Domain (02): (QRP) GitHub Copilot plans and features

[MohamedRadwan-DevOps]

Domain (02): (QRP) GitHub Copilot plans and features (31%)

Document Type: QRP (Quick Revision Pack)
Scope: This document provides a high signal, minimal noise revision pack for this domain, optimized for last mile review. It focuses on crisp bullet points, micro examples, and checklists that cover the most important concepts and exam relevant angles.

Copilot plans

Copilot plans/Plan types

• GitHub Copilot offers plans for individuals (Copilot Free, Copilot Pro, Copilot Pro+) and for organizations/enterprises (Copilot Business, Copilot Enterprise).
• “Copilot Individual” in exam wording maps to the individual subscriber experience (today: Copilot Pro/Pro+), while Business/Enterprise are managed by an org/enterprise.

Copilot plans/Business vs Enterprise

• Copilot Business adds centralized seat management and policy controls for organizations, while Copilot Enterprise includes everything in Business plus additional enterprise-grade capabilities and higher premium-request allowances.
• Enterprise adds enterprise-grade rollout and context features (organization knowledge context and GitHub.com experiences such as PR workflows), and broader model and policy control at enterprise scale.

Copilot plans/Non-GitHub customers

• If you don’t need other GitHub Enterprise features, you can create a dedicated enterprise account to manage Copilot Business licenses only (with enterprise-grade identity integrations) without paying for GitHub Enterprise licenses.
• You can use Copilot in supported IDEs even if your repos/work items live outside GitHub, as long as you have a Copilot plan and sign in.
• GitHub.com-native features (repo/PR/issue context) require the relevant content to be on GitHub to get full “in-repo” context.

Copilot plans/Availability constraints

• Copilot is not currently available for GitHub Enterprise Server.

Copilot plans/Licensing and billing

• In organizations and enterprises, Copilot is licensed per-seat; if a user with an active personal Copilot plan is assigned a Business/Enterprise seat, the personal plan is automatically canceled with a prorated refund.

Copilot plans/Quick check

• Common trap: Assuming Copilot Business works on GitHub Enterprise Server or that personal Copilot subscriptions “stack” on top of a Business/Enterprise seat.

Copilot plans/Micro example

• “We use GitHub only for identity and Copilot”: create a dedicated enterprise for Copilot Business, connect your IdP for SSO/provisioning, assign seats, and enforce org policies.

Source:
Plans for GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
What is GitHub Copilot? (GitHub Docs)
About enterprise accounts for Copilot Business (GitHub Docs)
Choosing your enterprise's plan for GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
GitHub Copilot licenses (GitHub Docs)
Setting up a dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot Business (GitHub Docs)
About individual GitHub Copilot plans and benefits (GitHub Docs)
GitHub Copilot for Azure DevOps users (Microsoft DevBlogs)

Copilot in the IDE

Copilot in the IDE/Define GitHub Copilot in the IDE

• GitHub Copilot in the IDE provides inline code completions as you type (ranging from a few tokens to whole blocks/functions).
• You can accept, reject, or partially accept suggestions, and you can cycle through alternative suggestions when multiple are available.

Copilot in the IDE/Define GitHub Copilot Chat in the IDE

• GitHub Copilot Chat in the IDE is a conversational interface for asking questions, generating code, refactoring, and explaining code with editor-scoped context.

Copilot in the IDE/Triggering Copilot

• Trigger code suggestions by typing normally or by using your IDE’s Copilot shortcut/command to request a suggestion explicitly.
• Trigger Copilot Chat either from the Chat view (general chat) or via inline chat (scoped to selected code/current file or cursor context).
• Use Copilot from the terminal via Copilot CLI to explain commands, suggest commands, or generate shell snippets without leaving the CLI.
• Inline chat is usually scoped to your current editor/selection, while Chat view can be broader depending on what you reference.

Copilot in the IDE/Quick check

• Common trap: Assuming Chat and inline suggestions use the same scope—inline chat is usually scoped to your current editor/selection, while Chat view can be broader depending on what you reference.

Copilot in the IDE/Micro example

• “Select a function, open inline chat, ask ‘refactor to reduce cyclomatic complexity and add error handling,’ then request an inline suggestion for the updated code and cycle alternatives before accepting.”

Source:
Getting code suggestions in your IDE with GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet (GitHub Docs)
Inline suggestions from GitHub Copilot in VS Code (Visual Studio Code Docs)
Inline chat in Visual Studio Code (Visual Studio Code Docs)
Using GitHub Copilot CLI (GitHub Docs)
Keyboard shortcuts for GitHub Copilot in the IDE (GitHub Docs)
Debug with GitHub Copilot (Visual Studio) (Microsoft Learn)

Copilot Individual vs Business

Copilot Individual/Capabilities

• Copilot Individual provides IDE code completions and Copilot Chat features for an individual subscription.

Copilot Individual/Personal settings

• Individual subscribers can manage personal Copilot settings (for example: allow/block suggestions matching public code, prompt/suggestion collection, and coding agent repository access) on GitHub.com.

Copilot Business/Organization policy management

• Copilot Business enables organization owners to centrally manage Copilot policies and control the availability of features and models for members assigned a Copilot seat.

Copilot Business/Governance and administration

• Copilot Business supports organization governance via Copilot-related audit log events and administrative management via Copilot REST API endpoints (seat assignments/settings/metrics).

Copilot Individual vs Business/Key differences

• If you’re assigned a Copilot seat through an organization or enterprise, key Copilot settings may be inherited from org/enterprise policy and not configurable in your personal account.

Copilot Individual vs Business/Quick check

• Common trap: Trying to change “suggestions matching public code” in personal settings while on an org-assigned seat (the setting is inherited and won’t be editable).
• Micro example: “In an org with Copilot Business, set an org policy for ‘suggestions matching public code’ and prompt/suggestion collection, then verify a seat user sees the inherited behavior in their IDE.”

Source:
Managing GitHub Copilot policies as an individual subscriber (GitHub Docs)
Managing policies and features for GitHub Copilot in your organization (GitHub Docs)
Reviewing audit logs for GitHub Copilot Business (GitHub Docs)
REST API endpoints for Copilot user management (GitHub Docs)
GitHub Copilot Product Specific Terms (PDF) (GitHub)

Copilot Business administration

Copilot Business administration/Exclude specific files

• Use Copilot content exclusions to prevent Copilot from accessing specific repository paths so excluded content is not used as input context.

Copilot Business administration/Organization-wide policy management

• Organization owners can centrally control Copilot feature availability and policies for users assigned seats in the organization.

Copilot Business administration/Audit logs purpose

• Copilot-related audit log events help you understand what Copilot admin actions occurred, when they occurred, and who performed them.

Copilot Business administration/Search audit log events

• Search Copilot audit log events using the audit log query syntax, including the action: qualifier and the copilot category (for example, action:copilot:).

Copilot Business administration/Manage via REST API

• Use the Copilot REST API endpoints to monitor and manage Copilot seats and settings for an organization (for example listing seat assignments and subscription settings).

Copilot Business administration/Quick check

• Common trap: Expecting a seat user to override org policy in personal settings when org/enterprise policy controls Copilot behavior.
• Micro example: “Set an org policy (for example, enable/disable IDE chat), configure a content exclusion for /config/**, then verify via audit log search action:copilot: that the changes were recorded.”

Source:
Managing policies and features for GitHub Copilot in your organization (GitHub Docs)
Reviewing audit logs for GitHub Copilot Business (GitHub Docs)
Reviewing the audit log for your organization (GitHub Docs)
REST API endpoints for Copilot user management (GitHub Docs)
Content exclusion for GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
GitHub Copilot seat assignment (GitHub Docs)

Copilot Chat

Copilot Chat/Main features

• Copilot Chat lets you ask coding questions and get explanations, refactors, tests, and fixes inside supported IDEs and on GitHub.com.
• Copilot Chat supports adding explicit context using mentions (for example @ mentions) and references (for example #file:line-line) depending on the environment.

Copilot Chat/Most effective use cases

• Use Copilot Chat for natural-language Q&A about code, generating larger code changes to iterate on, and running common workflows via built-in commands/skills.

Copilot Chat/Improve performance

• Improve answer quality by breaking tasks into smaller prompts, being specific about requirements, and providing examples (inputs/outputs/constraints).
• Improve relevance by focusing context (open relevant files, reference specific files/lines/symbols, and start a fresh chat when old context is no longer helpful).

Copilot Chat/Limitations

• Copilot Chat can be wrong or incomplete and is not a substitute for your judgment, testing, or security review.
• Available commands and capabilities can vary by environment, and organizations can disable Chat access for members.

Copilot Chat/Using code suggestions from Chat

• When Copilot returns a code block, you can typically copy it or insert it at your cursor, then refine it through follow-up prompts.

Copilot Chat/Feedback

• Provide response-level feedback using thumbs up/down, and provide general feedback from the chat menu (location varies by environment).

Copilot Chat/Slash commands

• Use slash commands (type / to see what’s available in your environment), such as /explain, /fix, /tests, /help, and /clear.

Copilot Chat/Quick check

• Common trap: Asking broad questions without constraints or context, then trusting the output without validating it.
• Micro example: “In inline chat on this function, run /explain, then ask ‘refactor for readability and add unit tests,’ then use /tests and insert the code at the cursor, and finally run the test suite.”

Source:
GitHub Copilot Chat cheat sheet (GitHub Docs)
Best practices for using GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
Responsible use of GitHub Copilot Chat in your IDE (GitHub Docs)
Getting started with prompts for GitHub Copilot Chat (GitHub Docs)
Asking GitHub Copilot questions in GitHub (GitHub Docs)

Copilot Enterprise

Copilot Enterprise/Benefits of Copilot Chat on GitHub.com

• Copilot Chat on GitHub.com can answer questions grounded in the repository and the page you’re viewing (for example files, pull requests, and issues).
• Use it to explore a codebase by asking about a file or symbol directly from the repository UI.

Copilot Enterprise/Pull request summaries

• Copilot can generate a pull request summary to help reviewers understand the change quickly.
• Best practice: generate the summary into a blank PR description area, then refine it (Copilot doesn’t consider existing PR description content).

Copilot Enterprise/Knowledge Bases

• Copilot Enterprise supports knowledge bases that group Markdown documentation across one or more repositories and make it available as grounded context for Copilot Chat.
• Knowledge base content is typically docs that encode “how we do things here” (best practices, patterns, standards) so Copilot can answer consistently.
• In Copilot Chat (IDE + GitHub), select a knowledge base context (for example via @github #kb) before asking a policy/standards question.

Copilot Enterprise/Custom models

• Copilot Enterprise can support custom models that fine-tune Copilot inline suggestions using your organization’s code (availability may be preview/limited).
• Enterprise/org admins can also configure access to different AI models for Copilot and control what models users can select.
• Copilot Enterprise supports using your own LLM provider API keys (BYOK) so your enterprise can use preferred models through Copilot, governed by policy.
• Capabilities evolve; always verify current GitHub Docs and changelog for what is enabled versus deprecated.

Copilot Enterprise/Quick check

• Common trap: Expecting PR summary generation to “merge” with an existing PR description (it won’t—start blank).
• Micro example: “Open a PR → generate a Copilot PR summary → ask Copilot Chat in the PR ‘What changed in src/auth/* and why?’ → switch to a knowledge base and ask ‘What’s our standard for secret handling in config?’ → validate against repo policy docs.”

Source:
Plans for GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
Using GitHub Copilot to explore pull requests (GitHub Docs)
Creating a pull request summary with GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
Asking GitHub Copilot questions in your IDE (GitHub Docs)
Creating a custom model for GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
Responsible use of GitHub Copilot pull request summaries (GitHub Docs)
Creating and managing Copilot knowledge bases (GitHub Enterprise Cloud Docs)
Copilot knowledge bases (GitHub Enterprise Cloud Docs)
Using your LLM provider API keys with Copilot (GitHub Docs)
Enterprise bring your own key (BYOK) for GitHub Copilot is now in public preview (GitHub Changelog)

Triggering Copilot

Triggering Copilot/Chat

• Open Copilot Chat and ask a question to get explanations, refactors, tests, and code fixes in the chat interface.

Triggering Copilot/Inline chat

• Use inline chat to request an edit directly at the cursor/selection (in VS Code: Ctrl+I / ⌘I) so the prompt stays scoped to the active editor.

Triggering Copilot/Inline suggestions

• Trigger an inline suggestion explicitly (for example in VS Code: Alt+\ / Option+\) and accept (Tab) or dismiss (Esc) the suggestion.

Triggering Copilot/Multiple suggestions

• Open multiple alternatives when the first suggestion isn’t good (for example in VS Code: Ctrl+Enter) and choose the best option.

Triggering Copilot/Exception handling

• When you hit an error/exception, paste the message/stack trace into Copilot Chat (or use /fix-style workflows) to get a likely root cause and a proposed fix, then validate with tests.

Triggering Copilot/Quick check

• Common trap: Treating the “best looking” suggestion as correct without running the repro steps, tests, and security checks.
• Micro example: “Trigger inline suggestion for a try/catch block, cycle alternatives, then paste the exception trace into chat and ask for the minimal fix + the exact tests to prove it.”

Source:
Keyboard shortcuts for GitHub Copilot in the IDE (GitHub Docs)
Getting code suggestions in your IDE with GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
Inline chat (Visual Studio Code Docs)
Debug errors (GitHub Docs)
Using GitHub Copilot CLI (GitHub Docs)

Using GitHub Copilot in the CLI

Using GitHub Copilot in the CLI/Install steps

• Install or update Copilot CLI with npm install -g @github/copilot (requires Node.js 22+ and npm 10+), and if you receive Copilot via an org, the Copilot CLI policy must be enabled.

Using GitHub Copilot in the CLI/Common commands

• Start an interactive session by running copilot in a project folder, confirm you trust the folder, and authenticate with /login if prompted.
• Run a one-off prompt in programmatic mode with copilot -p/--prompt "..." and (when needed) allow a specific tool via --allow-tool 'shell(git)'.

Using GitHub Copilot in the CLI/Configurable settings

• Copilot CLI will ask approval before running tools that can modify or execute files, and you can approve once, approve a tool for the current session, or deny and redirect the approach.
• Improve relevance and control by referencing files as context using @relative/path, resuming sessions with --resume/--continue, managing MCP servers via /mcp add (config stored under ~/.copilot, affected by XDG_CONFIG_HOME), and using /model, /usage, and /feedback as needed.
• Configuration is stored locally (default location in the user config directory as documented).

Using GitHub Copilot in the CLI/Quick check

• Common trap: Using broad approvals like --allow-all-tools (or approving powerful tools for the whole session) in a folder you don’t fully trust.
• Micro example: “Install Copilot CLI, run copilot in the repo, /login, prompt ‘Create a release notes summary from the last week’s commits,’ allow only shell(git), then run /usage and switch models with /model if needed.”

Source:
Installing GitHub Copilot CLI (GitHub Docs)
Using GitHub Copilot CLI (GitHub Docs)
About GitHub Copilot CLI (GitHub Docs)
Using the GitHub CLI Copilot extension (GitHub Docs)
GitHub Copilot CLI: How to get started (GitHub Blog)
github/gh-copilot README (GitHub)