Follow the tips in this article to write prompts that generate better responses from Copilot. When writing a prompt for Copilot, first give Copilot a broad description of the goal or scenario. Then list any specific requirements. For example: Write a function that tells me if a number is prime.

Prompt engineering, or structuring your request so Copilot can easily understand and respond to it, plays a critical role in Copilot's ability to generate a valuable response. Here are a few quick tips you should remember while crafting your prompts:

Optimize your development experience with GitHub Copilot in VS Code with best practices for crafting chat prompts and providing context.

Jun 20, 2023 · In this prompt guide for GitHub Copilot, two GitHub developer advocates, Rizel and Michelle, will share examples and best practices for communicating your desired results to the AI pair programmer.

To give Copilot the correct context, try some of these strategies: Highlight relevant lines of code. Use chat variables like #selection, #file, #editor, #codebase, or #git. Use the @workspace chat participant. You can ask Copilot to write code for you. For example:

Mar 25, 2024 · Learn practical strategies to get the most out of GitHub Copilot to generate the most relevant and useful code suggestions in your editor. AI has become an integral part of my workflow these days, and with the assistance of GitHub Copilot, I move a lot faster when I’m building a project.

Apr 30, 2024 · In this post, we’ll delve deep into the strategies that can maximize the effectiveness of GitHub Copilot. From understanding how to craft precise prompts that lead to better code suggestions,...

Write a short one-sentence question that the user can ask as a follow up to continue the current conversation. The question must be phrased as a question asked by the user, not by Copilot. The question must be relevant to the conversation context. The question must not …

Mar 31, 2025 · Prompt engineering best practices. Prompt engineering can be tricky to get the hang of, but you’ll get better the more you do it. Here are some best practices to remember when working with GitHub Copilot or any other LLM: Give the model enough context while considering any limitations it might have.

Oct 6, 2023 · GitHub Copilot is an AI tool designed specifically for code generation and completion right in your IDE. It is trained on a large corpus of high-quality code and can provide suggestions and...

Jun 21, 2023 · In this post, I'm going to share my best practices for prompting GitHub Copilot, to help all of you get great suggestions as often as possible. At a high level, my recommendation is to...

Apr 3, 2023 · Let's discuss best practices for prompt engineering to give clear instructions to GitHub Copilot and generate your desired results. The best technique for me is providing high-level context in a comment at the top of the file, followed by more detailed instructions in the form of comments and code. For example, if I'm building a to-do application.

We welcome community contributions to the samples folder in this repository for demonstrating different prompts for Microsoft Copilot. If you have a great sample prompt for Microsoft Copilot, GitHub Copilot or Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365, please share your work and help others!

May 13, 2024 · Prompt engineering is the process of creating clear instructions to guide AI systems, like GitHub Copilot, to generate context-appropriate code according to your project's specific needs. This ensures the code is syntactically, functionally, and contextually correct.

Craft effective prompts that optimize GitHub Copilot's performance, ensuring precision and relevance in every code suggestion. Understand the intricate relationship between prompts and Copilot's responses, and utilize best practices in prompt engineering.

Copilot Chat can provide you with a detailed outline, a rough draft, or a polished draft, depending on your needs. Outlining a blog post. If you're looking for help outlining a blog post, you can ask Copilot Chat to suggest a detailed outline for your post. Example prompt. Please propose an outline for a blog post based on PR #16 and Issues #10 ...

Jun 20, 2023 · In this comprehensive guide, we will share prompt crafting best practices and tips to help you maximize your productivity when using GitHub Copilot. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, these insights will empower you to generate accurate and relevant code suggestions.

Apr 3, 2025 · But with Copilot in the mix, we noticed a shift — developers started solving problems first, then writing tests. Recognizing this drift, we took corrective measures to realign with TDD. We trained developers on how to prompt Copilot for test cases first, before asking for solutions.

Apr 5, 2023 · Let's discuss best practices for prompt engineering to give clear instructions to GitHub Copilot and generate your desired results. The best technique for me is providing high-level context in a comment at the top of the file, followed by more detailed instructions in the form of comments and code.

Aug 18, 2024 · In this article, we will explore various techniques on how to improve the performance of GitHub Copilot, an AI-powered coding assistant that helps you write code faster and more efficiently. Specifically, we will focus on Prompts, specific instructions you give to Copilot to guide its code suggestions.

Mar 16, 2025 · Learn how to enhance your GitHub Copilot experience by optimizing prompts for better code suggestions and efficiency. GitHub Copilot, powered by OpenAI's Codex, has emerged as a significant tool for developers, particularly in educational settings.

Explore effective prompt engineering techniques to enhance your experience with GitHub Copilot and improve code generation. To effectively utilize GitHub Copilot, understanding the nuances of prompt engineering techniques is essential.