{"id":233060,"date":"2026-06-30T21:28:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T04:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/java\/?p=233060"},"modified":"2026-06-30T21:35:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T04:35:29","slug":"access-github-copilot-in-jetbrains-github-copilot-is-now-a-native-agent-in-jetbrains-ai-assistant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/java\/access-github-copilot-in-jetbrains-github-copilot-is-now-a-native-agent-in-jetbrains-ai-assistant\/","title":{"rendered":"Access GitHub Copilot in JetBrains – GitHub Copilot Is Now a Native Agent in JetBrains AI Assistant"},"content":{"rendered":"

GitHub Copilot is now a first-class, native option in JetBrains AI Assistant agent picker(read more<\/a>).<\/span>\u00a0You can select it directly from the chat interface, no extra configuration needed, and immediately put Copilot to work on real coding tasks without ever leaving <\/span>AI Assistant<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"image<\/a><\/p>\n

Millions of developers already rely on the GitHub Copilot plugin<\/a> as their AI pair programmer inside JetBrains IDEs. Copilot has long been reachable through JetBrains AI Assistant via the Agent Client Protocol (ACP)<\/a>, but today we are taking that integration a significant step further.\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/i>\u2728 What's new at a glance<\/strong><\/p>Open the Chat Panel in JetBrains AI Assistant -> Select GitHub Copilot from the AI Assistant agent picker -> Hand off coding tasks and iterate in real time <\/div><\/p>\n

This is not a separate window or a plugin toggle. Inside the AI Assistant chat panel you now have a unified place to choose which AI agent drives your conversation, and GitHub Copilot is one of those agents by default.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is the Agent Client Protocol (ACP)?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The <\/span>Agent Client Protocol (ACP)<\/span><\/a> is an open standard co-developed by Zed and JetBrains, with active backing from the developer community. Think of it as a well-defined contract: any AI service that speaks to ACP can register itself with AI Assistant, expose its capabilities, and receive chat messages in a structured way without requiring a fully custom JetBrains plugin.<\/span><\/p>\n

ACP handles the negotiation between AI Assistant and an agent: capability discovery, message routing, model selection hints, and streaming responses. Because the protocol is open, third-party AI providers can build lightweight ACP-compatible servers and become available inside the IDE.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ACP Registry<\/b><\/h2>\n

The <\/span>ACP Registry<\/span><\/a> is the catalogue of agents that AI Assistant knows about. When the IDE starts, it consults the registry to discover which agents are available in the current environment. Agents can be registered locally. For example, by an installed JetBrains plugin that ships an ACP server or made available through remote endpoints.<\/span><\/p>\n

GitHub Copilot\u2019s ACP entry is now part of the default registry. This means that if you have a valid Copilot subscription and the required credentials in place, Copilot appears in your agent list automatically, you do not need to manually add or configure an endpoint.\n\"Screenshot<\/a>\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The Default Agent Picker<\/b><\/h2>\n

The agent picker is the dropdown at the bottom of the AI Assistant chat panel. It lists every agent currently registered in your environment. Selecting an agent sets it as the active driver for the conversation: subsequent messages are routed to that agent, and its capabilities, available models, reasoning modes, and supported tools are surfaced accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"options<\/a><\/p>\n

Three Ways to Use Copilot – Which One Is Right for You?<\/b><\/h1>\n

GitHub Copilot is accessible through three distinct entry points in a JetBrains development environment. They are complementary, not competitive, but understanding what each one offers helps you get the most out of every workflow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\nCopilot Agent in JetBrains AI Assistant: Quick Access to GitHub Copilot<\/b><\/h2>\n

\n\"jetbrains<\/a>\n<\/b><\/h2>\n

Co-built with JetBrains, the Copilot agent is integrated directly into the JetBrains AI Assistant, powered by ACP. It is purpose-built for developers who want to work entirely within the JetBrains chat panel without managing extra extensions.<\/span><\/p>\n