GitHub has expanded custom agents for Copilot to JetBrains IDEs, Eclipse, and Xcode in public preview. The feature, which initially launched for VS Code and github.com, now brings specialized AI assistants to developers working across the broader IDE landscape.
Tailored AI Across Major Platforms#
Custom agents allow teams to package reusable expertise, coding guardrails, and tool access into AI agents purpose-built for specific projects or organizational workflows. Rather than relying on a general-purpose assistant, developers can now invoke specialized agents that understand their particular conventions, compliance requirements, or automation needs—directly within their preferred development environment.
The expansion means JetBrains users working in IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, and other JetBrains IDEs can now access the same custom agent capabilities. Eclipse developers and Xcode users on macOS also gain full support, significantly broadening the feature’s reach beyond Microsoft’s VS Code ecosystem.
Markdown-Based Configuration#
Creating a custom agent remains straightforward. Teams define agents using Markdown files that specify the agent’s name, description, instructions, knowledge sources, and tool policies. These configuration files live in your repository or organization settings, making agent definitions part of your codebase infrastructure rather than scattered individual preferences.
Once defined, custom agents appear in Copilot Chat’s agent picker, ready for selection. Developers start conversations under their chosen agent, which then responds according to its configured persona and capabilities.
Getting Started#
To access custom agents in the newly supported IDEs:
- Update your extension: Install the latest Copilot extension for your JetBrains IDE, Eclipse, or Xcode
- Create an agent: Follow GitHub’s custom agents quickstart to generate a configuration file
- Select and test: Pick your custom agent from Copilot Chat and begin interacting
Cross-Platform Consistency#
The expansion addresses a common friction point: teams using mixed IDE environments can now share the same custom agent definitions across platforms. A frontend agent configured for React conventions works the same whether invoked from VS Code, IntelliJ, or Xcode—bringing consistency to multi-IDE development teams.
GitHub is collecting feedback through dedicated discussion channels for each IDE platform to shape future development of the feature.