GitHub Copilot Memory: Enhanced Controls for Deletion, Scope, and CLI
GitHub CopilotGitHub expanded the management capabilities of Copilot Memory: repository admins can disable it at the repo level, the Copilot CLI gains /memory on, /memory off, and /memory show commands, deletion requests now route to the right removal location and auto-down-vote, and capture prompts clarify user-level vs repository-level scope.
Key Takeaways
- Repository administrators can now disable Copilot Memory at the repo level, preventing repository-level facts from being stored or read without deleting pre-existing entries.
- Three new CLI commands —
/memory on,/memory off, and/memory show— bring memory control to the terminal with settings that persist across sessions. - Deletion guidance is now actionable: asking Copilot to "forget" something routes users directly to the right removal interface rather than producing an ambiguous response.
- Scope is now explicit at capture time, with permission prompts clearly distinguishing between user-level preferences (personal, cross-repo) and repository-level facts (shared with all contributors).
- The update responds to documented community pain: a March 2026 GitHub issue reported that ~1 in 3 stored memories in one repository were inaccurate, duplicated, or contradictory — the new repo-level disable and deletion tools directly address this.
- User-level preferences are unaffected by repository-level disabling, meaning personal workflow preferences continue to travel with the individual developer across all repositories regardless of admin settings.
Sources & Mentions
5 external resources covering this update
Managing and curating Copilot Memory
GitHub
Issue #2278: No way to view, manage, or opt out of stored memories
GitHub
Issue #1719: Add admin controls to manage repo-wide memories
GitHub
GitHub Release Notes – May 2026 Latest Updates
Releasebot
Community Discussion: Feedback on Copilot Memory (Pro and Pro+)
GitHub
Copilot Memory Gets Finer-Grained Controls
GitHub Copilot Memory — the persistent, agentic knowledge system that lets Copilot retain useful facts about repositories and personal coding preferences — has received a significant upgrade to the controls users and administrators have over what it stores, how it behaves, and how easily it can be managed. The update, released May 26, 2026, remains in public preview across all paid Copilot plans.
What Changed
Smarter Deletion Guidance
Previously, asking Copilot to "forget" a piece of information could result in an ambiguous or inconsistent experience. With this update, the system responds to forget requests by explicitly pointing the user to the correct memory management interface — the personal Copilot Memory settings for user-level preferences, or the Repository Settings > Copilot > Memory page for repository-level facts. Where memory voting is available, the system also automatically down-votes the targeted memory, reducing its influence immediately even before explicit deletion.
Repository-Level Admin Disable
Repository administrators now have a dedicated toggle to disable Copilot Memory at the repository scope. When disabled, Copilot will not store or read repository-level facts for that repository. Importantly, pre-existing facts are not deleted by this action — they simply stop being surfaced or updated. User-level preferences continue to apply for individual contributors regardless of the repository setting.
This capability directly addresses a long-standing community request. A GitHub issue opened in March 2026 documented how accumulated repository memories could degrade in quality over time — with one audit of ~310 stored memories finding roughly a third were inaccurate, duplicated, or contradictory. Administrators now have a meaningful escape hatch if memory quality becomes a problem.
Native CLI Memory Commands
The Copilot CLI now supports three new slash commands for managing memory directly in the terminal:
/memory on— enables Copilot Memory for the current session, with the setting persisting across future sessions/memory off— disables Copilot Memory, persisting across sessions/memory show— displays the current memory status along with links to documentation for reviewing and managing stored facts
These commands bring memory management to parity with the web interface, allowing developers who primarily work in the terminal to control their memory settings without navigating to GitHub.com.
Transparent Scope Labeling
When Copilot captures a new memory, the permission prompt now explicitly identifies whether the entry will be stored as a user-level preference (personal, applies across all repositories for that user) or a repository-level fact (shared with all contributors to the repository). This transparency helps users make informed decisions at capture time rather than discovering scope ambiguity after the fact.
Availability
Copilot Memory remains in public preview for all paid GitHub Copilot plans (Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise). Memory management is available in Copilot Memory settings for personal preferences and under Repository Settings > Copilot > Memory for repository owners.