Darius Baruo
Aug 02, 2025 05:38
GitHub introduces updates to its Copilot coding agent, enhancing reliability and debugging with new custom setup steps. The changes aim to streamline development processes for Copilot users.
GitHub has announced significant improvements to its Copilot coding agent, focusing on the reliability and ease of debugging custom setup steps. These changes are designed to enhance the user experience for developers utilizing Copilot in their projects, according to GitHub.
Streamlining Development with Copilot
The Copilot coding agent, powered by GitHub Actions, allows developers to delegate various tasks to be executed in the background. This includes compiling code, running automated tests, and utilizing linters within its own development environment. The latest updates aim to make the process more efficient by allowing users to customize the development environment through a .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml file.
Key Updates to Custom Setup Steps
GitHub has implemented two major changes to improve the functionality of custom setup steps within the Copilot coding agent. Firstly, users can now monitor the progress of these steps directly in the agent session logs, eliminating the need to access verbose logs in GitHub Actions. Secondly, if a custom setup step encounters a failure, Copilot will continue to operate, ensuring that developers and their teams are not hindered by setup issues.
Availability and Integration
The Copilot coding agent is available in public preview for users subscribed to Copilot Pro, Copilot Pro+, Copilot Business, and Copilot Enterprise, provided that an administrator has enabled the relevant policy. It is integrated across various platforms, including github.com, multiple IDEs, GitHub Mobile, the GitHub CLI, and the GitHub MCP Server, allowing users to delegate tasks from virtually any location.
For more information about the Copilot coding agent and its functionalities, interested users can visit the official documentation provided by GitHub. [source name](https://github.blog/changelog/2025-07-30-copilot-coding-agent-custom-setup-steps-are-more-reliable-and-easier-to-debug/).
Image source: Shutterstock
