Using GitHub Copilot code review

Learn how to request a code review from GitHub Copilot.

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Introduction

GitHub Copilot can review your code and provide feedback. Where possible, Copilot's feedback includes suggested changes which you can apply with a couple of clicks.

For a full introduction to GitHub Copilot code review, see О обзоре кода GitHub Copilot.

Copilot code review uses GitHub Actions to run agentic capabilities. For more information, see Agentic capabilities for Copilot code review.

Copilot code review is also available for organization members without a Copilot license, when enabled by an enterprise administrator or organization owner. See Copilot code review for organization members without a Copilot license.

Using Copilot code review

These instructions explain how to use Copilot code review in the GitHub website. To see instructions for other popular coding environments, click the appropriate tab at the top of the page.

  1. On GitHub.com, create a pull request or navigate to an existing pull request.

  2. Under "Reviewers" in the right sidebar, next to Copilot, click Request.

    Screenshot of Copilot with 'Request' button under 'Reviewers'.

  3. Wait for Copilot to review your pull request. This usually takes less than 30 seconds.

  4. Scroll down and read through Copilot's comments.

    Screenshot of a code review left by Copilot.

    Copilot labels each comment with a severity level of "High," "Medium," or "Low" to help you prioritize the issues it finds based on their importance.

    By default, Copilot leaves a "Comment" review, not an "Approve" review or a "Request changes" review. This means that, by default, Copilot's reviews do not count toward required approvals for the pull request. However, if configured to do so, Copilot can leave "Approve" reviews. For more information, see Pull request approvals from Copilot.

  5. Where possible, Copilot's feedback includes suggested changes which you can apply with a couple of clicks.

    If you're happy with the changes, you can accept a single suggestion from Copilot and commit it, or accept a group of suggestions together in a single commit. For more information, see Внедрение отзывов в запрос на вытягивание.

    You can also invoke Copilot cloud agent to implement suggested changes. To do this, you must:

    • Enable GitHub Copilot code review and Copilot cloud agent.
    • On review comments from GitHub Copilot code review, click Fix with Copilot. This creates a draft comment on the pull request, where you can instruct Copilot to address specific feedback. You can then select whether Copilot will create a new pull request against your branch or a commit to the same pull request with the suggestions applied.

  6. Copilot's review comments behave like review comments from humans. You can add reactions to them, comment on them, resolve them and hide them.

    Any comments you add to Copilot's review comments will be visible to humans, but they won't be visible to Copilot, and Copilot won't reply.

You can also request a review from Copilot through the GitHub REST API by requesting copilot-pull-request-reviewer[bot] as a reviewer. For more information, see Конечные точки REST API для запросов на проверку.

Enabling automatic reviews

By default, you manually request a review from Copilot on each pull request, in the same way you would request a review from a human. However, you can set up Copilot to automatically review all pull requests. See Настройка проверки кода GitHub Copilot.

Requesting a re-review from Copilot

When you push changes to a pull request that Copilot has reviewed, it won't automatically re-review your changes unless you've configured it to review new pushes after enabling automatic reviews.

To manually request a re-review from Copilot, click the button next to Copilot's name in the Reviewers menu. For more information, see Запрос проверки запроса на вытягивание.

To automatically request re-reviews from Copilot on every push, enable automatic code review for the repository and select Review new pushes in the ruleset settings. For more information, see Настройка проверки кода GitHub Copilot.

Примечание.

When re-reviewing a pull request, Copilot may repeat the same comments again, even if they have been dismissed with the "Resolve conversation" button or downvoted with the thumbs down (👎) button.

Choosing a review effort level

With review effort levels, you can choose the level of thoroughness of Copilot's review that matches the criticality of your code.

  • Lite: Cost-efficient review that provides targeted feedback on glaring issues such as bugs, security vulnerabilities, and style inconsistencies.
  • Balanced: Deeper analysis of complex logic, security-sensitive code, and cross-service changes, using a higher-reasoning model.

You can select Copilot review effort in the pull request before you request a review from Copilot, under the Reviewers section where Copilot appears as a reviewer. You can also set a default Copilot review effort in your settings. Organization owners and repository administrators can set a default Copilot review effort for automatic reviews.

For more information, see О обзоре кода GitHub Copilot.

Pull request approvals from Copilot

Примечание.

Copilot утверждения находятся и Публичный предварительный просмотр подлежат изменению.

Every Copilot code review includes an approval assessment in the overview comment, indicating whether Copilot considers the pull request ready to approve. On its own, this assessment does not count toward merge requirements.

When approvals are enabled, Copilot can submit an approving review that satisfies your repository's required-approval rule the same way a teammate's approval would. If new commits are pushed after Copilot approves, the approval is dismissed, and you can re-request a review. For more details on required reviews, see Утверждение запроса на вытягивание с необходимыми проверками.

Approvals are off by default and can be configured at the enterprise, organization, and repository levels. Repository administrators can also use file paths to control which Copilot approvals count toward merge requirements. For configuration steps, see Настройка проверки кода GitHub Copilot.

Customizing Copilot's reviews with custom instructions

Вы можете настроить, Copilot code review добавив пользовательские инструкции в репозиторий. Пользовательские инструкции репозитория могут быть широкими или определенными по пути.

Используйте .github/copilot-instructions.md для рекомендаций по обзору на уровне репозитория, которые должны применяться ко всей базе кода. Это хорошее место для описания ожиданий всей организации, таких как стандарты программирования, критерии проверки или общие методики, которые Copilot следует учитывать во всех обзорах.

AGENTS.md Используйте файл в корневом каталоге репозитория, чтобы предоставить дополнительный контекст репозитория, который помогает Copilot лучше понять, как работает проект. Например, можно объяснить, какие шаблоны являются преднамеренными, какие части базы кода требуют более внимательного изучения, а также то, что ваша команда считает хорошей архитектурой, тестированием и практикой реализации. Это помогает сделать отзывы более актуальными и выровнять способ создания программного обеспечения вашей команды.

Используйте .github/instructions/**/*.instructions.md файлы для инструкций, относящихся к пути, которые применяются только при просмотре соответствующих файлов. Это полезно, если различные части репозитория соответствуют различным соглашениям, требуют специализированных проверок или требуют рекомендации по просмотру, адаптированному к определенному языку, платформе или подсистеме.

Copilot code review также считывает пользовательские инструкции из CLAUDE.md, GEMINI.mdа REVIEW.md также файлы в репозитории, если они существуют.

Дополнительные сведения см. в разделе Добавление пользовательских инструкций репозитория для GitHub Copilot.

Примечание.

При проверке запроса Copilot на вытягивание считывает пользовательские инструкции репозитория, инструкции агента и навыки агента из головной ветви (ветвь с изменениями), а не базовую ветвь. Например, при слиянии my-feature-branch``mainс ними Copilot используются инструкции и навыки my-feature-branch, позволяющие протестировать изменения в одном запросе на вытягивание, не объединяя их в первую очередь.

Пример

В этом примере файла содержатся три инструкции .github/copilot-instructions.md , которые будут применяться ко всем Copilot code reviewфайлам в репозитории.

When performing a code review, respond in Spanish.

When performing a code review, apply the checks in the `/security/security-checklist.md` file.

When performing a code review, focus on readability and avoid nested ternary operators.

MCP servers and agent skills

Copilot code review can use agent skills and MCP servers configured in the repository, when they are relevant to the code being reviewed.

To make these available for Copilot code review on GitHub, configure:

Copilot code review чаще использует этот контекст, когда:

  • Каталоги навыков агентов имеют имена и описания, ориентированные на рецензии, такие code-reviewкак , которые указывают на предназначение для проверки с помощью pull request.
  • Ваши агентские навыки или кастомные инструкции явно указывают Copilot code review использовать конкретный контекст MCP.
  • Описания pull request ссылаются на элементы, доступные через настроенные MCP-серверы, такие как ключи выпуска или идентификаторы инцидентов.

Чтобы проверить, какой контекст Copilot code review MCP используется для определенной проверки, проверьте, есть ли у них атрибуты в нижней части каждого комментария проверки. Эти атрибуции ссылают на определенный навык агента или сервер MCP, который Copilot code review использовался для создания этого комментария. Вы также можете открыть связанный сеанс проверки на временной шкале запроса на вытягивание, а затем проверить журналы сеансов, чтобы узнать, какие серверы и средства MCP были вызваны.

В настройках репозитория Разрешить Copilot использовать MCP-инструменты при просмотре pull request по умолчанию включена. Отключите эту начёт, если хотите, чтобы MCP-серверы были доступны только для Copilot cloud agent, а не для Copilot code review. Для пошаговых инструкций см. АВТОТИТР.

Customizing Copilot code review's environment

Copilot code review runs in an ephemeral development environment, similar to Copilot cloud agent. You can customize this environment using a GitHub Actions workflow file, in the same way you would for Copilot cloud agent, for example, to preinstall tools or dependencies, or to switch to a different operating system. For more information on how to structure this file, see Настройка среды разработки.

You can use either of the following files to configure Copilot code review's environment:

  • .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml: If you have already configured this file for Copilot cloud agent, Copilot code review will use the same configuration by default.
  • .github/workflows/copilot-code-review.yml: We recommend creating this file if you want to configure Copilot code review's environment independently of Copilot cloud agent. If this file is present in your repository, it is used for Copilot code review instead of copilot-setup-steps.yml.

You can also configure firewall rules to control the domains and URLs that Copilot code review can access, at both the organization and repository level. These settings are configured separately from Copilot cloud agent's firewall settings, in their own section of the same "Internet access" tab. See Настройка или отключение брандмауэра для GitHub Copilot.

Providing feedback on Copilot's reviews

You can provide feedback on Copilot's comments directly within each comment. We use this information to improve the product and the quality of Copilot's suggestions.

To provide feedback on a review comment from Copilot, click the thumbs up (👍) or thumbs down (👎) button.

Screenshot showing a Copilot code review comment with the thumbs up and thumbs down buttons.

Reviewing a selection of code

You can request an initial review of a highlighted selection of code in Visual Studio Code.

  1. In Visual Studio Code, select the code you want to review.
  2. Right-click the selected code and choose Generate Code > Review.
  3. VS Code creates review comments in the Comments panel and also shows them inline in the editor.

Reviewing all uncommitted changes

If you have uncommitted changes, you can request a review in Visual Studio Code.

  1. In VS Code, click the Source Control button in the Activity Bar.

  2. At the top of the Source Control view, hover over CHANGES, then click the Copilot Code Review - Uncommitted Changes button.

    Screenshot of the "Source Control" view. The code review button is outlined in dark orange.

  3. Wait for Copilot to review your changes. This usually takes less than 30 seconds.

  4. If Copilot has any comments, they will be shown inline in your file(s), and in the Problems tab.

Working with suggested changes provided by Copilot

Where possible, Copilot's feedback includes suggested changes which you can apply with a single click.

Screenshot of a comment from Copilot in Visual Studio Code with a suggested change.

If you're happy with the change, you can accept a suggestion from Copilot by clicking the Apply and Go To Next button. Any changes you apply will not be automatically committed.

If you don't want to apply Copilot's suggested change, click the Discard and Go to Next button.

Providing feedback on Copilot's reviews

You can provide feedback on Copilot's comments directly within each comment. We use this information to improve the product and the quality of Copilot's suggestions.

To provide feedback, hover over the comment and click the thumbs up or thumbs down button.

Screenshot of a comment from Copilot in Visual Studio Code with feedback buttons displayed. The buttons are outlined in dark orange.

Customizing Copilot's reviews with custom instructions

Вы можете настроить, Copilot code review добавив пользовательские инструкции в репозиторий. Пользовательские инструкции репозитория могут быть широкими или определенными по пути.

Используйте .github/copilot-instructions.md для рекомендаций по обзору на уровне репозитория, которые должны применяться ко всей базе кода. Это хорошее место для описания ожиданий всей организации, таких как стандарты программирования, критерии проверки или общие методики, которые Copilot следует учитывать во всех обзорах.

AGENTS.md Используйте файл в корневом каталоге репозитория, чтобы предоставить дополнительный контекст репозитория, который помогает Copilot лучше понять, как работает проект. Например, можно объяснить, какие шаблоны являются преднамеренными, какие части базы кода требуют более внимательного изучения, а также то, что ваша команда считает хорошей архитектурой, тестированием и практикой реализации. Это помогает сделать отзывы более актуальными и выровнять способ создания программного обеспечения вашей команды.

Используйте .github/instructions/**/*.instructions.md файлы для инструкций, относящихся к пути, которые применяются только при просмотре соответствующих файлов. Это полезно, если различные части репозитория соответствуют различным соглашениям, требуют специализированных проверок или требуют рекомендации по просмотру, адаптированному к определенному языку, платформе или подсистеме.

Copilot code review также считывает пользовательские инструкции из CLAUDE.md, GEMINI.mdа REVIEW.md также файлы в репозитории, если они существуют.

Дополнительные сведения см. в разделе Добавление пользовательских инструкций репозитория для GitHub Copilot.

Примечание.

При проверке запроса Copilot на вытягивание считывает пользовательские инструкции репозитория, инструкции агента и навыки агента из головной ветви (ветвь с изменениями), а не базовую ветвь. Например, при слиянии my-feature-branch``mainс ними Copilot используются инструкции и навыки my-feature-branch, позволяющие протестировать изменения в одном запросе на вытягивание, не объединяя их в первую очередь.

Пример

В этом примере файла содержатся три инструкции .github/copilot-instructions.md , которые будут применяться ко всем Copilot code reviewфайлам в репозитории.

When performing a code review, respond in Spanish.

When performing a code review, apply the checks in the `/security/security-checklist.md` file.

When performing a code review, focus on readability and avoid nested ternary operators.

Prerequisite

To use Copilot code review, you must use Visual Studio version 17.14 or later. See the Visual Studio downloads page.

Using Copilot code review

These instructions explain how to use Copilot code review in Visual Studio. To see instructions for other popular coding environments, click the appropriate tab at the top of the page.

  1. In the Git Changes window, click Review changes with Copilot. This button appears as a comment icon with a sparkle.

  2. Copilot will begin reviewing your changes. After a few moments, a link showing the number of code review comments appears in the Git Changes window.

  3. Click the link to view and navigate the comments. If no issues are found, you'll see the message: Copilot did not comment on any files.

  4. Copilot displays comments in your code with a summary of each potential issue. You can:

    • Review and make changes based on the suggestions.
    • Dismiss a comment using the downward arrow in the top-right corner of the comment box.

  5. To remove all review comments, click next to the code review link in the Git Changes window.

For more information on enabling and configuring Copilot code review in Visual Studio, see Review local changes with Copilot Chat in the Visual Studio documentation.

Using Copilot code review

These instructions explain how to use Copilot code review in GitHub Mobile. To see instructions for other popular coding environments, click the appropriate tab at the top of the page.

  1. In GitHub Mobile, open a pull request.
  2. Scroll down to the Reviews section and expand it.
  3. Click Request Reviews.
  4. Add Copilot as a reviewer, then click Done.

Copilot will review the changes and provide feedback.

Prerequisite

To use Copilot code review in Xcode, you must use version 0.41.0 or later of the GitHub Copilot Chat extension. Download the latest release from the github/CopilotForXcode repository.

Using Copilot code review

These instructions explain how to use Copilot code review in Xcode. To see instructions for other popular coding environments, click the appropriate tab at the top of the page.

  1. In Xcode, make some changes to one or more files.

  2. Open the Copilot chat window by clicking Editor in the menu bar, clicking GitHub Copilot then Open Chat.

  3. Near the bottom right of the prompt box in the Copilot chat window, click the Code Review button (a speech bubble icon).

    Screenshot of the Copilot chat window in Xcode, with the 'Code Review' button outlined in dark orange.

  4. Click either Review Staged Changes or Review Unstaged Changes.

  5. A list of files containing changes is displayed in the chat window. Click the check boxes to deselect any files you don't want Copilot to review.

  6. Click Continue to start the review process.

  7. If Copilot finds things to comment on, it displays a Reviewed Changes list in the chat window, listing the files it has commented on. Click a file in this list to see the comments.

    Each comment is shown in a popup, overlaid over the editor.

    Screenshot of a Copilot code review review comment.

  8. If there is more than one comment in the file, use the up and down arrows, at the top right of the popup, to navigate between comments.

  9. Copilot may suggest replacement code. You can apply the suggested change by clicking Accept or reject it by clicking Dismiss.

  10. Click another file in the Reviewed Changes list in the chat window, to see the review comments for another file.

Prerequisites

Using Copilot code review

These instructions explain how to use Copilot code review in JetBrains IDEs. To see instructions for other popular coding environments, click the appropriate tab at the top of the page.

  1. In a JetBrains IDE, make some changes to one or more files.

  2. Open the "Commit" tool window on the left-hand side.

  3. Above the commit message input field, click Copilot: Review Code Changes. This button appears as a magnifying glass icon with a sparkle.

  4. Copilot will begin reviewing your changes.

  5. Copilot displays comments in your code with a summary of each potential issue. You can:

    • Review and make changes based on the suggestions.
    • Dismiss a comment by clicking Discard.

  6. If there is more than one comment, use the up and down arrows, at the top right of the popup, to navigate between comments.

Prerequisites

Using Copilot code review

These instructions explain how to use Copilot code review with the GitHub CLI. To see instructions for other popular coding environments, click the appropriate tab at the top of the page.

Requesting a review when creating a pull request

You can request a review from Copilot when creating a new pull request using gh pr create:

Shell
gh pr create --reviewer @copilot

You can also select Copilot interactively from the searchable reviewer prompt during gh pr create.

? Reviewers  [Use arrows to move, space to select, <right> to all, <left> to none, type to filter]
  [ ]  Search (7472 more)
  [x]  monalisa (Mona Lisa)
> [x]  Copilot (AI)

Requesting a review on an existing pull request

To request a review from Copilot on an existing pull request, use gh pr edit. If you are not on the pull request's branch, specify the pull request number:

Shell
gh pr edit PR-NUMBER --add-reviewer @copilot

Replace PR-NUMBER with the number of the pull request you want reviewed. If you have the pull request's branch checked out, you can omit the number.