Note
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try signing in or changing directories.
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try changing directories.
With GitHub Copilot's agent mode in Visual Studio, you can use natural language to specify a high-level task. AI will create a plan, make code edits, run terminal commands, invoke tools, and apply changes across your codebase. It monitors outcomes, such as build results, unit test failures, or tool outputs, and iterates as needed.
Unlike ask mode, agent mode doesn't stop after a single response. It continues executing and refining steps until the goal in your prompt is reached or additional input is required.
Prerequisites
Visual Studio 2022 version 17.14 or later.
Use agent mode
In agent mode, Copilot operates autonomously and determines the relevant context for your prompt.
Follow these steps to get started:
Open the Copilot Chat window, select Ask to expand the mode dropdown, and then select Agent.
Enter your prompt, and then select Send or press Enter to submit it. You can specify a high-level requirement, and you don't have to specify which files to work on.
Agent mode might invoke multiple tools to accomplish different tasks. Optionally, select the Tools icon to configure which additional tools can be used for responding to your request.
Copilot requests confirmation before running a terminal command or using a non-builtin tool.
Copilot automatically detects issues in code edits or terminal commands, and then takes additional actions to resolve them. The process repeats until the issue is resolved.
As Copilot processes your request, it streams the suggested code edits directly in the editor. Review the suggested edits and either keep or discard the suggested edits as a whole in Total Changes in the chat window, or review individual file diffs and apply them selectively.
If you want to review individual code changes made by the agent, you can either review the specific change made at each step, or review the cumulative changes from the last time changes were kept or undone.
Continue to iterate on the code changes to refine the edits or implement additional features.
Agent mode tools
Agent mode can use the following tools:
- Built-in tools
- MCP tools
You can view and manage the tools that can be used for responding to a request. Select the Tools icon in the chat window to view and manage the tools that are available in agent mode.
Based on the outcome of a tool, Copilot might invoke other tools to accomplish the overall request. For example, if a code edit results in syntax errors in the file, Copilot might explore another approach and suggest different code changes.
Additional tools added by running MCP servers are not automatically enabled, they are unchecked by default and must be checked to be activated.
Manage tool approvals
When a tool is invoked, Copilot requests confirmation to run the tool. This is because tools might run locally on your machine and perform actions that modify files or data.
In the chat window, after a tool invocation, use the Allow dropdown options to automatically confirm the specific tool for the current session, solution, or all future invocations.
You can reset tool confirmation selections in Tools > Options > GitHub > Copilot > Tools.
Accept or discard edits
Copilot lists the files that were edited in the list of Total Changes in the Chat window.
Click on each file to review changes individually, where you can Keep or Undo edits made to each chunk of code.
Alternatively, in the Total Changes list, select Keep or Undo for all edits made since the last time you clicked Keep or Undo.
Revert edits
As you request code edits, you may want to undo some changes. To revert, select Restore next to the checkpoint prior to the prompt that included changes you didn't want.
Currently, Visual Studio Copilot Agent doesn't support stepwise undo/redo.
Interrupt an agent mode request
To interrupt an ongoing request, you can cancel it. This stops all running tools and terminal commands.
To stop a build, select Build in the top toolbar, and then select Cancel or use the Ctrl + Break keyboard shortcut.
Frequently asked questions
I don't see Ask and Agent mode in the GitHub Copilot Chat window.
Take the following troubleshooting steps in the order specified:
- Make sure you're using Visual Studio 17.14 or later: check the version at Help > About Visual Studio. If you're not using version 17.14 or later, launch the Visual Studio Installer and update your build.
- Make sure you've selected the Enable agent mode in the chat pane setting in Tools > Options > GitHub > Copilot Chat.
- Try restarting Visual Studio.
When should I use Ask mode vs. Agent mode?
- Ask mode is excellent when you want 100% confidence that no code edits are made unless you explicitly select Apply or copy and paste the code yourself.
- Agent mode can handle the same conceptual questions, generate code examples without applying them, along with its agent capabilities of editing code.
- If you are looking to use MCP capabilities, you must have agent mode selected.
What happened to Copilot Edits in Visual Studio?
- We perceive agent mode to be an evolution of Edits, with greater ability to iterate on errors, use tools, and automatically apply code changes.
- For the initial releases of Visual Studio 2022 version 17.14, Edits mode is still available if you uncheck the Enable agent mode in the chat pane setting in Tools > Options > GitHub > Copilot > Copilot Chat.
As an administrator, how do I control use of agent mode for Visual Studio users?
Agent mode in Visual Studio is governed by the Editor preview features flag in the GitHub Copilot dashboard for administrators. If the administrator turns off this setting, users under that subscription won’t be able to use agent mode in Visual Studio.
For more information, see managing policies and features for copilot in your enterprise.