--- title: "Chat with Copilot" description: "Use Fabricator's built-in GitHub Copilot agent to change your app, review its work log and diffs, steer a turn, and recover sign-in." url: https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/docs/build/chat markdown_url: https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/docs/build/chat.md app_version: "1.20.1" section: build product: Fabricator last_updated: 2026-10-10T17:36:58-07:00 source: build/chat.mdx --- # Chat with Copilot > Use Fabricator's built-in GitHub Copilot agent to change your app, review its work log and diffs, steer a turn, and recover sign-in. Chat is where you describe what you want Fabricator to build. The built-in GitHub Copilot agent edits the project, Fabricator shows the work as it happens, and a successful turn is saved to history. ![A chat turn in progress: the work log lists the files Copilot edited and the command it is running, while the live local preview shows the app as it changes.](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/screenshots/chat-working.webp) ## Send a message 1. Open a project and stay on the **Build** tab. 2. Type in the message box, whose placeholder is `Message Fabricator about …`. 3. Press **Enter** or select **Send**. Use `Shift+Enter` for a new line. If you type `@`, Fabricator opens **Reference a file** so you can point Copilot at a project file. You can also use **Add images, data, or files** to: - **Add an image**. You can also paste or drop a screenshot into the box. - **Connect a semantic model**. This adds Fabric semantic model details to the prompt. See [Blueprint](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/docs/build/data-model). - **Reference a file**. ## Choose a model and reasoning effort Open the model pill in the composer to choose the AI model and **Reasoning effort**. ![The model menu opened from the chat composer, listing Auto and other models, with Reasoning effort choices from Auto to Max.](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/screenshots/composer-menus.webp) The model menu includes **Auto** as the recommended default. Reasoning effort can be **Auto**, **None**, **Low**, **Med**, **High**, **XHigh**, or **Max**, depending on the selected model. Higher effort can think longer, so use it for harder changes. Fabricator uses the GitHub Copilot account you signed in with. The models shown come from that account's available Copilot models. ## What happens during a turn When a turn starts, Fabricator shows a live work log. It can include notes, reasoning when the model shares it, file reads, searches, commands, command output, and edits. You may also see a status line such as `Thinking…`, `Working…`, or `Writing the answer…` with an elapsed timer. While Copilot is working, the composer changes: - Select **Interject this message** to send an extra instruction without waiting for the turn to finish. - Select **Stop generating** to stop the current turn. If Copilot asks a question, answer it in the card. The status changes to **Waiting for your answer** or **Waiting for your decision**. ## Review the work log When the turn finishes, the live log folds into a summary such as **Worked for 2m · 23 steps**. ![A finished turn: the Worked for 11m 4s summary, Copilot’s answer, and the Changed file chips with Try again below them.](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/screenshots/chat-done.webp) Expand it to review the steps. A step can show: - the command Copilot ran, with **Copy command**; - the latest output from a command; - a diff for an edit; - an **Open** action for a file. Reasoning folds into a `Thought for …` row when it is available. ## Review changed files Finished assistant turns end with **Changed** file chips. Select a chip to see what that turn changed in that file. ![A changed-file chip opened to show the turn’s diff for the new Expense.ts file, with an Open button.](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/screenshots/chat-diff.webp) If a file was edited more than once in the same turn, Fabricator combines the turn's changes into one view when it can. Select **Open** to jump to the file in the **Code** tab. File paths in Copilot's answer are also clickable when they refer to project files. ## Copy, retry, or start over Hover a message to see its time and copy action. On the latest successful assistant answer, use **Try again** to run your last message again as a fresh attempt. Use **New chat** to clear the conversation. Fabricator asks **Start a new chat?** and explains: "This clears the conversation and starts Fabricator fresh. Your app and its files stay exactly as they are." Starting a new chat does not delete files. If a turn failed, use **Retry**. If Fabricator closed during a response, use **Resume** when it appears. ## Plans and Autopilot Plans can appear when Copilot proposes one. A plan card can show structured steps, progress, clarifying questions, and actions such as **Build plan**, **Run in Autopilot**, **Run with fleet**, or **Approve plan** when Copilot offers them. ![A plan card titled Plan ready for review, with a summary, five pending steps for adding manager approvals to Contoso Expenses, the Copy, Export and Review full plan buttons, and the Run with fleet, More options and Request changes actions.](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/screenshots/plan.webp) Use **Review full plan** to open the full plan. You can **Request changes**, edit the plan when editing is available, or approve one of the offered actions. **Autopilot** means Copilot continues through the approved plan more autonomously. ## Design and Advisor cards in chat Design changes queued from the preview appear as a Design card instead of raw instructions. See [Design mode](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/docs/build/design). Advisor fixes appear as a card when you send findings to Copilot. See [Check app health with the Advisor](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/docs/ship/advisor). ## After a successful turn After a successful turn, Fabricator saves the chat history and checks whether Copilot changed files that are not deployed yet. If there are changes, Fabricator starts the normal automatic redeploy. See [Deploy to Microsoft Fabric](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/docs/ship/deploy#redeploy-changes). For team apps, Fabricator saves the change to the working branch and the team pipeline deploys the preview. See [Work on an app](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/docs/team/work-on-an-app). ## If Copilot asks you to sign in again If credentials expire, chat shows **Copilot needs your attention** and **Sign in to Copilot**. Complete the browser or device-code sign-in, then retry your message. For recovery steps, see [Copilot asks you to sign in again](https://spatney.github.io/rayfin-fabricator/docs/troubleshooting/setup-and-sign-in#copilot-asks-you-to-sign-in-again).