GitHub Copilot

#The Problem

Copilot’s eagerness to generate code can backfire. You describe a feature, and before you’ve finished explaining, it’s already written 200 lines that miss the point.

#The Solution: Plan Mode

GitHub introduced Plan Mode specifically to address this. Here’s how to use it:

#Activating Plan Mode

Press Shift+Tab before describing your task. This signals to Copilot that you want to discuss before implementing.

#What Happens in Plan Mode

1. Clarifying Questions: Copilot asks about your requirements instead of assuming
2. Structured Planning: It outlines the implementation approach
3. Your Review: You can modify the plan before any code is written
4. Controlled Execution: Code generation only starts when you approve

#Example Conversation

Without Plan Mode:

“Add user authentication” [Copilot immediately generates 300 lines of JWT-based auth]

With Plan Mode:

“Add user authentication” “I have some questions before we start:

• Should this use session-based auth or JWT?
• Do you need OAuth providers?
• What’s the current user model structure?”

#When to Use Plan Mode

• New features with unclear requirements
• Refactoring that affects multiple files
• Any task where “just start coding” has burned you before

#When to Skip It

• Quick bug fixes with obvious solutions
• Adding a single function with clear parameters
• Tasks you’ve done many times before

#Pro Tip

Even after planning, you can say “wait, let’s reconsider” at any point. Copilot will pause and let you redirect.