GitHub Copilot for NuGet (Public Preview)

Supercharge your .NET package management with GitHub Copilot, now integrated with NuGet in Visual Studio.

Available in Visual Studio 17.14 Preview and above.

🧠 Overview

GitHub Copilot for NuGet brings intelligent, real-time assistance to .NET developers managing dependencies in Visual Studio. From checking the latest version of a NuGet package to fixing vulnerabilities and performing complex upgrades, this extension simplifies tedious tasks using the power of AI and up-to-date package feed data.

✨ Key Features

🔍 Real-time Package Intelligence

Large language models (LLMs) are powerful, but their training data can quickly go out of date—especially when it comes to fast-moving ecosystems like NuGet. GitHub Copilot for NuGet solves the "Time Capsule" problem by integrating live data from your installed NuGet feeds (e.g., nuget.org, private feeds, etc.).

Example

Ask: @NuGet what is the latest version of Serilog? Copilot accesses your local NuGet feeds in real time and returns accurate, current version data—even for internal/private packages.

🔒 Vulnerability Resolution

Manually resolving package vulnerabilities—especially transitive ones—is time-consuming and error-prone. GitHub Copilot for NuGet automates this process.

Example

Ask: @NuGet fix vulnerabilities The agent identifies vulnerable packages, determines the appropriate fix (even if transitive), and recommends precise changes. It respects project configuration (like Central Package Management) and shows you a clean diff before applying changes.

📦 Smart Multi-Package Upgrade

Updating multiple packages can quickly become a dependency nightmare. Copilot makes it easy with a linear programming algorithm developed in collaboration with Microsoft Research. It calculates the optimal upgrade set that respects all transitive and direct dependencies across all projects in your solution.

Example

Ask: @NuGet upgrade all packages Copilot runs the solver and updates all your dependencies to the latest compatible versions—no guesswork, no breakage.

🛠 How It Works

GitHub Copilot for NuGet operates in agent mode within Copilot Chat in Visual Studio. You interact naturally by typing prompts, like:

• @NuGet what is the latest version of Newtonsoft.Json?
• @NuGet fix vulnerabilities
• @NuGet upgrade all packages

Behind the scenes, the NuGet Copilot agent:

• Connects to your local NuGet feeds
• Analyzes project dependency graphs
• Uses smart algorithms to determine optimal fixes or upgrades
• Surfaces proposed changes in a transparent, reviewable way

🔐 Private Feeds and Enterprise Support

GitHub Copilot for NuGet supports private/internal feeds, enabling safe and intelligent package management even in enterprise environments with proprietary packages.

📈 Compatibility

• Visual Studio: 17.14 Preview or newer
• Projects: .NET SDK-style projects with NuGet dependencies
• Copilot: Requires GitHub Copilot in Agent Mode (available with GitHub Copilot Business or Enterprise)

💡 Why This Matters

Package management is one of the most error-prone, manually intensive tasks in the modern .NET development lifecycle. GitHub Copilot for NuGet:

• Eliminates version mismatches and stale package info
• Automatically mitigates security vulnerabilities
• Streamlines multi-package upgrades with advanced dependency solving Let AI handle the tedium so you can focus on building.

🚀 Getting Started

1. Install Visual Studio 17.14 Preview.
2. Enable GitHub Copilot in Agent Mode.
3. Install the GitHub Copilot for NuGet extension (coming soon to VS Marketplace).
4. Open Copilot Chat and try typing:

🙌 Acknowledgments

Built in collaboration between the NuGet team, GitHub Copilot team, Visual Studio team and Microsoft Research.