GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot code review settings: automatic PR reviews, rulesets, effort level and approvals

How do I make GitHub Copilot review pull requests automatically?

For your own PRs, open Copilot settings, click Code review, and enable Automatic Copilot code review. For a repository or organization, create a branch ruleset with the rule Automatically request Copilot code review. Personal automatic review needs Copilot Pro, Pro+, Max, Business or Enterprise and is not available for managed user accounts.

Review your own pull requests automatically

  • Click your profile picture, then Copilot settings.
  • In the sidebar under Copilot, click Code review.
  • Enable Automatic Copilot code review.
  • Optional: enable Review new pushes.
  • Optional: enable Review draft pull requests.

Your user settings cannot turn off push or draft reviews that a ruleset has enabled. If several sources apply, Copilot still posts one review.

Turn it on for a repository with a ruleset

  • Repository Settings, then Rulesets, then New ruleset, then New branch ruleset.
  • Name it and set Enforcement Status to Active.
  • Under Target branches, add a target such as Include default branch.
  • Under Branch rules, select Automatically request Copilot code review.
  • Optional: Review new pushes (otherwise Copilot reviews once) and Review draft pull requests.
  • Click Create.

For an organization, do the same under organization Settings, Repository, Rulesets, and target repositories by name pattern.

Choose the review effort level

  • Lite: standard review.
  • Balanced: deeper analysis of complex logic, security sensitive code and cross service changes. Uses more AI credits.
  • Max: shown as Coming soon, not available yet.
  • The built in default is Balanced.

Set it per user in Copilot settings, Code review, or per repository in Settings, Copilot, Code review.

Copilot approvals (public preview)

  • Allow Copilot to approve pull requests: lets Copilot submit approving reviews.
  • Allow Copilot approvals to count toward merge requirements.
  • File paths: up to 15 globs, one per line. Approvals count only if every changed file matches.

Limit who can trigger reviews

Enable Only allow Copilot code review to be triggered by authorized users to block reviews requested with an external Copilot license. If an organization enables it, repositories cannot turn it off.

Sources

GitHub Docs: Configuring code review by GitHub Copilot

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Reviewed Oct 13, 2026. Settings change often; the linked vendor docs are the source of truth.