GitHub Copilot for MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code

The GitHub Copilot integration with the MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code provides AI-assisted SQL development. You can use it to write and optimize database code, generate and modify schemas, understand existing logic, and work with code-first and data-first database development patterns.

This integration is designed for developers, with a focus on the following personas:

• Modern application developer: Builds feature-rich, scalable applications with frameworks like Node.js, Python, .NET, and Go.

• AI / cloud-native developer: Specializes in containerized, serverless, and microservices-based applications, often integrating AI-powered capabilities.

• Solutions architect: Designs end-to-end systems that align database solutions with broader architectural goals.

• Database developer: Focuses on Transact-SQL (T-SQL), database-specific concepts, and optimizing database workflows.

What is the MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code?

The MSSQL extension in Visual Studio Code supports SQL database in Fabric, Azure SQL, and SQL Server.

For more information about the extension, visit the GitHub repository.

What is GitHub Copilot for the MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code?

GitHub Copilot for the MSSQL extension provides AI assistance for SQL development in Visual Studio Code. It can help you:

• Explore, design, and modify database schemas using code-first and data-first approaches.
• Suggest SQL syntax, relationships, and constraints based on your schema context.
• Write, optimize, and troubleshoot SQL queries.
• Generate mock data and seed scripts for testing and development.
• Autogenerate object-relational mapping (ORM) migrations or T-SQL change scripts.
• Explain business logic in stored procedures, views, and functions.
• Identify security problems such as SQL injection risks or excessive permissions.
• Provide natural language explanations of T-SQL code.
• Describe existing database schemas and relationships.
• Scaffold data access layers and other backend components based on your database schema.

Supported SQL Server platforms

GitHub Copilot for the MSSQL extension works with all of these SQL Server platforms:

SQL Server

• SQL Server 2019 (15.x)
• SQL Server 2022 (16.x)
• SQL Server 2025 (17.x)
• SQL Server running on any platform:
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Containers (local and Kubernetes deployments)

Azure SQL

• Azure SQL Database
• Azure SQL Managed Instance
• SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

Microsoft Fabric

• SQL database in Fabric
• Fabric Data Warehouse
• Fabric Lakehouse (SQL analytics endpoint)

Target audience

GitHub Copilot for the MSSQL extension is designed for developers who work with applications and SQL databases in Visual Studio Code.

Persona	Description
Modern application developer	Build applications using frameworks like React, Angular, .NET, Django, and Node.js. GitHub Copilot assists with schema generation, query authoring, and integration patterns from your codebase.
AI / cloud-native developer	Build serverless, containerized, and microservices-based solutions. GitHub Copilot generates T-SQL queries, manages schema changes, and assists with data access patterns for cloud-native architectures, including vector search and hybrid retrieval scenarios.
Solutions architect	Design data-centric systems across services and environments. GitHub Copilot helps you visualize, validate, and prototype database interactions.
Database engineer	Manage schema evolution, write T-SQL queries, and optimize performance. GitHub Copilot offers suggestions, explains code, and identifies potential optimizations.

Choose a mode for your task

GitHub Copilot offers several interaction modes. Use this table to pick the right one.

Task	Ask mode	Edit mode	Agent mode	Plan mode
Explain a stored procedure	Recommended	No	Yes	No
Generate a query for a schema	Recommended	No	Yes	No
Refactor a query across multiple files	No	Recommended	Yes	No
Add audit columns to every table and update related procedures	No	Yes	Recommended	Yes
Design a full data model from a product requirements document	No	No	Yes	Recommended
Connect, switch database, run query in chat	Slash commands	No	Recommended	No
Design a schema visually with artificial intelligence assistance	Schema Designer scenarios	No	No	No

For a deeper explanation of each mode, see How GitHub Copilot works with the MSSQL extension.

Interaction surfaces

Each surface has different schema awareness. Know which surface to use when you need schema-aware suggestions.

Surface	Provided by	Schema-aware?	Article
Chat participant (@mssql)	MSSQL extension	Yes (connected database)	Chat with @mssql (ask mode)
Agent mode tools	MSSQL extension contributes tools	Yes (via tool calls)	Agent mode
Plan mode	Visual Studio Code	Yes (via @mssql context)	Plan mode
Slash commands	MSSQL extension	Yes	Slash commands
Inline completions (ghost text)	GitHub Copilot model directly	No	Inline completions
Schema Designer canvas	Embedded GitHub Copilot	Yes	Schema Designer scenarios
Data API builder canvas	Embedded GitHub Copilot	Yes	Data API builder

Inline completions (ghost text in .sql files) don't see your connected database schema. For schema-aware SQL suggestions, use the @mssql chat participant. For the architectural reason, see How GitHub Copilot works with the MSSQL extension.

Features

Feature	Status	Description
Chat with @mssql (ask mode)	GA	Natural-language conversations with the @mssql chat participant. Schema-aware suggestions based on your connected database and active files.
Agent mode	GA	Multi-step workflows where GitHub Copilot orchestrates MSSQL extension tools (connect, list databases, run query). Requires your approval on each tool invocation.
Plan mode	GA	Reason about a data model before writing SQL data definition language. Pair with product requirements documents for spec-driven design.
Slash commands	GA	Structured prompts for common tasks: connect, list databases, run query, show schema. Faster than typing a full natural-language prompt.
Inline completions	GA	Ghost text while typing. Useful for common SQL patterns. Doesn't see your database schema.
Custom instructions	GA	Teach GitHub Copilot your team's Transact-SQL (T-SQL) conventions. Applies across ask, edit, agent, and inline completions.
Smart query builder	GA	Generate SQL and object-relational mapping (ORM) queries from natural language with schema awareness.
Code generation	GA	Scaffold stored procedures, tables, and ORM data access code from your schema.
Query optimizer assistant	GA	Performance suggestions, indexing strategies, execution plan analysis.
Business logic explainer	GA	Natural-language explanations of stored procedures, views, and user-defined functions.
Security analyzer	GA	Detect SQL injection patterns, overly permissive roles, and unencrypted sensitive data.
Localization and formatting helper	GA	Collation, Unicode, and region-specific query patterns.
Test data generator	GA	Generate realistic seed data and INSERT statements.
Schema Designer with GitHub Copilot	GA	Embedded artificial intelligence in the visual Schema Designer canvas. Create, evolve, and review schemas with live diagram updates.
Data API builder with GitHub Copilot	GA	Configure REST, GraphQL, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) endpoints using natural language.
Schema explorer (chat-based)	GA	Prompt-driven schema exploration, creation, and reverse engineering via @mssql chat.
Object-relational mapping integrations	GA	Reference for Entity Framework, Prisma, Sequelize, SQLAlchemy, Django ORM, TypeORM, Drizzle, and Dapper.

Prerequisites

Install Visual Studio Code

1. Download Visual Studio Code.
2. Complete the installation by following the wizard.

Install the MSSQL extension in Visual Studio Code

To get started with SQL development in Visual Studio Code, install the MSSQL extension:

1. Open Visual Studio Code.

2. Select the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar (Cmd+Shift+X on macOS, or Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows and Linux).

3. In the search bar, type mssql.

4. Find SQL Server (mssql) in the results and select it.

5. Select the Install button.

   

Tip

If you're unfamiliar with the MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code, see the MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code.

Set up GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code

1. Make sure you have a GitHub account. If you don't have one, sign up for free at GitHub.

2. Ensure you have an active GitHub Copilot subscription. You can start a free trial or purchase a subscription at GitHub Copilot.

3. In Visual Studio Code, open the Extensions view (Cmd+Shift+X on macOS, or Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows and Linux).

4. Search for and install both GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat extensions.

   

5. After installation, sign in to your GitHub account. Use the Visual Studio Code command palette GitHub Copilot: Sign in or sign in using the GitHub Copilot icon from the status bar at the bottom of the window.

   

6. After signing in, you might need to authorize the GitHub Copilot extension to access your GitHub account. Follow the prompts to complete the authorization process.

7. When you sign in, GitHub Copilot is active and ready to assist as you write code in your editor.

For more information, see the official Quickstart for GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code.

Connect to a database

To get started with GitHub Copilot for the MSSQL extension, connect to a supported SQL Server or Azure SQL database from the Connections view in Visual Studio Code.

Note

For step-by-step instructions on how to create a new connection profile and connect to a database, see Connect to a database with the MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code.

Start chatting with your database

You can start using GitHub Copilot by initiating a chat session with your database:

1. Go to the Connections view in the MSSQL extension.

2. Right-click on a connected database.

3. Select Chat with this database from the context menu.

   

After selecting this option, you need to grant the MSSQL extension access to the language models provided by GitHub Copilot Chat.
This access is required to enable contextual conversations about your database.

Once you approve access, a GitHub Copilot chat window opens in the context of the selected database. You're now ready to ask questions, generate Transact-SQL, and explore schema insights using natural language.

Manage database context

GitHub Copilot uses your current database connection to provide schema-aware suggestions. The @mssql chat participant automatically detects your connection status and adapts its behavior accordingly.

Connect to a database

When you start an Ask mode session with @mssql without an active database connection, the chat participant detects this condition and provides helpful guidance to establish a connection:

You can connect to a database in multiple ways:

1. Use GitHub Copilot's chat interface: When prompted by the @mssql participant, select the Open SQL editor and connect button to launch the connection dialog.

2. Use the MSSQL extension: Use the Connect command from the MSSQL extension's Connections view to create or select a connection profile.

3. Use slash commands: Type @mssql /connect in the GitHub Copilot chat to quickly open the connection dialog. For more connection-related slash commands, see Connection management slash commands.

4. Use Agent Mode: If you're using GitHub Copilot agent mode, you can connect directly through natural language prompts without requiring a pre-established connection. For more information on how Agent Mode handles connections, see How connection logic works.

Welcome message and database context

Once connected, the @mssql chat participant displays a welcome message with your current connection details:

The welcome message displays:

• Your connected server
• Your current database name
• Available capabilities and assistance options

Switch database contexts

To switch to a different database while working, use one of the following options:

• Change Database button: Use the Change Database button in the MSSQL extension sidebar.

  

• Status bar: Select the status bar panel that displays the current connection (server, database, user). This action opens a dropdown list where you can select a different database from your configured profiles.

  

  Important

  GitHub Copilot requires an active database connection to provide meaningful, schema-aware suggestions. Without a connection, the @mssql participant guides you to establish one before proceeding with database-related tasks.

• Slash commands: Type @mssql /changeDatabase in the GitHub Copilot chat to quickly switch to a different database. For more information, see Connection management slash commands.

• Agent Mode tools: Use natural language prompts with Agent Mode to switch databases. For more information, see Connection management in Agent Mode.

  Note

  When using GitHub Copilot agent mode, you can connect to databases without requiring a pre-established connection. Agent Mode uses tools contributed by the MSSQL extension to handle connections through natural language prompts or chat variables like #mssql_connect. For details, see How connection logic works.

GitHub Copilot detects your connection state and provides context-aware assistance whether you're connecting for the first time or switching between environments.

Share your experience

To help us refine and improve GitHub Copilot for the MSSQL extension, use the following GitHub issue template to submit your feedback: GitHub Copilot Feedback

When submitting feedback, consider including:

• Scenarios tested: Let us know which areas you focused on, for example, schema creation, query generation, security, localization.

• What worked well: Describe any experiences that felt smooth, helpful, or exceeded your expectations.

• Issues or bugs: Include any problems, inconsistencies, or confusing behaviors. Screenshots or screen recordings are especially helpful.

• Suggestions for improvement: Share ideas for improving usability, expanding coverage, or enhancing GitHub Copilot's responses.

Related content

• Quickstart: Use GitHub Copilot slash commands
• Quickstart: Use GitHub Copilot agent mode
• Quickstart: Chat with the @mssql participant (ask mode)
• Quickstart: Generate code
• Quickstart: Use the schema explorer and designer
• Quickstart: Use the smart query builder
• Quickstart: Query optimizer assistant
• Quickstart: Use the business logic explainer
• Quickstart: Security analyzer
• Quickstart: Localization and formatting helper
• Quickstart: Generate data for testing and mocking
• GitHub Copilot integration in Schema Designer
• Data API builder
• Limitations and known issues