GitHub Copilot: Explore a Repository Using Copilot on the Web

Interactive File Tree Navigation in Copilot Web Chat

GitHub has updated the Copilot chat experience on github.com to make repository exploration more interactive. Developers can now ask Copilot to show a specific file and then browse the repository's file tree without leaving the chat interface, seeing file contents rendered alongside the conversation.

The change addresses a common friction point in repository-oriented chat sessions: previously, exploring how files related to each other required navigating away from the chat or manually pasting file paths as context. The new experience keeps exploration and conversation in a single pane.

Automatic Reference Management

As developers navigate the file explorer during a chat session, selected files are automatically added as temporary references — they appear in the chat context for the current turn but are not pinned across the session. To retain a file as permanent context, developers can either click the reference token in the chat or double-click the file preview tab to convert it to a permanent attachment.

This reference model gives developers fine-grained control over what context Copilot is working with at any moment, without requiring explicit context management for casual exploration.

Use Cases and Availability

The feature is particularly useful for onboarding to unfamiliar repositories, navigating large codebases before asking architectural questions, and cross-referencing related files during a code review discussion. GitHub has opened a community discussion thread for feedback during the public preview period.

The feature is available in public preview on github.com for all Copilot subscribers.