✨ How to Use GitHub Copilot in VS Code – A Beginner-Friendly Guide

Ever wondered if you could write code faster, smarter, and with fewer bugs? Say hello to GitHub Copilot — your AI coding partner right inside Visual Studio Code (VS Code). Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, Copilot can boost your productivity by suggesting code, completing functions, and even writing entire blocks of logic.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to set up and use GitHub Copilot in VS Code, along with some pro tips and visuals to help you get the most out of it.

🚀 What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant developed by GitHub and OpenAI. It understands your code context and suggests real-time code completions as you type.

It works with many languages like:

• JavaScript

• Python

• HTML/CSS

• C++

• Java

• And More !

🛠️ How to Install GitHub Copilot in VS Code

Follow these simple steps:

1. Open VS Code

2. Go to the Extensions tab (or press Ctrl + Shift + X)

3. Search for "GitHub Copilot"

4. Click Install

5. Once installed, you'll be asked to sign in with your GitHub account

Accept the required permissions and you're good to go!

✨ How to Use Copilot to Write Code

After setup, just start coding and Copilot will suggest completions automatically.

The image below shows how github copilot gives us code suggestions while writing any sort of code

You can also trigger suggestions manually by:

• Typing Ctrl + Enter (or Cmd + Enter on Mac)

⚙️ Customize GitHub Copilot Settings

You can tweak Copilot's behavior:

1. Go to Settings in VS Code

2. Search for Copilot

3. Enable/disable automatic suggestions

Choose when suggestions appear

🔍 Supported Languages and File Types

Copilot works best with:

• JavaScript, TypeScript

• Python

• HTML/CSS

• Go, Rust, Ruby

• Shell scripts

C#, Java, PHP

✅ Pros of Using GitHub Copilot

• Saves time writing boilerplate code

• Helps you learn by showing alternatives

• Useful for solving common patterns or errors

⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind

• Always review Copilot suggestions — it's not perfect

• Avoid using it for secure or sensitive logic

• Be mindful of license compliance (especially in teams)

📈 Pro Tips to Use Copilot Effectively

• Write meaningful comments → Copilot often uses them as hints

• Use in combination with testing tools

• Don’t blindly accept — understand what it's doing

📦 Final Thoughts

GitHub Copilot can feel like magic, but it shines best when used as a helper, not a replacement for your own thinking. Use it to speed up your workflow, explore patterns, and sharpen your code — but don’t forget to learn and review along the way.