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How to use GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code: install, sign-in, inline chat

Install the official Copilot extension, sign in to GitHub, then change one checkable selection in Inline Chat.

A repo is already open in VS Code. You want to ask one question and change one place in the current file — not another website. The official extension is GitHub Copilot: install it from the marketplace, sign in with GitHub, then run a first Inline Chat edit.

The searchable job is how to use GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code: install the GitHub Copilot extension, sign in with an account that has a seat, then give Inline Chat (Ctrl+I / ⌘I) one checkable change on a selection. Steps follow the VS Code Copilot docs and GitHub Copilot Chat docs.

⇧XCtrl/Cmd+Shift+X opens Extensions; search GitHub Copilot, then Install
⌘IInline Chat: Ctrl+I (⌘I on Mac); side Chat: Ctrl+Alt+I
1Change one selection the first time; then read the diff yourself

Install the extension, then sign in to GitHub

Marketplace install

Press Ctrl+Shift+X (⌘⇧X on Mac), search GitHub Copilot, click Install. Use the extension published by GitHub. For chat, confirm Copilot Chat is enabled; recent builds often ship as one unit.

Sign-in is not optional

Sign in with a GitHub account from the status bar or Command Palette. The account needs a Copilot seat. Until that finishes, Inline Chat will not open and completions stay quiet.

EntryShortcut (labels move)First use
Inline ChatCtrl+I / ⌘IOne edit on the selection or near the cursor
Chat viewCtrl+Alt+I, or Copilot: Open ChatRepo-level questions, pasted errors, explanations
Inline completionsJust type; Tab to acceptShort completions — not the first “chat” drill

One pass: install, sign in, first inline chat

  1. 01
    Install from the marketplace

    Confirm GitHub Copilot is installed. Check the status-bar icon. If it is missing, search Copilot in the Command Palette.

  2. 02
    Sign in with GitHub

    Finish OAuth in the browser. Back in VS Code, confirm the account is signed in and Copilot is available. Student or org seats follow the GitHub account page.

  3. 03
    Select a range, open Inline Chat

    Open an existing file, select a function or a few lines. Press Ctrl+I (⌘I on Mac). Name the outcome and how you will know it worked. Do not name five unrelated files in one sentence.

  4. 04
    Read the diff, then accept

    See what changed. Reject edits that leave the boundary. Run tests yourself. Official docs describe the UI loop, not a guaranteed first-try patch.

Add a guard so this function returns 401 when
user id is missing. Do not edit other files.
Say which lines you will touch; wait for me
to accept before applying.

Where first chats usually break

The extension is in, it says there is no seat
The GitHub account has no Copilot. Switch to an account with a subscription, or check github.com/settings/copilot. This page does not activate seats.
The shortcut does nothing
Focus is not in the editor, or another binding won. Search Inline Chat in the Command Palette. Confirm you are signed in.
You accepted a long plan from the side Chat in one click
Chat can propose cross-file edits. Read every diff. If the run went wrong, stop; do not stack a second rewrite on a bad patch.

Sign in first, ask one question on one selection, then read the diff yourself. Accept is not a review.

The subscription stays with you

Price and regional limits follow GitHub Copilot’s pricing page. Org admins can disable Chat or restrict models. This tutorial does not promise any one model stays listed.

If two people need to agree on a patch before anyone merges, put the file list on one page. A short oakmeet room is enough — browser, a space code, no account. Room limits are in eight people, about an hour.

Is Copilot Chat the same as Cline or Cursor Agent?

No. Copilot Chat lives in VS Code and bills through GitHub Copilot. Cline is another marketplace extension; models come from the provider you pick. Cursor Agent is built into the Cursor editor. Install and billing are separate.

Do I have to pay?

The extension installs from the marketplace. Chats need a valid Copilot seat: individual, business, enterprise, or GitHub’s published student / open-source plans. Current copy is on docs.github.com. This page does not sell a plan.

Inline Chat versus the side Chat?

Inline Chat edits one selection — the right first drill. Side Chat fits repo-level questions or a full error paste. Both can emit edits. You still read every diff.

How long should the first prompt be?

One checkable job: one function or a few lines, one path that must stay untouched. Finish that, then start the next turn.

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