If GitHub Copilot cannot connect behind a company proxy, configure the supported HTTP proxy route and diagnose authentication or certificate errors separately. Do not add an undocumented Copilot-specific proxy key, disable certificate validation as a routine fix, or put a proxy password into a repository.
Confirm the Proxy Requirements First
Ask your network administrator for the approved proxy host, port, authentication method and certificate requirements. GitHub documents support for HTTP proxies with Basic or Kerberos authentication; a proxy URL beginning https:// is not currently supported by the Copilot IDE connection. Do not infer SOCKS support from what the rest of VS Code can do.
The proxy address and the destination connection are different: an http:// proxy address can carry a connection to an HTTPS service. See GitHub’s network requirements.
Configure the Supported VS Code Proxy Setting
- Open VS Code Settings and search for Http: Proxy.
- Enter the administrator-provided HTTP proxy URL, for example
http://proxy.example.com:8080. This example is not a real proxy to use. - Keep Proxy Strict SSL enabled. Resolve missing trust certificates with IT instead of disabling verification.
- Restart VS Code and test Copilot with a small, non-sensitive file.
This is VS Code’s http.proxy setting, not a documented github.copilot.advanced.proxy override. GitHub’s configuration guide describes it. Use personal or administrator-managed configuration as appropriate; do not commit machine-specific proxy secrets in .vscode/settings.json.
Use Environment Variables When Appropriate
If a proxy is not configured in the editor, Copilot checks these variables in priority order: HTTPS_PROXY, https_proxy, HTTP_PROXY, then http_proxy. It uses the first applicable value for both HTTP and HTTPS requests. The variable name does not require the proxy URL itself to start with https://.
Choose one configuration method with your administrator and remove stale conflicting values. A user-level or process-level variable is not automatically a system-wide setting, and a shell variable reaches VS Code only if the process inherits it. Fully exit and relaunch VS Code after changing its launch environment. A desktop shortcut and a terminal may start with different environments.
Handle Authentication and Certificates Safely
For Basic authentication, GitHub supports credentials embedded in the proxy URL, but a URL stored in settings or an environment variable is still a secret, not encrypted keychain storage. Follow your organization’s approved credential method. Avoid putting it in shell history, screenshots, support tickets or synced configuration.
For Kerberos, IT should verify the ticket and service principal. For a TLS-inspecting proxy, install only the verified organization certificate through the approved trust-store process. Copilot can use the operating-system trust store and an additional certificate file specified through NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS. Trusting an arbitrary certificate can enable interception.
Do not leave certificate checks disabled to make an error disappear. GitHub’s troubleshooting guide explicitly warns against this.
Test Copilot Endpoints and Read the Error
GitHub documents these read-only checks. Use curl.exe on Windows if curl resolves to a PowerShell alias:
curl --verbose https://copilot-proxy.githubusercontent.com/_ping
curl --verbose https://api.githubcopilot.com/_pingIf the approved network requires an explicit proxy, use curl’s -x option with its non-secret proxy URL. A successful ping checks that endpoint only; it does not establish an active Copilot entitlement or every required firewall rule. A browser reaching github.com also does not prove Copilot’s network route works.
In VS Code, search the Command Palette for Chat Diagnostics and inspect failed connectivity checks. Review the Copilot output channels around the failure. Follow the current diagnostics guide; command prefixes can differ across versions.
Check Remote Environments and Escalate With Evidence
In WSL, Remote SSH or a container, establish which environment is making the failing request before changing settings. The local editor, remote extension host and terminal can have different proxy and trust configuration. Do not assume a local browser test covers them all or that every setting always belongs on the remote machine.
Give IT the error type, time, VS Code version and redacted diagnostic output. Remove passwords, tokens, prompts and source code before sharing logs. Keep changes small enough to reverse, and retest after each one. VS Code’s networking guide explains why editor and extension networking can differ.
Official documentation checked: October 14, 2026.