Copilot settings, IDE support, and compatibility reference
Copilot settings, IDE support, and compatibility reference
This article is a lookup reference for GitHub Copilotβs configuration surface. It consolidates settings tables, deprecated settings with migration paths, BYOK provider details, legacy file migration steps, and JetBrains IDE compatibility into one place. For conceptual explanations of why these settings exist and how they fit the customization stack, see the concept articles in this series β in particular Understanding prompt files, instructions, and context layers and Understanding LLM models and model selection.
Table of contents
- βοΈ VS Code settings reference
- β οΈ Deprecated VS Code settings
- π§ Language Models Editor and BYOK reference
- π Legacy
.chatmode.mdmigration - π₯οΈ JetBrains IDE support
- π― Conclusion
- π References
βοΈ VS Code settings reference
The tables below list every VS Code setting that controls GitHub Copilotβs customization features. All settings live under settings.json and can be configured at user, workspace, or folder level.
Prompt file settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
chat.promptFiles |
Enable or disable prompt file support | true |
chat.promptFilesLocations |
Additional folders to search for .prompt.md files |
[] |
chat.promptFilesRecommendations |
Show prompts as recommended actions when starting new chat | true |
Instructions settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
chat.instructionsFilesLocations |
Additional folders to search for .instructions.md files |
[] |
github.copilot.chat.reviewSelection.instructions |
Custom instructions for code review | [] |
github.copilot.chat.commitMessageGeneration.instructions |
Instructions for commit message generation | [] |
github.copilot.chat.pullRequestDescriptionGeneration.instructions |
Instructions for PR description generation | [] |
Agent settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
chat.useNestedAgentsMdFiles |
Experimental: Enable AGENTS.md files in subfolders |
false |
chat.useAgentSkills |
Preview: Enable Agent Skills from .github/skills/ |
false |
MCP settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
chat.mcp.discovery.enabled |
Auto-discover MCP servers from mcp.json files |
true |
chat.mcp.gallery.enabled |
Enable the MCP server gallery in Extensions view | true |
Settings Sync
You can synchronize prompt files and instructions across devices using VS Codeβs Settings Sync. Enable via:
Settings Sync: Configure β Check Prompts and Instructions
This ensures .prompt.md files and .instructions.md rules follow your VS Code profile across machines.
β οΈ Deprecated VS Code settings
The following settings are deprecated as of VS Code 1.102. Use .instructions.md files instead.
| Deprecated setting | Migration |
|---|---|
github.copilot.chat.codeGeneration.instructions |
Use .github/instructions/*.instructions.md with applyTo patterns |
github.copilot.chat.testGeneration.instructions |
Use .github/instructions/*.instructions.md with applyTo patterns |
Recommendation: Remove these deprecated settings from your VS Code configuration and migrate to instruction files for better maintainability and version control. Instruction files are scoped with applyTo glob patterns, live in source control, and work across VS Code, Visual Studio, and SDK apps. For details on structuring instruction files, see How to structure content for Copilot instruction files.
π§ Language Models Editor and BYOK reference
VS Code 1.107 introduced the Language Models Editor and expanded bring-your-own-key (BYOK) support. For the conceptual explanation of model selection strategies, token economics, and when to choose which model, see Understanding LLM models and model selection. The tables below cover the practical configuration surface.
Language Models Editor features
Access via Settings β GitHub Copilot β Language Models or Command Palette β βGitHub Copilot: Manage Language Modelsβ.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Model Visibility | Hide unused models from the picker for a cleaner interface |
| Capability Filtering | Filter by vision support, tool calling, context window size |
| Provider Management | Add models from installed providers without leaving the editor |
| Search with Highlighting | Find models by name, provider, or capability |
Filter syntax
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
@provider:openai |
Show only OpenAI models |
@capability:vision |
Models with vision or image support |
@capability:tools |
Models with tool or function calling |
@visible:true/false |
Show visible or hidden models |
BYOK providers
Bring-your-own-key lets you use models from external providers with your own API keys:
| Provider | Models available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cerebras | Llama 3.3, DeepSeek v3.2, GLM-4.6 | Extremely fast inference |
| OpenRouter | 100+ models | Unified API for multiple providers |
| Ollama | Local models | Fully local, no API calls |
| Azure OpenAI | GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo | Enterprise deployment |
| Anthropic (direct) | Claude models | Direct API access |
Adding a BYOK provider
- Open Command Palette β βGitHub Copilot: Add API Keyβ
- Select provider (Cerebras, OpenRouter, etc.)
- Enter your API key
- New models appear in the model picker
Model capabilities display
The model picker shows capability indicators:
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β Select Model β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β Claude Sonnet 4 [200K] [ποΈ] [π§] β
β GPT-4o [128K] [ποΈ] [π§] β
β DeepSeek v3.2 [64K] [π§] β
β Llama 3.3 70B [128K] [π§] β
β o3 [200K] [π§] [π] β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β Legend: [context] [ποΈ vision] [π§ tools] [π reasoning] β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββHuggingFace integration
The HuggingFace Inference Provider extension enables access to open-weights models:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Multiple Inference Providers | HuggingFace Inference API, Nebius, SambaNova, Together AI, more |
| Fastest/Cheapest Mode | Automatic routing to optimal provider based on cost or speed |
| Open-Weights Models | Access to Llama, Mistral, DeepSeek, Qwen, and other open models |
Installation
- Install βHuggingFace for VS Codeβ extension from marketplace
- Sign in with HuggingFace account
- Models appear in Copilotβs model picker
- Select fastest or cheapest based on your preference
Extension ID: huggingface.huggingface-vscode
Quota considerations
Important: BYOK models donβt consume GitHub Copilot quota, but:
- An active Copilot subscription is still required
- Background query refinement (using GPT-4o Mini) doesnβt count against quota
- BYOK costs are billed directly by the provider
- Full prompt logging is available in the output channel for debugging and optimization
Claude skills support
VS Code 1.107 added support for Claude skills β reusable capability definitions that extend Claudeβs abilities:
- Skills can be referenced in agent files via the
toolsfield - Skills provide specialized behaviors (web browsing, file analysis, etc.)
- Growing ecosystem of community and official skills
π Legacy .chatmode.md migration
Prior to VS Code 1.106, custom agents were called βchat modesβ and used different file conventions.
| Legacy | Current |
|---|---|
.chatmode.md extension |
.agent.md extension |
.github/chatmodes/ folder |
.github/agents/ folder |
Migration steps
- VS Code automatically recognizes legacy
.chatmode.mdfiles - A Quick Fix action appears to migrate files to the new format
- Rename files from
*.chatmode.mdto*.agent.md - Move files from
.github/chatmodes/to.github/agents/
Recommendation: Migrate to the new format for consistency with current documentation and to ensure future compatibility. For details on creating agents with the current format, see How to structure content for Copilot agent files.
π₯οΈ JetBrains IDE support
JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.) support GitHub Copilot with their own conventions. The tables below summarize whatβs supported, where global instructions live, and how JetBrains differs from VS Code.
Supported files
| File type | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Workspace instructions | .github/copilot-instructions.md |
Same as VS Code and Visual Studio |
| Global instructions | OS-specific path (see below) | Personal instructions across all projects |
| Prompt files | .github/prompts/*.prompt.md |
Invoked via /promptName commands |
Global instructions location
| OS | Path |
|---|---|
| Windows | %APPDATA%\JetBrains\<product><version>\copilot\global-copilot-instructions.md |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/<product><version>/copilot/global-copilot-instructions.md |
| Linux | ~/.config/JetBrains/<product><version>/copilot/global-copilot-instructions.md |
Replace <product><version> with your IDE β for example, IntelliJIdea2024.3 or PyCharm2024.3.
Differences from VS Code
- JetBrains doesnβt support
.agent.mdfiles (custom agents) - JetBrains doesnβt support MCP server configuration
- Path-specific
.instructions.mdfiles work the same as VS Code - Prompt files use
/promptNamesyntax (same as VS Code)
π― Conclusion
Key takeaways
- VS Code settings control prompt files, instructions, agents, and MCP discovery β all defaulting to sensible values
- Deprecated settings (
codeGeneration.instructions,testGeneration.instructions) should be migrated to.instructions.mdfiles - BYOK providers (Cerebras, OpenRouter, Ollama, Azure OpenAI, Anthropic) let you bring external models into the Copilot interface without consuming subscription quota
- Legacy
.chatmode.mdfiles are auto-detected and can be migrated to.agent.mdwith a Quick Fix - JetBrains IDEs support workspace instructions and prompt files but donβt support custom agents or MCP configuration
Next steps
- Understanding prompt files, instructions, and context layers β conceptual foundation for the settings in this reference
- Understanding LLM models and model selection β model selection strategies beyond the BYOK tables
- How to structure content for Copilot instruction files β practical guidance for the instruction files that replace deprecated settings
- How to optimize prompts for specific models β tailoring prompts for specific BYOK models
π References
VS Code Copilot Customization Overview [π Official] Microsoftβs comprehensive guide to customizing GitHub Copilot in VS Code. Covers custom agents, instructions, prompt files, and MCP configuration. The authoritative source for current settings and defaults.
VS Code v1.107 Release Notes [π Official] December 2024 release introducing Agent HQ, the Language Models Editor, BYOK support, and Claude skills. Primary source for the model management and BYOK reference tables in this article.
VS Code v1.102 Release Notes [π Official] Release that deprecated codeGeneration.instructions and testGeneration.instructions settings in favor of .instructions.md files. Primary source for the deprecated settings migration table.
JetBrains Copilot Documentation [π Official] JetBrains documentation for GitHub Copilot integration. Covers supported file types, global instruction paths, and feature comparison with VS Code.
HuggingFace VS Code Extension [π Official] VS Code Marketplace page for the HuggingFace Inference Provider extension. Provides access to open-weights models through multiple inference providers.