Last month we shared that we made the decision to pivot to GitHub Copilot for the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) copilot integration. This month we’re happy to announce that GitHub Copilot in SSMS is now available in Preview 3 of SSMS 22! If you’re looking to get help writing, editing, or fixing T-SQL, have questions to ask about your database, and you’d like to use your GitHub Copilot subscription, then it’s time to install SSMS 22 Preview 3 with the AI Assistance workload.
With GitHub Copilot in SSMS you can login using your existing GitHub Copilot subscription, and if you don’t have one, you can sign up for Copilot Free right from the chat window in SSMS. Once you’re logged in, open a query editor and connect to a database, and you’re off and running!
Using GitHub Copilot in SSMS
GitHub Copilot in SSMS has database and connection context when you’re connected in an editor window, so it knows the version of SQL to which you’re connected and has knowledge of the database schema. From the chat window you can get assistance with T-SQL in the active editor or ask questions about your database. Switch to another editor window to chat with a different database, or start a new thread if you want to maintain separate conversations. You can find demos of GitHub Copilot in SSMS in action in our new playlist.
When typing in the editor you’ll notice that there is no auto-complete functionality; that’s expected, but it’s temporary! We prioritized making this first preview release available to our users, and we are actively working to bring parity with the original Copilot in SSMS, in addition to new capabilities unlocked by GitHub Copilot. This will take a few releases, so review the list of current limitations to understand what’s available in this initial release. Remember this is preview, which means we are far from finished! It also means that this your chance to provide feedback on what you like so far, and what you would like to see – we’d love to hear from you on the feedback site (please make sure to search first before creating an item).
A few FAQs below, as a reminder…
Will you backport GitHub Copilot to SSMS 21?
No, GitHub Copilot in SSMS will only be available in SSMS 22.
Do I need a GitHub Copilot subscription to use GitHub Copilot in SSMS?
Yes.
What if I don’t have a GitHub Copilot subscription?
You can sign up for a personal subscription (GitHub Copilot · Your AI pair programmer), or your company can sign up for a business or enterprise subscription. Once you have a subscription, you can use GitHub Copilot in SSMS.
What GitHub Copilot subscriptions are supported?
All personal and business subscriptions are supported.
Can I use GitHub Copilot for free?
Yes! GitHub Copilot offers a free, personal subscription that can be used in SSMS, just like it can be used in Visual Studio and VS Code.
What’s next?
Our teams are thrilled to make GitHub Copilot in SSMS (Preview) available to users, and we look forward to your feedback. We will evolve this integration in subsequent releases of SSMS 22 Preview, with the ultimate goal of making it easier for users to leverage AI assistance in SSMS and become more efficient in their daily workflow.
Microsoft