GitHub Copilot is a powerful tool that shapes how teams write and manage code. With the launch of Agent Mode, Copilot is no longer just suggesting lines of code. It has become a collaborator that can read your environment, plan out tasks and execute them from start to finish.
How Does GitHub Copilot’s Agent Mode Work?
Agent Mode operates in three major stages:
- Understanding the environment: This includes your entire codebase, open files, folder structure, and terminal output.
- Planning and execution: Next, it plans and executes a series of steps to accomplish a task, whether that’s modifying code, generating new files, running commands, or debugging issues
- Refining: Finally, it loops and iterates, refining its work until the job is done.
This stateful memory is what sets Copilot’s agent apart. Unlike traditional autocomplete tools, it tracks progress across multiple steps and carries the context of the task throughout the session. This means its suggestions aren’t just relevant, they’re grounded in a deep understanding of your codebase which often results in less rework and higher quality output.
Ask, Edit And Agent Mode - How And When To Use Each Mode
With Agent Mode now possible it can be confusing to choose between the three different modes in GitHub Copilot. Knowing how and when to use GitHub Copilot Ask, Edit and Agent Mode will help you get the most out of GitHub Copilot without overcomplicating your process.
Ask Mode: Best for quick answers, explanations, or guidance. Use Ask Mode when you want Copilot to clarify how a framework works, explain an error message, or draft a code snippet you can adapt yourself. Think of it as your “on-demand knowledge base” inside the IDE.
Edit Mode: Ideal when you need targeted changes to existing code. Use Edit Mode when you want Copilot to refactor a function, optimise a loop, or improve readability. Instead of rewriting everything yourself, you describe what you want improved and Copilot updates the code in place.
Agent Mode: The most powerful option, used when you want Copilot to complete an entire task from start to finish. Agent Mode is suited for scenarios like creating a new feature with backend and frontend changes, writing a suite of tests, or updating documentation across multiple files. It plans, executes, and delivers results that you can then review and merge.
To summarise you can see it as:
| Mode | Best For | Example Prompt |
|---|---|---|
|
Ask |
Quick answers or explanations |
“Explain why this query is slow” |
|
Edit |
Targeted changes to existing code |
“Refactor this function for readability” |
|
Agent |
End-to-end tasks across files |
“Build a search feature with filters and tests”
|
The key is choosing the right level of support for the problem at hand. Ask Mode gives you quick insight, Edit Mode fine-tunes your code, and Agent Mode executes larger, more complex workflows. Together they cover everything from learning and experimentation to production-ready engineering.
GitHub Copilot Agent Mode Use Cases And Examples
| Use Case | Example Prompt | What Agent Mode Does |
|---|---|---|
|
Feature Implementation |
“Add a recent activity tracker to the dashboard” |
Builds UI, backend endpoints, storage logic, tests, and helps you raise a PR |
|
Codebase-wide Refactoring
|
“Update all API endpoints to use a consistent error handling pattern” |
Applies consistent patterns across files, creates helpers, updates docs |
|
Automated Test Generation
|
“Create unit and integration tests for the payments service” |
Writes unit and integration tests across modules and validates coverage |
|
Legacy Code Modernisation
|
“Migrate this module from callbacks to async/await” |
Migrates old patterns to modern syntax, updates dependencies, adds tests, runs the code and troubleshoots |
|
Documentation and Onboarding
|
“Generate developer documentation for the authentication service”
|
Generates API references, usage examples, and structured READMEs
|
|
Cross-File Feature Additions |
“Add audit logging for all user-facing actions” |
Injects logic across endpoints, creates helpers, updates documentation |
How Does Agent Mode Support Security And Compliance?
For larger organisations, especially those in regulated industries, security and governance are non-negotiable. Agent Mode is designed with these needs in mind. Teams can control exactly what the agent can access, from limiting it to certain files and folders to enforcing strict permissions on actions it can take. Every activity is logged, making its work transparent, auditable and compliant.
When combined with GitHub’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent Mode can securely use internal APIs and proprietary documentation without exposing sensitive knowledge. This ensures enterprise data remains protected while allowing the agent to operate with deep contextual awareness.
Best Practices for Using GitHub Copilot’s Agent Mode
Adopting GitHub Copilot Agent Mode works best when you start small and build confidence over time. Begin with low-risk, high-volume tasks such as writing unit tests, updating documentation, or scaffolding internal tools as greenfield project(s). These early wins help you tune configurations, understand how the agent behaves, and build trust across the team.
As confidence grows, expand into more complex areas like new feature development, codebase refactors, or system-level improvements. Many teams find that the results compound quickly: cleaner pull requests, faster iteration cycles, smoother onboarding for new developers, and fewer handoffs slowing down delivery pipelines.
Equally important is how you review the agent’s output. Never accept changes blindly. Agent Mode is a powerful collaborator, but it still requires human oversight to catch errors, ensure security, and maintain alignment with your architecture. Think of it as a capable teammate: it accelerates delivery but still benefits from review and feedback.
The recent Tea App data breach, which exposed more than 72,000 user photos (including selfies and IDs) and over 1.1 million private messages, is a clear reminder of what can happen when applications are shipped without proper safeguards.
As a GitHub certified partner and one of the few Australian organisations with the DevOps with GitHub specialisation, we are uniquely positioned to address your GitHub needs. Get in touch with a GitHub expert today!
