GitHub Copilot Context Analysis in JetBrains IDEs

Problem Statement

Developers using GitHub Copilot in JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.) often wonder how much of their project's code is analyzed by the AI assistant. Key concerns include:

1. Whether Copilot processes only active files or scans the entire project
2. Potential privacy implications of code being analyzed
3. How context limitations affect suggestion quality
4. Whether project-specific patterns are considered in recommendations

Default Copilot Context

According to GitHub's official documentation, Copilot primarily analyzes:

1. Active file(s) currently open in your editor
2. Files directly related to your current working context
3. Nearby code in the same file
   (Last verified: June 2025)

This limited scope preserves performance and privacy but may ignore relevant patterns elsewhere in your codebase.

Privacy Note

Copilot only transmits context relevant to your current task to its servers. It does not send your entire project by default.

Expanding Context to Entire Project

1. Using @project in Copilot Chat

In JetBrains IDEs (2024.3+), prefix requests with @project to analyze your complete codebase:

@project
Optimize database queries across the project

@project
Are there any security vulnerabilities in the authentication service?

2. How Project Context Works

When using @project:

1. Copilot indexes your project structure
2. Analyzes connections between files
3. Considers project-specific patterns
4. Maintains context for follow-up questions

Limitations

1. Requires GitHub Copilot Pro subscription (team/enterprise tiers)
2. Context window limited to ~200 files (~12K tokens)
3. May increase response latency for large projects

3. VSCode Comparison

Visual Studio Code users achieve similar results with @workspace:

@workspace
Find unused dependencies in package.json

When to Use Project Context

Scenario	Default Context	@project
Single-file editing	✅ Ideal	❌ Overkill
Cross-file refactoring	⚠️ Limited	✅ Best
Security audits	❌ Ineffective	✅ Required
New feature development	⚠️ Partial	✅ Recommended

Implementation Notes

1. Activation Requirements:

   • JetBrains IDE 2024.1+ (IntelliJ/PyCharm/WebStorm)
   • GitHub Copilot plugin 2.0+
   • GitHub Copilot Pro subscription

2. Access Methods:

   • Chat command: @project prefix
   • Code suggestions: Enabled via plugin settings:

     Copilot → Settings → Enable Full Project Context

3. Performance Considerations:

Best Practices

1. Combine contexts selectively:

   // Use default context for within-class work
   public class UserService {
     // Normal editing here
   }
   
   // Switch to @project for cross-component tasks
   /* @project: Implement transaction across UserService and PaymentService */

2. Privacy-sensitive development:

   • Disable full context in settings for confidential projects
   • Use Local Copilot for air-gapped environments

3. Optimize context usage:

   @project include:*.service.* exclude:*.test.*  
   Improve DI patterns in service classes

Current Limitations and Future

The @project feature continues to evolve with these improvements expected by 2026:

• Project context awareness in auto-complete (beyond chat)
• Custom context-scoping with glob patterns
• Multi-repo analysis for microservice projects
• On-device processing for enterprise customers

For the latest updates, consult GitHub's Workspace Context Documentation.