While Constellation's MCP server provides raw code intelligence capabilities, this plugin enhances your GitHub Copilot experience with:
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Contextual Skills | Copilot automatically loads relevant knowledge when needed |
| Safety Hooks | Reminders to prefer code_intel for structural code questions |
Copilot automatically activates specialized analysis based on your questions:
| Skill | Triggers When You Ask About... |
|---|---|
| status | API connectivity, authentication, service health |
| diagnose | Health checks, indexing status, connectivity issues |
| impact-analysis | Impact of changes, blast radius, risk assessment |
| deps | File dependencies, circular dependencies, module coupling |
| unused | Dead code, orphaned exports, unused functions |
| architecture | Codebase structure, language distribution, project overview |
| troubleshooting | Error codes, debugging, connection problems |
Event hooks enable intelligent, transparent assistance:
| Hook | Event | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
Code Intel Preference (inject.js) |
sessionStart |
Establishes code_intel as the primary tool for code understanding |
Search Nudge (bash.js) |
preToolUse |
Nudges toward code_intel when invoking grep/rg/glob/awk directly or via bash |
Both hooks no-op unless CONSTELLATION_ACCESS_KEY is set, and ship bash and powershell commands so they run on macOS, Linux, and Windows.
- Constellation Account (see Constellation)
- Project indexed in Constellation
- Access key configured
- GitHub Copilot subscription (CLI or VS Code)
1. Add the Constellation marketplace:
copilot plugin marketplace add ShiftinBits/constellation-copilot2. Install from the marketplace using <plugin>@<marketplace>:
copilot plugin install constellation@constellation-pluginscopilot plugin uninstall constellationCall the status command on the constellation plugin within Copilot:
/constellation:status
Example result:
Status: Connected
Authentication valid, project access confirmed.
Note: Use /constellation:diagnose for indexing status and detailed health checks.
# Register marketplace (once)
copilot plugin marketplace add ShiftinBits/constellation-copilot
# Install via <plugin>@<marketplace>
copilot plugin install constellation@constellation-plugins
# Confirm install/update/uninstall flow
copilot plugin list
copilot plugin update constellation
copilot plugin uninstall constellation
# Direct-install fallback
copilot plugin install ShiftinBits/constellation-copilot| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
AUTH_ERROR |
Check CONSTELLATION_ACCESS_KEY is set correctly, use constellation auth CLI command to set |
PROJECT_NOT_INDEXED |
Run constellation index --full in your project |
| Skills not activating | Restart the CLI/editor or reinstall the plugin |
| Changes not taking effect | Plugin components are cached — reinstall from marketplace: copilot plugin uninstall constellation && copilot plugin install constellation@constellation-plugins (for local dev: copilot plugin install ./path) |
- Constellation Documentation — Full platform documentation
- Copilot CLI Plugins — Plugin development guide
GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0)
Copyright (c) 2026 ShiftinBits Inc.
See LICENSE file for details.