suggested file, select the file name in the suggested directory structure.

Use the /newNotebook slash command to set up a new Jupyter notebook. For example:

• /newNotebook retrieve the titanic dataset and use Seaborn to plot the data

Fix, improve, and refactor code

If your active file contains an error, use the /fix slash command to ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to fix the error.

You can also make general requests to improve or refactor your code.

• how would you improve this code?
• translate this code to C#
• add error handling to this function

Write tests

Use the /tests slash command to ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to write tests for the active file or selected code. For example:

• /tests
• /tests using the Jest framework
• /tests ensure the function rejects an empty list

The /tests slash command writes tests for existing code. If you prefer to write tests before writing code (test driven development), omit the /tests command. For example:

• Add tests for a JavaScript function that should sum a list of integers

Ask questions about {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}

Use the @vscode chat participant to ask specific questions about {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}. For example:

• @vscode tell me how to debug a node.js app
• @vscode how do I change my {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %} colors
• @vscode how can I change key bindings

Ask questions about the command line

Use the @terminal chat participant to ask specific questions about the command line. For example:

• @terminal find the largest file in the src directory
• @terminal #terminalLastCommand to explain the last command and any errors

{% endvscode %}

{% visualstudio %}

Ask general software questions

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} general software questions. For example:

• tell me about nodejs web server frameworks
• how to create an express app
• how to update an npm package

Ask questions about your project

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} questions about your project. To give {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} the correct context, try some of these strategies:

• Highlight relevant lines of code
• Open the relevant file
• Use #file to tell {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to reference specific files
• Use #solution to tell {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to reference the active file

For example:

• what sorting algorithm does this function use
• #file:gameReducer.js what happens when a new game is requested

Write code

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to write code for you. For example:

• write a function to sum all numbers in a list
• add error handling to this function

When {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} returns a code block, the response includes options to copy the code, insert the code into a new file, or preview the code output.

Ask questions about alerts from {% data variables.product.prodname_GH_advanced_security %} features

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} about security alerts in repositories in your organization from {% data variables.product.prodname_GH_advanced_security %} features ({% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %}, {% data variables.product.prodname_secret_scanning %}, and {% data variables.product.prodname_dependabot_alerts %}). For example:

• How would I fix this alert?
• How many alerts do I have on this pull request?
• Which line of code is this {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} alert referencing?
• What library is affected by this {% data variables.product.prodname_dependabot %} alert?

Fix, improve, and refactor code

If your active file contains an error, use the /fix slash command to ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to fix the error.

You can also make general requests to improve or refactor your code.

• how would you improve this code?
• translate this code to C#
• add error handling to this function

Write tests

Use the /tests slash command to ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to write tests for the active file or selected code. For example:

• /tests
• /tests using the Jest framework
• /tests ensure the function rejects an empty list

The /tests slash command writes tests for existing code. If you prefer to write tests before writing code (test driven development), omit the /tests command. For example:

• Add tests for a JavaScript function that should sum a list of integers

{% endvisualstudio %}

{% jetbrains %}

Ask general software questions

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} general software questions. For example:

• tell me about nodejs web server frameworks
• how to create an express app
• how to update an npm package

Ask questions about your project

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} questions about your project. To give {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} the correct context, try some of these strategies:

• Highlight relevant lines of code.
• Open the relevant file.
• Add the file as a reference. For information about how to use file references, see AUTOTITLE.

For example:

• what sorting algorithm does this function use
• how are these files related (with references to the files in question)

Write code

You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to write code for you. For example:

• write a function to sum all numbers in a list
• add error handling to this function

When {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} returns a code block, the response includes options to copy the code or to insert the code at your cursor.

Fix, improve, and refactor code

If your active file contains an error, use the /fix slash command to ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to fix the error.

You can also make general requests to improve or refactor your code.

• how would you improve this code?
• translate this code to C#
• add error handling to this function

Write tests

Use the /tests slash command to ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to write tests for the active file or selected code. For example:

• /tests
• /tests using the Jest framework
• /tests ensure the function rejects an empty list

The /tests slash command writes tests for existing code. If you prefer to write tests before writing code (test driven development), omit the /tests command. For example:

• Add tests for a JavaScript function that should sum a list of integers

{% endjetbrains %}