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AI-Driven Code Review with GitHub Copilot

I recently had a huge spike to get a large piece of work over the line. It was working a solo, 30 hour weekend, so whilst I had to ship unreviewed code, I also wanted a safety net to spot silly mistakes, or where I've just cut corners. GitHub's Copilot reviews is the ideal tool for this, and spot quite a few inconsistencies or bugs that could have been nasty to debug. Whilst I wouldn't recommend it as the only reviewer in a large team, it is invaluable as a first draft reviewer. With the various teams I'm working with, we all use it as a first step, address any issues, then share it for review with the wider team. Even in the last month, it's saved a lot of time and is great for upskilling.

How Copilot Code Review Fits Into Real Workflows​

When you're under pressure or working solo, it's easy to miss things. Copilot's code review feature acts like a second set of eyes—one that's always available, never tired, and surprisingly good at catching the little things you might overlook after hours of focus. For me, it flagged inconsistencies, pointed out potential bugs, and even highlighted places where my code style drifted after a long session.

How I Use Copilot for Code Review​

  • First Pass: After a big push, I run Copilot's review on my changes. It quickly highlights issues, from logic errors to style inconsistencies.
  • Iterate: I address the feedback Copilot gives—sometimes it's a quick fix, sometimes it sparks a rethink of my approach.
  • Team Review: Once Copilot's suggestions are handled, I share the code with the team for a human review. This two-step process has caught more issues, faster, and made our reviews more focused.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Copilot Reviews​

  • Don't Skip the Human Review: Copilot is great, but it's not a replacement for your team. Use it as a first filter, not the final word.
  • Customize with Instructions: You can guide Copilot's feedback by adding a .github/copilot-instructions.md file to your repo. This helps it focus on what matters most to your project—like security, readability, or specific coding standards.
  • Give Feedback: If Copilot's suggestions miss the mark, let it know. The feedback loop helps improve its recommendations over time.
  • Automate Where It Makes Sense: For teams, enabling automatic Copilot reviews on all pull requests keeps quality high and review cycles short.

Why I Recommend It​

Even as someone who values peer review, I've found Copilot's code review to be a real time-saver and a great learning tool. It's especially useful when you're moving fast or working odd hours, and it helps raise the bar for code quality before your team even sees your changes.

For more details, see the official GitHub Copilot code review documentation.