On November 6, 2026, GitHub made @GitHub in Slack and Microsoft Teams generally available. Mention @GitHub in a thread or direct message and Copilot cloud agent investigates bugs, creates issues, writes code, and opens pull requests in a cloud sandbox. Teams adds a Canvas beside the chat for reviewing plans and file changes.
Last updated: November 8, 2026
Table of contents
- What changed on November 6
- Requirements and permissions
- How to set up @GitHub in Slack
- Using @GitHub in Microsoft Teams
- Slack and Teams compared
- Power-user workflows and prompt patterns
- Limitations to plan around
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What changed on November 6, 2026
The GitHub Changelog moved @GitHub in Slack and Teams to general availability and listed four changes:
- Canvas in Teams: review implementation plans, code changes, and previews next to the conversation while teammates comment.
- Faster onboarding:
@GitHubnow identifies the repository from your message and starts the session without asking you to select it again. - More reliable conversations: GitHub fixed an issue that could stop responses to follow-up messages.
- Clearer attribution: issues and pull requests created by
@GitHubnow include “Created from a Slack/Teams conversation with @username” in the description.
The same week brought Copilot in Xcode and Copilot in JetBrains Air.
Requirements and permissions
According to the Slack integration docs, you need a GitHub account with a paid Copilot plan, a Slack workspace, and the GitHub app for Slack installed. See how much GitHub Copilot costs for current plan prices. If you get Copilot through an organization or enterprise, the Copilot in the cloud policy is on by default, but an owner can turn it off.
Permissions decide who can act. Only users with write access to every repository in a session can start or steer it. Any participant can add context. Workspace guests and outside collaborators cannot start or steer sessions. In a direct message, Copilot uses your linked account. In a channel or group thread, it works under the app’s identity. If a repository ruleset already requires at least one approval, a pull request from a shared conversation needs one more approval before it can merge. This is on by default.
Copilot reads the whole thread as context and stores that context in the artifacts it creates. If a thread contains material you do not want in an issue or pull request, use a direct message instead.
How to set up @GitHub in Slack
The GitHub for Slack setup guide says the app only needs to be installed once per workspace, by someone with Slack admin permissions.
- Go to slack.github.com, click Add to Slack, and approve access for your workspace.
- Invite the app to a channel with
/invite @github. - Mention
@GitHubin a message or open a direct message with the app, then connect your GitHub account when prompted. - Set channel defaults with
@GitHub settings(the setup guide also lists/github settings): pick the owner, the repositories, and optionally a default model. The first repository becomes the primary one. - Describe a task, for example
@GitHub Add "Hello World" to the README in octo-org/octo-repo on the develop branch. - Steer the work in the dedicated code channel Copilot creates, called Slack Code. When the session ends, Copilot asks whether to archive the channel. You can reopen archived channels later.
Enterprise-owned repositories need an administrator to install the Slack GitHub app and choose which repositories it can access. Notification subscriptions (/github subscribe OWNER/REPO) and Copilot repository defaults are separate settings.
Using @GitHub in Microsoft Teams
The Teams integration docs describe one combined GitHub app for notifications and Copilot. If your team already uses GitHub Notifications, update it to the combined app. Install it once per team from the installation link in the docs, then any member can connect an account.
Start a session in a channel, group chat, or personal chat. Teams accepts explicit parameters: @GitHub Create a pull request to YOUR-PROMPT repo=OWNER/REPO branch=BRANCH-NAME, where branch is an existing base branch. To revise the work, mention @GitHub again in the same thread. Copilot uses every message since the last mention. Select Open canvas to follow the plan, file changes, and pull request overview beside the chat.
Slack and Teams compared
| Capability | Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Where work is steered | A dedicated Slack Code channel, one per task | The original thread, with a read-only Canvas |
| Default model for a channel | Yes, through the settings command | Per-conversation model picker |
| Repositories per session | Up to 11, same owner | Up to 11, same owner |
| MCP servers | Configured in a repository the session uses | Configured in a repository the session uses |
| Copilot Memory | Public preview | Public preview |
| Install scope | Once per workspace; Enterprise Grid supported | Once per team |
Power-user workflows and prompt patterns
Multi-repository changes. Name every repository and the result you want: @GitHub Update the API in octo-org/service and its client in octo-org/web. Open a pull request in each repository and link the changes. Check the repository list before work starts. Changing channel defaults does not affect a running session.
Issue breakdowns. Ask for an epic with child issues, such as “create an epic to redesign search, with child issues for fuzzy matching, pagination, and query caching.” Copilot can add labels, assignees, and issue types where you already have permission to create issues.
Triage from notifications. Reply to a GitHub notification with @GitHub and ask it to investigate a failed workflow or explain a pull request. The linked resource becomes context.
Tools and memory. MCP servers configured for a repository are available when Copilot works there. Personal MCP servers apply only to sessions you start. Copilot Memory is on by default for individual plans. On organization and enterprise plans, an administrator must enable the policy. For scheduled work outside chat, see Copilot Automations. To continue a session locally, pick up the branch in Copilot CLI.
Limitations to plan around
- You cannot set default repositories for direct messages, so name the repositories in your prompt.
- A session will not start if the repository’s MCP configuration is invalid or too large. A repository administrator must fix it.
- The Teams Canvas is read-only. It only shows content your linked GitHub account can already view.
Frequently asked questions
Is GitHub Copilot in Slack generally available?
Yes. GitHub announced on November 6, 2026 that @GitHub in Slack and Microsoft Teams is generally available. You can investigate bugs, create issues, implement changes, and open pull requests from a conversation.
What do I need to use @GitHub in Slack or Teams?
You need a GitHub account with a paid Copilot plan, the GitHub app installed in your Slack workspace or team, and write access to every repository selected for the session. In organizations and enterprises, the Copilot cloud agent policy is on by default, but an owner can turn it off.
Whose identity does Copilot use for pull requests created from chat?
In a direct message, Copilot acts with the permissions of your linked GitHub account. In a channel or group thread, it creates pull requests under the app identity. With repository rulesets that already require an approval, those unattributed pull requests need one more approval before merging by default.
How many repositories can one session use?
A session can work with up to 11 repositories owned by the same organization or personal account. You must have write access to all of them. Choose them when you start the task or name them in your prompt.
What is Canvas in Microsoft Teams?
When Copilot starts a session in Teams, it shows an Open canvas button. The canvas opens beside the conversation and shows the plan, file changes, and an overview of the pull requests Copilot creates. It is read-only and only shows content you can already see on GitHub.
Sources
- GitHub Changelog: @GitHub in Slack and Teams is generally available and more (November 6, 2026)
- GitHub Docs: Integrating Copilot cloud agent with Slack
- GitHub Docs: Integrating Copilot cloud agent with Teams
- GitHub Docs: Integrating GitHub with Slack
Image: GitHub mark (Octicons) by GitHub, MIT license, via Wikimedia Commons. Placed on a white background and resized. GitHub and GitHub Copilot are trademarks of GitHub. Slack and Microsoft Teams are trademarks of their respective owners. FreeAnswers is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
