003 — Field Guide

GitHub Copilot Setup Guide

Complete guide to setting up and using GitHub Copilot in VS Code for AI-powered code completion.

beginnerFiled under Code Assistance10 min read5 stepsBy Best AI Tools TeamUpdated April 15, 202667,000 views

GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer that helps you write code faster. Learn how to set it up and use it effectively in your development workflow.

Step-by-step

  1. 01

    Sign Up for GitHub Copilot

    Visit github.com/features/copilot and sign up. Individual plan is $10/month or $100/year. Free for verified students and open source maintainers.

  2. 02

    Install VS Code Extension

    Open VS Code, go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X), search for "GitHub Copilot" and install. Sign in with your GitHub account when prompted.

  3. 03

    Using Inline Suggestions

    Start typing code and Copilot will show gray suggestions. Press Tab to accept, Esc to dismiss, or Alt+] for next suggestion.

  4. 04

    Using Copilot Chat

    Install "GitHub Copilot Chat" extension for conversational AI. Use Ctrl+I to open inline chat or the sidebar for longer discussions.

  5. 05

    Best Practices

    Write clear comments to guide Copilot. Break complex tasks into smaller functions. Always review and test generated code before committing.

You made it to the end.

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