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GitHub Copilot: Assisted Permissions Now Generally Available

GitHub CopilotView original changelog

GitHub made assisted permissions generally available in GitHub Copilot CLI, the GitHub Copilot app and Visual Studio Code. A large language model now evaluates each request to run a command, access a file system path or open a URL, and lets clearly safe requests proceed automatically while everything else still needs developer approval. Enterprise administrators can block "Allow All", disable Assisted mode, or set the default permission mode for new sessions.

Key Takeaways

  • Assisted permissions is now generally available, covering GitHub Copilot CLI, the GitHub Copilot app and Visual Studio Code.
  • A large language model evaluates each request to run a command, access a path or open a URL, and only clearly safe requests are approved automatically.
  • Anything the model does not classify as safe still requires manual approval, so the feature reduces prompts without removing the safety check.
  • Each surface has its own switch: /permissions then assisted in the CLI, Tool permissions then Assisted in the app, and Assisted permissions in the VS Code picker.
  • Administrators can block "Allow All" while keeping Assisted available, or disable Assisted entirely, through enterprise-managed settings.
  • If an admin-set default mode is unavailable or prohibited, the session falls back to manual approval, so policy gaps fail safe.

What Assisted Permissions Does

Agentic coding sessions generate a steady stream of permission prompts. Every time GitHub Copilot wants to run a command, read or write a path on the file system, or open a URL, the developer is asked to approve it. GitHub Copilot assisted permissions, now generally available, reduces that friction by putting a large language model in the approval loop.

When Copilot makes a request, the model evaluates it. Requests the model classifies as clearly safe proceed automatically, without interrupting the developer. Everything else still requires manual approval. The result is a middle path between approving every action by hand and switching on "Allow All", which removes the safety check entirely.

Where It Works and How to Turn It On

Assisted permissions is available in three places, and each has its own entry point.

Copilot CLI

In GitHub Copilot CLI, developers run the /permissions command and then select assisted.

GitHub Copilot App

In the GitHub Copilot app, developers open the mode picker, click Tool permissions, and then select Assisted.

Visual Studio Code

In Visual Studio Code, developers open the permissions picker and select Assisted permissions.

Controls for Organizations

GitHub also added administrative controls through enterprise-managed settings. Administrators can block "Allow All" while keeping Assisted available, which lets an organization remove the riskiest mode without taking away the convenience of the safer one. They can also disable Assisted separately if they do not want model-evaluated approvals at all.

Administrators can set the default permission mode for new sessions as well. Developers can still choose any other mode their policy permits. If the configured default is unavailable or prohibited by policy, the session starts with manual approval, so a misconfiguration fails safe.

Learn More

GitHub documents how assisted permissions evaluates requests, and when approval is still required, in the Docs page "Allowing safe commands to run without manual approval". The enterprise settings are described under enterprise-managed settings in the Copilot administrator reference.