GitHub Copilot now features instant semantic code search indexing, dramatically reducing the time it takes for Copilot to understand and reference your codebase.
What’s changed
Previously, when you wanted GitHub Copilot to reference your repository’s code in its responses, the semantic code search indexing process would take approximately five minutes to complete. With this update, indexing now completes in just a few seconds in most cases, though it may take up to 60 seconds. This means you can get contextually-aware Copilot assistance almost immediately after opening a repository.
Why this matters
Semantic Code Search is one of GitHub Copilot’s most powerful capabilities, enabling GitHub Copilot to:
- Provide responses specific to your codebase’s architecture and patterns.
- Reference existing functions, classes, and implementations in your repo.
- Suggest code that aligns with your project’s style and conventions.
- Answer questions about your codebase with accurate, context-aware information.
With instant semantic code search indexing, there’s virtually no waiting period between opening a repository and receiving codebase-aware AI assistance, making your development workflow more efficient and interruption-free.
How it works
Semantic code search indexing is automatically triggered when you open GitHub Copilot Chat on github.com. For VS Code users with the GitHub Copilot extension, you can also manually trigger indexing through the Copilot UI if needed.
Availability
This feature is available to all GitHub Copilot users across all tiers, including the free tier. There are no limits on how many repositories can be indexed.
Learn more
For detailed information about repository indexing for GitHub Copilot, check out our documentation.
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