GitHub Copilot adds AI-driven code completions and a chat assistant into Visual Studio; it can suggest refactors and, in many workflows, help produce tests too. You need Visual Studio (17.x+), a GitHub account with a Copilot subscription, and the GitHub Copilot extension. Get started fast: sign in to GitHub, turn on inline suggestions, and open the chat pane to ask for help. Below are quick bullets for the essentials, then a step-by-step walkthrough, tips and common mistakes to avoid.

Quick-reference summary

- What Copilot offers: inline code completions (ghost text), a chat assistant (Copilot Chat) inside the IDE, test generation, refactors and app-modernisation suggestions for .NET apps, plus profiling and code health agents.

- Cost (2026): GitHub Copilot for Individuals US$10/month or US$100/year (about AUD16/month or AUD160/year depending on exchange rates as of 2026). Copilot for Business typically lists at US$19/user/month (roughly AUD31/user/month). Visual Studio Community is free for individual developers; Professional and Enterprise are paid — check visualstudio.microsoft.com for current AUD pricing.

- Essentials: Visual Studio updated to the latest 17.x+ build that supports Copilot, a GitHub account with a Copilot subscription, and the GitHub Copilot extension installed in Visual Studio.

- Quick links: GitHub Copilot page — https://github.com/features/copilot; Visual Studio downloads — https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/; GitHub Docs for Copilot — https://docs.github.com/en/copilot.

Introduction

Copilot in Visual Studio brings AI help straight into the full IDE. You’ll see suggestions appear as ghost text while you type. You can open a chat pane to ask for explanations, rewrite functions, or generate tests. For .NET shops there are agents that scan projects and recommend modernisation moves — like upgrading to a newer target framework or suggesting code fixes. This guide is focused on 2026: what to install, how to sign in, which settings to flip, how to use the main features and how much it costs in Australian dollars. It’s written for developers who want a practical, step-by-step setup and quick advice for real-world use.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you've got the essentials ready:

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  • Visual Studio 2022 or later — ideally a 17.x+ build released in 2024–2026 that explicitly lists GitHub Copilot support. Download at https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/.
  • A GitHub account. Create one at https://github.com/ if you don’t already have it.
  • A GitHub Copilot subscription — Individual or Business. Sign up at https://github.com/features/copilot. Individual plans are billed monthly or annually.
  • Windows 10 (21H2 or later) or Windows 11 is recommended for the full Visual Studio experience. Visual Studio runs on macOS too — but this guide focuses on the Windows IDE experience.
  • Git installed and configured (Git for Windows). Visual Studio uses the system Git for many source-control features.
  • An internet connection for the initial sign-in and for on-demand Copilot features. Some Copilot features cache responses, but active network access is required for full functionality.
  • Optional: an organisation-wide single sign-on or SAML setup if your company uses GitHub Enterprise — check with your IT admin for pre-authorised access.

Step-by-step: install and sign in

Do these steps in order to set up Copilot in Visual Studio — they're quick, and most only take a minute or two.

  1. Update Visual Studio: open Visual Studio, then Help > Check for Updates. Install the latest 17.x+ update. Restart the IDE after updating.

  2. Install the GitHub Copilot extension: go to Extensions > Manage Extensions. Search for "GitHub Copilot". Click Download and restart Visual Studio when prompted. Alternatively, install from the Visual Studio Marketplace page for the extension and follow the prompts in the IDE.

  3. Sign into GitHub from Visual Studio: open the Account Manager (top right). Choose "Add an account", select GitHub, and follow the browser flow to authenticate. If you’re on GitHub Enterprise, choose Enterprise Server and use your organization's hostname.

  4. Connect Copilot: after signing in, open View > Other Windows > GitHub Copilot (or Copilot Chat). The extension will detect your Copilot subscription. If you don’t have a subscription, you’ll see a prompt with a link to purchase — follow the link and complete the checkout at https://github.com/features/copilot.

  5. Enable inline suggestions and set preferences: go to Tools > Options > GitHub Copilot. Turn on "Show inline suggestions" (ghost text) and "Enable Copilot Chat". Choose when suggestions appear — automatically, on demand (Ctrl+Enter), or only for selected languages. You can also opt out of telemetry or product improvement sharing here if required by company policy.

  6. Sign-in verification and scopes: if your organisation requires two-factor auth, complete that step in your browser. Visual Studio will request the GitHub scopes needed for Copilot; grant them. On corporate machines use the approved sign-in path — this avoids blocked scopes or conditional access errors.

  7. Test a simple completion: open a code file (C#, TypeScript, Python, etc.), start typing a function signature and wait for ghost text. Accept a suggestion with Tab or keep typing to refine it. If nothing appears, check Tools > Options > GitHub Copilot and confirm the languages are enabled.

Using Copilot Chat and advanced features

Open Copilot Chat (a dockable pane) to ask for code explanations, unit-test scaffolding, language conversions of snippets, or refactoring suggestions. Here’s how to use it effectively:

  1. Open Copilot Chat from View > Other Windows > Copilot Chat.
  2. Give the chat context: select code before asking a question. The chat will use the selected code and nearby files as context for better answers.
  3. Ask focused prompts: "Write xUnit tests for this method", "Explain why this LINQ query is slow", or "Refactor this to async/await". Be specific about frameworks (xUnit, NUnit), target frameworks (.NET 6, .NET 8) and performance constraints.
  4. Review everything: Copilot can generate tests and refactors fast, but always run the tests and inspect diffs before committing. Use Preview Changes in Visual Studio to review edits Copilot applies.
  5. Use the "Generate Tests" command: right-click a method and pick "Generate unit tests" (if your extension version supports it). The generated test file will appear in the solution explorer.

Tips

  • Keep the IDE and extension up to date. Copilot features are regularly improved — updates in 2025–2026 added deeper .NET analysis and multi-file context.
  • Use selective context when you don’t want the model to see proprietary code: deselect files or use a private repo with proper access controls.
  • Set keyboard shortcuts: map "Accept suggestion" and "Open Copilot Chat" to keys you like. Tools > Options > Environment > Keyboard lets you customise.
  • Manage billing: for teams, the Business plan at US$19/user/month simplifies billing and centralises administration. For freelancers, annual Individual at US$100 saves about US$20 a year versus monthly billing.
  • Audit changes: enable source-control hooks and require pull requests for Copilot-generated code in team repos. That keeps review workflows intact.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Don’t blindly accept suggestions. Copilot writes plausible code — sometimes it’s syntactically correct but logically wrong or insecure.
  • Don’t expose secrets. Avoid selecting files with API keys or credentials when using shared Copilot sessions. Use environment variables and secret managers instead.
  • Don’t skip tests. Generated tests are useful, but they may not cover edge cases or reflect the app’s contracts. Write additional tests for business rules.
  • Don’t rely on it for license compliance. Copilot may suggest patterns similar to open-source code. If your company has strict licence rules, run a code-scan or legal check before shipping.
  • Don’t forget offline needs. Many Copilot features need network access; plan for developer productivity when working in restricted or air-gapped environments.

Related Articles

If you want AI help inside a full IDE, set up a Copilot subscription, install the Visual Studio extension, sign in with your GitHub account and run Copilot incrementally — review every suggestion, keep tests and code review in place, and apply team policies to control access and billing. Copilot speeds up routine work and suggests modernisation steps, but it's a tool to assist developers, not replace their judgement. Start small, pilot it on a project, measure the impact on review cycles and bug rates, and decide whether individual or business billing fits your team.

This article was created with AI assistance.