In this guide, Randy Pagels shares his top tips for getting the most out of GitHub Copilot, focusing on practical application, code quality, and time-saving techniques.

Top 10 Copilot Tips

By Randy Pagels

Posted on Jun 27, 2025

GitHub Copilot might not be magic, but it’s a game-changer for many developers. If you’re looking to enhance your coding efficiency and code quality, here are the top tips for maximizing what Copilot can do for you:

1. Start with a Comment

Provide Copilot with plain English instructions (or another spoken language) regarding what you want to achieve. For example:

  • // build a function that calculates factorial
  • # check if file exists and log result

Comments give Copilot crucial context about your intent, enabling it to generate more useful code suggestions.

2. Prompt for Style

If you have a preferred coding style, communicate it directly:

  • // as a one-liner function
  • // use async/await

Being explicit about your expectations helps Copilot adapt suggestions to your style.

3. Cycle Through Suggestions

Copilot typically provides multiple suggestions. Quickly review alternatives by using:

  • Alt+] or Alt+[ (Windows/Linux)
  • Ctrl+] or Ctrl+[ (Mac)

This allows you to select the suggestion that best fits your needs.

4. Be Specific, Not Just Brief

While short prompts like // sort list work, detailed instructions such as // sort users by signup date descending; handle empty case lead to more accurate and tailored code generations.

5. Refactor with Copilot Chat

Take advantage of Copilot Chat in supported editors:

  • Highlight code to request rewrites, simplification, or new features.
  • Copilot Chat provides step-by-step options and lets you edit or accept the generated changes.

6. Leverage Docs and Types

Keep your inline documentation, type hints, docstrings, and JSDoc current. The more high-quality metadata you provide, the more accurate Copilot’s predictions will be.

7. Quickly Write Tests

Use prompt comments like # test for edge cases or // create tests for validation to have Copilot suggest robust, scenario-based tests that can round out your coverage.

8. Use Copilot in PRs and Code Reviews

Copilot isn’t limited to writing code:

  • Summarize diffs
  • Explain changes
  • Auto-generate review comments

in Visual Studio Code and on GitHub.com, accelerating review processes.

9. Don’t Accept Everything

Copilot suggests code but isn’t infallible. Always review generated output before merging; carefully check for logical mistakes, security vulnerabilities, or overlooked context.

10. Share Your Own Pro Tips!

Feedback helps refine Copilot and the broader ecosystem. Share your experiences and useful patterns by contributing to the GitHub Copilot repository.

11. Use Context Files Strategically

Open related files in your editor before writing new code. Copilot reads the open tabs in your workspace, improving its ability to recommend consistent names, structures, and approaches.

For continuous improvement, keep your coding context rich, engage with the Copilot community, and stay proactive about reviewing Copilot’s output. These strategies will help you get the most out of GitHub Copilot as it evolves.

This post appeared first on “Randy Pagels’s Blog”. Read the entire article here