Randy Pagels explains how developers can leverage GitHub Copilot’s Edit Mode for fast, targeted improvements to code bases, demonstrating features such as simplifying logic, matching styles, and automating error handling using AI-driven prompts.

Use Edit Mode for Quick, Targeted Improvements

Posted by Randy Pagels on Aug 29, 2025

Efficiently improving your code doesn’t always require building new features from scratch. GitHub Copilot’s Edit Mode allows developers to polish, refactor, and enhance existing code simply by describing what they want changed.

What is Edit Mode?

Edit Mode is a focused Copilot feature where you highlight a block of code and enter a prompt, and Copilot executes targeted transformations:

  • Rewrite logic for clarity
  • Simplify complex sections
  • Adapt to specific coding styles
  • Introduce error handling

ProTip: Instantly Polish Your Code

Rather than manual rewrites, select your code and tell Copilot precisely what you need. Examples include:

  1. Simplify Complex Logic
    • # Rewrite this function to be easier to read without changing its behavior
    • Copilot will refactor for clarity while preserving functionality.
  2. Match a Coding Style
    • // Update this function to use async/await instead of promises
    • Copilot modernizes code to fit style guidelines.
  3. Add Error Handling Automatically
    • // Add try/catch blocks to handle potential runtime errors
    • Instantly improves reliability.

Agent Mode: Scaling Up Improvements

Use Agent Mode when you want Copilot to apply similar changes across multiple files:

  • Example: “Review all service files and update them to follow the same error-handling pattern.”
  • Great for maintaining consistency on larger codebases.

Extra Prompts to Try

  • # Refactor this loop into a more concise version
  • # Add XML or JSDoc comments to describe parameters and return values
  • # Replace deprecated methods with supported alternatives

Key Takeaway

Edit Mode serves as a precise developer assistant—interpret your intent and make accurate improvements to code, one section at a time. For broader changes, Agent Mode makes it easy to automate patterns throughout your codebase.

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