GitHub CopilotGitHub Copilot

模型与开放条件Model & openness

由 GitHub / Microsoft 统一托管，绑定 GitHub 账号体系。

官方有模型清单页，覆盖多厂商：

• OpenAI（GPT-5 / 5.3-Codex / 5.4 / 5.5 / 5.6 / 6.x）
• Anthropic（Claude Fable / Opus / Sonnet）
• Google（Gemini Flash）
• Microsoft（MAI-Code）
• Moonshot（Kimi）
• xAI（Grok）

模型随套餐与客户端变化：Pro / Pro+ / Max / Business / Enterprise 各不同，Free 与 Student 仅能经 Auto 模型选择使用；组织 / 企业可启用或限制具体模型。

聊天框有模型切换器（另有 Auto），部分模型支持 1M token 上下文 与可调 reasoning（VS Code 与 CLI）。

BYOK 已核验：VS Code 可从 provider（Anthropic / Gemini / OpenAI 等）或 AI Toolkit 添加模型，可能需 API key 或 PAT。

Business / Enterprise 需先启用「Bring Your Own Language Model Key in Select IDEs」策略。

第三方 agent 委派（Claude / Codex）仍标 Preview。

Uniformly hosted by GitHub / Microsoft, bound to the GitHub account system.

There is an official models page, covering multiple vendors:

• OpenAI (GPT-5 / 5.3-Codex / 5.4 / 5.5 / 5.6 / 6.x)
• Anthropic (Claude Fable / Opus / Sonnet)
• Google (Gemini Flash)
• Microsoft (MAI-Code)
• Moonshot (Kimi)
• xAI (Grok)

Models vary by plan and client: Pro / Pro+ / Max / Business / Enterprise each differ; Free and Student can only use models via Auto model selection; organizations / enterprises can enable or restrict specific models.

The chat box has a model switcher (plus Auto); some models support 1M-token context and adjustable reasoning (VS Code and CLI).

BYOK verified: VS Code can add models from providers (Anthropic / Gemini / OpenAI etc.) or AI Toolkit, possibly requiring an API key or PAT.

Business / Enterprise must first enable the "Bring Your Own Language Model Key in Select IDEs" policy.

Third-party agent delegation (Claude / Codex) is still marked Preview.

运行位置Where it runs

形态最广的一个：

• GitHub 网站本身（含 github.com 与 GitHub Mobile）
• Copilot app
• Copilot CLI
• 以及 VS Code / Visual Studio / JetBrains / Eclipse / Xcode 等编辑器

另有 Codespaces 提供的即时开发环境。

The widest form-factor coverage of any entry:

• the GitHub website itself (github.com and GitHub Mobile)
• Copilot app
• Copilot CLI
• plus editors: VS Code / Visual Studio / JetBrains / Eclipse / Xcode

There are also on-demand dev environments provided by Codespaces.

本地文件Local files

通过编辑器扩展或 GitHub 平台访问代码。

官方有语义代码索引（semantic code search）：

后台建立，大仓库首次索引最长约 60 秒， 此后增量更新通常在新会话开始后数秒内完成。

供 GitHub 网站与 VS Code 的 Copilot Chat、以及 cloud agent 使用。

非 GitHub 仓库（GitLab、本地仓库）在 VS Code 也可语义索引， 但会把数据上传到 GitHub，且默认关闭、需管理员启用 「Semantic indexing for non-GitHub repositories」策略。

Content exclusion 可让 Copilot 忽略指定文件。

官方明说索引结果 不用于模型训练。

Accesses code via editor extensions or the GitHub platform.

There is an official semantic code index (semantic code search):

built in the background; first indexing of a large repo takes up to ~60 seconds, afterwards incremental updates usually complete within seconds of a new session starting.

Used by Copilot Chat on the GitHub website and in VS Code, and by the cloud agent.

Non-GitHub repos (GitLab, local repos) can also be semantically indexed in VS Code, but data is uploaded to GitHub, and it is off by default, requiring the admin policy "Semantic indexing for non-GitHub repositories".

Content exclusion can make Copilot ignore specified files.

The official docs state plainly that index results are not used for model training.

关机后的任务Tasks after shutdown

有明确的真后台 cloud agent（原 coding agent）。

官方原文：「GitHub Copilot can work independently in the background」

在由 GitHub Actions 驱动的临时开发环境里独立跑任务—— 即厂商托管，你的机器关闭后仍继续。

触发方式：派 GitHub issue、在 PR 评论 @copilot，或从 VS Code 入口； 可产出分支 / PR（一次一分支、一任务一 PR）。

Business / Enterprise 默认禁用，需管理员先启用。

限制：cloud agent 不遵守 content exclusion。

用量：消耗 GitHub Actions 分钟 + Copilot premium requests。

There is an explicit true-background cloud agent (formerly coding agent).

Official wording: "GitHub Copilot can work independently in the background"

It runs tasks independently in ephemeral dev environments driven by GitHub Actions — i.e. vendor-hosted; it keeps going after your machine is off.

Triggers: assign a GitHub issue, comment @copilot on a PR, or start from the VS Code entry; it can produce branches / PRs (one branch at a time, one PR per task).

Disabled by default on Business / Enterprise; admins must enable it first.

Limitation: the cloud agent does not respect content exclusion.

Usage: consumes GitHub Actions minutes + Copilot premium requests.

工具与扩展Tools & extensions

MCP 是官方平台级能力—— 导航栏即有独立的「MCP Registry / Integrate external tools」条目。 支持自定义指令与自定义 agent。 File diff reviews in code editors 在更高档位提供。

MCP is an official platform-level capability — the platform navigation itself has a dedicated "MCP Registry / Integrate external tools" entry. Custom instructions and custom agents are supported. File diff reviews in code editors are available on higher tiers.

上下文与记忆Context & memory

上下文窗口有上限说明：部分模型支持 1M token 上下文 （仅 VS Code 与 Copilot CLI 可用），并有可调 reasoning （VS Code、CLI 与 cloud agent）。

跨会话记忆已核验为官方功能 Copilot Memory（public preview）： 存仓库级事实与用户级偏好，带引用并在当前分支校验， 未使用的条目 28 天后自动删除，可在多个 feature 间共享； 付费套餐可用，组织 / 企业需管理员先启用。

另有 custom instructions 三类（个人 / 仓库 / 组织），优先级 个人 > 仓库 > 组织：

• 仓库级用 .github/copilot-instructions.md
• 路径级用 .github/instructions/**/*.instructions.md
• 以及 AGENTS.md 等 agent 指令

Context windows have documented limits: some models support 1M-token context (only in VS Code and Copilot CLI), with adjustable reasoning (VS Code, CLI and cloud agent).

Cross-session memory verified as the official feature Copilot Memory (public preview): stores repo-level facts and user-level preferences, with citations and validation against the current branch; unused entries are auto-deleted after 28 days, shareable across multiple features; available on paid plans, organizations / enterprises require admin enablement first.

There are also three kinds of custom instructions (personal / repository / organization), priority personal > repository > organization:

• repository level via .github/copilot-instructions.md
• path level via .github/instructions/**/*.instructions.md
• plus agent instructions such as AGENTS.md

权限与限制Permissions & limits

依赖 GitHub 权限体系（仓库 / PR / 组织策略）。

官方已核验的边界：

• ① Content exclusion（Business / Enterprise）可让 Copilot 忽略 指定文件；但不覆盖 symlink 与远程文件系统、在 VS Code 的 Edit / Agent 模式不支持，且 cloud agent 不适用内容排除。
• ② cloud agent 默认受防火墙限制联网：官方称按域名 / URL 允许清单放行，可在组织与仓库级配置；但防火墙只作用于 agent 经 Bash 工具启动的进程、不覆盖 MCP，且官方承认可能被绕过。
• ③ Business / Enterprise 需管理员先启用 agent、模型切换与 BYOK 策略；仓库可 opt out。索引不用于模型训练。

Relies on the GitHub permission system (repo / PR / org policies).

Officially verified boundaries:

• ① Content exclusion (Business / Enterprise) can make Copilot ignore specified files; but it does not cover symlinks and remote filesystems, is not supported in VS Code's Edit / Agent modes, and does not apply to the cloud agent.
• ② the cloud agent is firewalled by default: officially an allow-list by domain / URL, configurable at org and repo level; but the firewall only covers processes the agent starts via the Bash tool, does not cover MCP, and the official docs acknowledge it may be bypassed.
• ③ Business / Enterprise require admins to enable agents, model switching and BYOK policies first; repos can opt out. Indexing is not used for model training.

适合什么任务Best for

已在 GitHub 生态内（用 PR / Issue / Actions 工作）的人； 需要最广编辑器覆盖的人（VS Code / JetBrains / Eclipse / Xcode 都能用）； 企业采购需要额度池治理与管理员支出控制的人。

只想试 AI 补全的人可用 Copilot Free（有限额度）。

People already inside the GitHub ecosystem (working via PRs / issues / Actions); people needing the widest editor coverage (VS Code / JetBrains / Eclipse / Xcode all work); enterprise buyers needing quota-pool governance and admin spend controls.

People who just want to try AI completion can use Copilot Free (limited quota).

Delegate tasks to third-party coding agents like Claude by Anthropic
and OpenAI Codex (Preview)

Pooled usage
Included AI credits are shared org-wide with admin controls for spending.

Delegate tasks to third-party coding agents like Claude by Anthropic
and OpenAI Codex (Preview)

Pooled usage
Included AI credits are shared org-wide with admin controls for spending.

本页由This page is generated from the ai-handbook 数据层生成（CC BY 4.0）。data layer (CC BY 4.0). 方法论与坐标系定义见仓库内For the methodology and coordinate definitions, see METHODOLOGY.md.