---
type: Setup Guide
title: GitHub Copilot
description: >-
  Set up GitHub Copilot for AI code completion: create a GitHub account, claim
  education access, and install the extension in VS Code or Visual Studio.
resource: https://tyson-swetnam.github.io/intro-gpt/copilot/
tags: [setup, github, microsoft, coding]
sources:
  - resource: https://github.com/signup
    title: GitHub Sign Up
  - resource: https://education.github.com/discount_requests/application
    title: GitHub Education Discount Application
  - resource: https://code.visualstudio.com/
    title: Visual Studio Code
  - resource: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/
    title: Visual Studio
generated:
  by: human:tswetnam
  at: "2025-01-02T13:30:25-07:00"
verified:
  - by: human:tswetnam
    at: "2025-01-02T13:30:25-07:00"
status: stable
---

# :octicons-copilot-48: GitHub Copilot

<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a>.

## Create a GitHub Account

*   **GitHub Account:** You need a GitHub account to use GitHub Copilot. [Sign up here](https://github.com/signup){target=_blank}
  
* **GitHub Education** As a university faculty or staff, you can enroll as an educator through [GitHub's Education space](https://education.github.com/discount_requests/application){target=_blank}. As a student, you can also get access to GitHub features, like [Codespaces](https://github.com/codespaces){target=_blank} and [Classroom](https://classroom.github.com/){target=_blank}.

*   **Supported IDE:** You'll need a compatible IDE. Currently, the most popular supported IDEs are:
    *   [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/){target=_blank} (VS Code)
    *   [Neovim](https://neovim.io/){target=_blank}
    *   [JetBrains IDEs](https://www.jetbrains.com/){target=_blank} (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.)
    *   [Visual Studio](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/){target=_blank}
*   **GitHub Copilot Subscription:** GitHub Copilot is a paid service. You'll need an active subscription to use it. There are plans for individuals and businesses. There is a limited free trial so you can try it out. GitHub Copilot is free for verified students and maintainers of popular open source projects on GitHub.

## Installation and Setup

The installation process varies slightly depending on your IDE. Here's a general overview:

**Visual Studio Code (VS Code):**

   *   **Install the Extension:**
       
       1.  Open VS Code on your local or virtual machine.
       
       2.  Go to the Extensions Marketplace (click the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window or press `Ctrl+Shift+X` / `Cmd+Shift+X`).
       
       3.  Search for "GitHub Copilot".
    
       4.  Click "Install" on the official GitHub Copilot extension.
   
   *   **Sign in to GitHub:**

       *   You'll be prompted to sign in to GitHub to authorize the extension. Follow the on-screen instructions.

**Visual Studio:**
    
   *   **Install the Extension:**
    
    Open Visual Studio.
    
    Go to `Extensions` > `Manage Extensions`.
    
    Search for "GitHub Copilot" in the online tab.
    
    Click "Download" and follow the prompts to install it. Restart Visual Studio when done.
    
   *   **Sign in to GitHub:** You will need to sign in to your GitHub account to authorize the extension.