Copilot Chat responds differently depending on where you are on GitHub. The following examples show the kinds of questions you can ask in each context.
General software questions
tell me about nodejs web server frameworkshow can I create an Express appwhat is the best way to update an npm package
Repository questions
Navigate to a repository to ask about its purpose, structure, code, or history. Copilot Chat grounds its answers in the actual files and symbols in the repository, so you can get a high-level overview and then ask follow-up questions within the same context.
What is the main purpose of this repo?Give me an overview of how this project is structured.How do I set up and run this project locally?Where is rate limiting implemented in our API?What was the last merged PR by USERNAME
File and code questions
Open a file or select specific lines, then ask about them.
Pull request questions
Navigate to a pull request to ask about changes, reviews, or failing workflows.
Summarize the changes in this PR.What's the purpose of this file?Tell me why this job failedWhat did Copilot change in this PR and why?What did Copilot validate before opening this PR?
Debugging questions
Navigate to a failed workflow run, a pull request with a failing check, or paste a stack trace to get help diagnosing and fixing the problem.
Why did this workflow run fail?Explain this stack trace and suggest a fix.Which change in this PR most likely caused the failing test?
Security alert questions
Navigate to a code scanning, secret scanning, or Dependabot alert to ask about it.
Issue, discussion, and commit questions
Navigate to any issue, discussion, or commit and ask Copilot Chat about it.