Intermediate
How to configure custom keyboard shortcuts on GitHub Copilot
Quick Answer
Configure custom keyboard shortcuts for GitHub Copilot by accessing VS Code's Keyboard Shortcuts settings and modifying the Copilot-specific commands. You can customize shortcuts for accepting suggestions, cycling through options, and triggering inline completions.
Prerequisites
- GitHub Copilot extension installed in VS Code
- Active GitHub Copilot subscription
- VS Code version 1.60 or higher
- Basic knowledge of VS Code settings
1
Open Keyboard Shortcuts Settings
Press
Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+K Cmd+S (Mac) to open the Keyboard Shortcuts editor. Alternatively, go to File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts or use Code > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts on Mac.Tip
You can also access this through the Command Palette by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P and typing 'Preferences: Open Keyboard Shortcuts'
2
Search for Copilot Commands
In the search box at the top of the Keyboard Shortcuts editor, type
copilot to filter and display all GitHub Copilot-related commands. You'll see commands like github.copilot.acceptCursorPanelSuggestion, github.copilot.generate, and editor.action.inlineSuggest.commit.Tip
Use specific search terms like 'copilot accept' or 'copilot cycle' to narrow down results further
3
Modify Accept Suggestion Shortcut
Find editor.action.inlineSuggest.commit (Accept Inline Suggestion) in the list. Click the pencil icon or double-click the command. Press your desired key combination, such as
Ctrl+Space or Alt+Enter. Press Enter to confirm the new shortcut.Tip
The default shortcut is usually Tab - make sure your new shortcut doesn't conflict with other important commands
4
Configure Cycle Through Suggestions
Locate editor.action.inlineSuggest.showNext and editor.action.inlineSuggest.showPrevious commands. Click the pencil icon next to each command and assign shortcuts like
Alt+] for next suggestion and Alt+[ for previous suggestion. Confirm each assignment by pressing Enter.Tip
Use logical key combinations that are easy to remember and close to each other on the keyboard
5
Set Trigger Suggestions Shortcut
Find editor.action.inlineSuggest.trigger command to manually trigger Copilot suggestions. Click the pencil icon and assign a shortcut like
Ctrl+Alt+Space. This is useful when automatic suggestions are disabled or when you want to force suggestions in specific contexts.Tip
This shortcut is particularly helpful when working in files where Copilot suggestions might not trigger automatically
6
Configure Dismiss Suggestions
Locate editor.action.inlineSuggest.hide command for dismissing current suggestions. Assign a shortcut like
Escape or Ctrl+D. Click the pencil icon, enter your preferred key combination, and press Enter to save.Tip
Make sure this shortcut doesn't interfere with existing Escape key functionality in your workflow
7
Test Your Custom Shortcuts
Open a code file and start typing to trigger Copilot suggestions. Test each of your newly configured shortcuts: accept suggestions, cycle through options, manually trigger suggestions, and dismiss them. Verify that all shortcuts work as expected and don't conflict with other VS Code functionality.
Tip
Test in different file types (JavaScript, Python, etc.) to ensure shortcuts work consistently across languages
8
Export and Backup Settings
To backup your keyboard shortcuts, click the Show Defined Keybindings icon (filter icon) in the Keyboard Shortcuts editor. Then click Open Keyboard Shortcuts (JSON) to view the raw configuration. Copy the Copilot-related entries to save your custom configuration for future use or sharing across devices.
Tip
Save this JSON configuration file to your cloud storage or version control system for easy restoration
Troubleshooting
Custom shortcut not working or being ignored
Check for conflicts by searching for your key combination in the Keyboard Shortcuts editor. Remove conflicting assignments or choose a different key combination. Also ensure the GitHub Copilot extension is active and enabled.
Copilot commands not appearing in Keyboard Shortcuts list
Verify that the GitHub Copilot extension is properly installed and enabled. Restart VS Code and check if your Copilot subscription is active. Update the extension to the latest version if needed.
Shortcuts work inconsistently across different file types
Check the When column in Keyboard Shortcuts editor for context-specific bindings. Some shortcuts may be limited to specific editor contexts. Modify the context or create additional bindings for different file types.
Unable to assign certain key combinations
Some key combinations are reserved by the operating system or VS Code core functions. Try alternative combinations or check VS Code's documentation for restricted shortcuts. Use
Ctrl+K Ctrl+S to see all existing assignments.Ready to get started with GitHub Copilot?
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