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Marcel.L
Marcel.L

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Managing GitHub Copilot & VS Code Settings Across Teams

#github #vscode #githubcopilot #devops

Managing GitHub Copilot & VS Code Settings Across Teams

Ensuring consistent development environments across your team is crucial for productivity and code quality. This guide explores five practical approaches to manage VS Code settings and GitHub Copilot configurations: workspace configurations, VS Code profiles, bootstrap scripts, enterprise policies, and a combined strategy that leverages the strengths of each method. For a detailed, complementary walkthrough of every GitHub Copilot and Copilot Chat setting that can be configured in VS Code, see the companion article: Tune GitHub Copilot Settings in VS Code.

1) Repository Workspace Settings (.vscode/settings.json)

The simplest and most widely adopted approach is to commit VS Code workspace configuration files directly to your repository. These workspace settings override user preferences when the project folder is open.

Implementation

Create a .vscode/ directory in your repository root with these configuration files:

.vscode/settings.json - Project-specific settings:

{
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
  "editor.tabSize": 2,
  "files.eol": "\n",
  "files.trimTrailingWhitespace": true,
  "typescript.preferences.quoteStyle": "single",

  // GitHub Copilot settings
  "github.copilot.enable": {
    "*": true,
    "plaintext": false,
    "markdown": true,
    "scminput": false
  }
}
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.vscode/extensions.json - Recommended extensions:

{
  "recommendations": [
    "github.copilot",
    "github.copilot-chat",
    "dbaeumer.vscode-eslint",
    "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
    "ms-vscode.vscode-typescript-next"
  ],
  "unwantedRecommendations": []
}
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Pros:

  • Version controlled with code
  • Zero configuration for developers
  • Project-specific conventions
  • Works across all platforms

Cons:

  • Not enforced (users can override)
  • Limited to workspace scope
  • No control over user-level settings

Best for: All collaborative projects as a baseline configuration.

2) VS Code Profiles (Team Configuration Templates)

VS Code Profiles bundle settings, extensions, UI layout, and keybindings into shareable configurations. Teams can maintain standard profiles for different roles or tech stacks.

Creating and Sharing Profiles

  1. Configure VS Code with desired settings and extensions
  2. Open Command Palette → "Profiles: Export Profile..."
  3. Choose what to include (settings, extensions, UI state, keybindings, snippets, tasks)
  4. Export as .code-profile file (profile export documentation)
  5. Share via repository, wiki, or internal documentation

Tip: If you're using VS Code Profiles to standardise settings across teams, the companion article Tune GitHub Copilot Settings in VS Code includes a detailed sample settings.json and explains Copilot-specific keys you might want to include.

Importing a Profile

New team members can import profiles via:

  • Command Palette → "Profiles: Import Profile..."
  • Or via URL if hosted: code --profile "Team Profile" --profile-import-url https://example.com/profile.code-profile

Pros:

  • Complete environment replication
  • Includes UI layout and theme
  • Multiple profiles for different contexts
  • Built-in VS Code feature

Cons:

  • Manual import required
  • No automatic updates
  • Can diverge over time

Best for: Onboarding new developers, standardising team environments.

3) Enterprise Management Policies

For organisations requiring strict compliance, VS Code supports policy management through various enterprise tools.

Windows Group Policy / Intune Configuration

VS Code respects policies set via:

  • Windows Registry (Group Policy)
  • macOS preferences
  • Linux policy files

Example policy locations:

  • Windows: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\VSCode
  • macOS: /Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.VSCode.plist
  • Linux: /etc/vscode/policies.json

Supported Policy Settings

Learn more about available policy settings:

{
  "UpdateMode": "manual",
  "TelemetryLevel": "off",
  "ExtensionsGallery": {
    "serviceUrl": "https://internal-marketplace.company.com"
  },
  "ExtensionsAllowedList": [
    "github.copilot",
    "github.copilot-chat",
    "ms-vscode.vscode-typescript-next"
  ],
  "GitHubCopilotSettings": {
    "enabled": true,
    "organizationAccess": "allowed"
  }
}
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Pros:

  • Centrally enforced
  • Audit compliance
  • Cannot be overridden by users

Cons:

  • Requires IT infrastructure
  • Platform-specific implementation
  • Less flexible for developers

Best for: Regulated industries, security-sensitive environments.

4) Bootstrap Scripts (Automated Setup)

Scripts can automate the configuration of VS Code settings, especially useful for ephemeral environments like GitHub Codespaces or CI runners.

Cross-Platform Setup Script

PowerShell (Windows/PowerShell Core):

# scripts/setup-vscode.ps1
param(
    [switch]$Force
)

$repoSettings = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot '../.vscode/settings.json'
$userSettingsDir = if ($IsLinux -or $IsMacOS) {
    "$HOME/.config/Code/User"
} else {
    "$env:APPDATA/Code/User"
}
$userSettings = Join-Path $userSettingsDir 'settings.json'

if (!(Test-Path $repoSettings)) {
    Write-Warning "Repository settings not found at: $repoSettings"
    exit 1
}

# Ensure directory exists
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $userSettingsDir | Out-Null

# Merge or copy settings
if ((Test-Path $userSettings) -and !$Force) {
    Write-Host "Merging settings..."
    $current = Get-Content $userSettings -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
    $new = Get-Content $repoSettings -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json

    foreach ($prop in $new.PSObject.Properties) {
        $current | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name $prop.Name -Value $prop.Value -Force
    }

    $current | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10 | Set-Content $userSettings
} else {
    Write-Host "Copying settings..."
    Copy-Item $repoSettings $userSettings -Force
}

Write-Host "✓ VS Code settings configured" -ForegroundColor Green
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Bash (Linux/macOS):

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# scripts/setup-vscode.sh
set -euo pipefail

REPO_SETTINGS="$(dirname "$0")/../.vscode/settings.json"
USER_SETTINGS_DIR="${HOME}/.config/Code/User"
USER_SETTINGS="${USER_SETTINGS_DIR}/settings.json"

if [[ ! -f "$REPO_SETTINGS" ]]; then
    echo "Repository settings not found at: $REPO_SETTINGS" >&2
    exit 1
fi

# Ensure directory exists
mkdir -p "$USER_SETTINGS_DIR"

# Merge or copy settings
if [[ -f "$USER_SETTINGS" ]] && [[ "${1:-}" != "--force" ]]; then
    echo "Merging settings..."
    # Using jq for JSON merging
    jq -s '.[0] * .[1]' "$USER_SETTINGS" "$REPO_SETTINGS" > "${USER_SETTINGS}.tmp"
    mv "${USER_SETTINGS}.tmp" "$USER_SETTINGS"
else
    echo "Copying settings..."
    cp "$REPO_SETTINGS" "$USER_SETTINGS"
fi

echo "✓ VS Code settings configured"
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Best for: CI/CD pipelines, development containers, Codespaces.

5) Recommended Combined Strategy

Layer these approaches based on your organisation's needs:

Small Teams / Open Source Projects

  1. Primary: .vscode/settings.json and .vscode/extensions.json
  2. Optional: Shared profile for complex setups

Medium-Sized Teams

  1. Foundation: Repository workspace settings
  2. Onboarding: Team VS Code profile
  3. Automation: Bootstrap script for Codespaces/containers

Enterprise Organisations

  1. Baseline: Repository workspace settings
  2. Standards: Department/role-based VS Code profiles
  3. Compliance: Enterprise policies via MDM
  4. Automation: Bootstrap scripts for cloud workstations

GitHub Copilot-Specific Configuration

Key Settings and Their Impact

Learn more about GitHub Copilot settings in VS Code:

Setting Scope Purpose
github.copilot.enable Workspace/User Control Copilot per language
github.copilot.advanced.authProvider User Authentication method
github.copilot.editor.enableAutoCompletions User/Workspace Automatic suggestions
github.copilot.chat.localeOverride User Chat interface language

For a full list and explanation of Copilot-related VS Code settings (including chat, agent, and inline suggestion keys) check: Tune GitHub Copilot Settings in VS Code.

Security Considerations

Review GitHub Copilot security best practices:

{
  // Disable Copilot for sensitive files
  "github.copilot.enable": {
    "*": true,
    "plaintext": false,
    "markdown": true,
    "env": false,
    "dotenv": false,
    "yaml": false
  }
}
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Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue Cause Solution
Settings not applying Policy override Check enterprise policies with code --status
Copilot not working License/auth issue Verify with GitHub Copilot: Check Status command (troubleshooting guide)
Extensions missing Marketplace access Confirm network/proxy settings
Profile not importing Version mismatch Update VS Code to latest version

Best Practices

  1. Start simple: Begin with repository settings before adding complexity
  2. Document changes: Maintain a CHANGELOG for settings updates
  3. Test incrementally: Validate settings in a clean environment
  4. Respect autonomy: Balance standardisation with developer flexibility
  5. Regular reviews: Audit settings quarterly for relevance

Conclusion

Effective settings management improves team velocity and code consistency. Start with repository-level configuration files as they provide immediate value with minimal overhead. Add VS Code profiles for richer onboarding experiences, and only implement enterprise policies when compliance demands it. The layered approach ensures you can adapt as your team grows without sacrificing developer productivity.

Author

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Marcel.L

Dual Microsoft MVP DevOps + Azure | DevOps Architect | Technical speaker focused on Microsoft technologies, IaC and automation in Azure. Find me on GitHub: https://github.com/Pwd9000-ML

Like, share, follow me on: 🐙 GitHub | 🐧 X/Twitter | 👾 LinkedIn

Date: 12-11-2025

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