We released Copilot in SSMS (preview) with the General Availability of SSMS 21 in May of this year. For the uninitiated, the implementation requires creating an endpoint and deployment in Azure OpenAI (AOAI). We expected that some users would encounter friction during initial configuration - not all users of SSMS have Azure portal access, or permission to create such resources in Azure. However, the benefits of using AOAI - built in security, the ability to deploy resources in specific geographic areas, pay-as-you-go model - combined with an underlying architecture that ultimately supports accessing any endpoint (third-party or internal) outweighed potential setup challenges.
We also expected that users would ask why we didn’t integrate with GitHub Copilot. And to be clear, it was something we had explored, and it was not feasible at the time due to a variety of factors. We were not surprised to see a feedback item calling for GHCP support. As the vote count climbed, and the comments flowed in, we increased our focus on GHCP feasibility. It was clear that SSMS users wanted a simpler, more familiar Copilot experience, like they have in Visual Studio and VS Code. We explored a PoC with GitHub Copilot, and we put out a survey asking about Copilot in SSMS (thanks to those that responded!). Ultimately, 75% of survey respondents wanted the Copilot experience in SSMS to leverage GitHub Copilot.
An implementation pivot is not a quick or easy decision, and not something we take lightly. But at the end of the day, the data - combined with user feedback - supported the move to using GitHub Copilot. And that’s what we’re doing. We’re changing tack mid-course to move in a new direction.
If you’re celebrating this decision, welcome to the party!
If you’re not sure what this decision means for you, because you’re already using Copilot in SSMS 21, we see you. Keep reading.
What about the existing Copilot in SSMS experience?
The original Copilot in SSMS 21 will continue to be available in SSMS 21 but will not receive any updates. If you’ve been using Copilot in SSMS 21 (which connects to your Azure OpenAI Service), you can continue to use it in SSMS 21.x. We are not disabling or removing it from SSMS 21. However, the original Copilot in SSMS will not be actively developed further, and it will not be available in the next major release. Think of it as a feature-frozen preview – it will remain as-is (bug fixes aside) while we focus our energy on the new GitHub Copilot integration. This ensures that those of you who have invested time in the current Copilot can keep using it in SSMS 21.
Will GHCP in SSMS have the same capabilities as Copilot in SSMS?
Yes, in time. Our team’s mandate is to ensure that moving to GitHub Copilot in SSMS does not ultimately remove or degrade any functionality you had with the original Copilot in SSMS. The GitHub Copilot integration will get to parity with the original Copilot in SSMS – but it will take a few releases so please set expectations accordingly. GitHub Copilot in SSMS will have the sidecar chat, code assistance, and of course database context. We’re aiming for a seamless experience: you shouldn’t have to re-learn anything or lose capabilities. Ultimately, it will feel like Copilot is “built in” (because it will be), and then we’ll work to extend capabilities beyond what’s currently available in the existing Copilot experience.
What about those of us who want or need to control where our model is deployed?
GitHub Copilot supports connecting to your own model using API keys. In addition to OpenAI, connecting to Google and Anthropic are also supported, with more providers planned.
When will GHCP in SSMS be available?
Makena shared a blog post about the next SSMS release (v22), and GitHub Copilot in SSMS will debut in a preview of SSMS 22 after Preview 1. We know this might be disappointing for those eager to see GitHub Copilot in SSMS immediately, but there are two big factors in play:
- This integration is a significant engineering pivot for our team
- This integration requires collaboration with the GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio teams
We are actively working to evolve the existing GitHub Copilot experience to one that is tailored for SSMS and includes database and connection context. Once it is available in a preview release, any SSMS user with a GitHub Copilot license will be able to sign in and start using it, with no additional setup required. We’re doing everything we can to minimize the gap between SSMS 22 Preview 1 and the reintroduction of Copilot, while also focusing on quality and reliability.
Why can’t you release GHCP in SSMS now? It works in Visual Studio; doesn’t it just work in SSMS?
GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio is designed to support a workflow for developers who live in projects and solutions all day. While users in SSMS may use projects and solutions for their T-SQL scripts, the workflow is very different. In addition, the biggest values of Copilot in SSMS are its connection and database context, and its RAG implementation. Neither exist in the current GitHub Copilot integration; we have to add it. The context capabilities from the original Copilot in SSMS cannot just be “dropped” into the GitHub Copilot code. We need time to make this work correctly with the GitHub Copilot integration and ensure code quality meets our expectations.
What Copilot experience will be available in SSMS 22 Preview 1?
The first public preview of SSMS 22 will not include any Copilot functionality. Those of you excited about GitHub Copilot might be disappointed, and we understand, but it’s necessary for the short term. As discussed above, there is significant engineering work for us to customize GitHub Copilot for SSMS, and the new integration will not be ready for Preview 1. This means when you try out SSMS 22 Preview 1, you won’t see an option to install AI components, and you won’t see Copilot in the menu or have AI suggestions. We want to be very clear, so no one is surprised. Remember, this is temporary!
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 GHCP 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 GHCP subscriptions are supported?
All personal and business subscriptions are supported.
Can I use GHCP 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.
If I like GitHub Copilot for MSSQL in VS Code, will I like GitHub Copilot in SSMS?
We hope so! With GitHub Copilot as the foundation for both, and database context infused in the experience, our teams are working together to create a consistent experience across copilots.
What’s next?
We are excited about this change. By aligning SSMS with GitHub Copilot, we’re not simply solving a pain point, we’re also creating a more unified experience across the Microsoft ecosystem. Whether you’re writing T-SQL in SSMS, C# in Visual Studio, or both in VS Code, Copilot will operate on the same principles and licensing. This consistency is a win for developers and database professionals who use multiple tools.
If you have questions about this change that aren’t answered here, please leave a comment and we’ll answer them (and update the post with the information if applicable). On behalf of the entire team, thank you for your continued interest and feedback. It’s not every day that we make a pivot of this magnitude, but we believe that this will make it easier for users to embrace AI assistance in SSMS. We’re committed to creating a copilot that’s a valuable and efficient companion whether you're writing T-SQL or managing a database, and the move to GitHub Copilot gets us closer to that vision.
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