What changed
On October 28, 2026, GitHub introduced Copilot Projects in public preview within the GitHub Copilot desktop app. Instead of starting each task as a separate repository-scoped session, a user creates a project with an ongoing goal, optional repositories and reference files. Copilot can coordinate multiple agent sessions, recurring automations and artifacts, including work that spans repositories or does not require a repository. A project overview groups work into Needs input, Open, Working and Done, with links to pull requests and the underlying sessions for steering.
Why it matters
Cross-repository features and small-team launch tasks often require more than a code edit. A persistent project gives agents a common place for specifications, intermediate results and follow-up instructions, reducing manual context transfer between sessions. For small teams, the more consequential shift is coordination and traceability, not an unverified productivity multiplier. Generated changes still require code review, tests, permission boundaries and clear ownership of recurring actions.
A project is a goal, not another Git branch
Users can create a project with one or more repositories, or no repository at all, and add documents, folders or design files to its Library. Copilot starts and coordinates sessions toward the goal. This differs from an ordinary single-repository agent session because the same project context persists across related work and results.
Review queue and steering keep a person involved
The overview separates Needs input (decisions, permissions and reviews), Open (including pull requests), Working and Done. Users can inspect individual sessions, see changes and plans, and send steering messages. The product does not imply that agents can bypass repository merge checks or that every output is correct.
Recurring automations live alongside the project
A user can describe a recurring task in the project conversation, such as summarising new feedback weekly. GitHub documents checking its schedule in the project's Automations tab. This adds operational convenience but also makes monitoring task ownership, permissions, costs and stale context important.
Boundaries and adoption
GitHub labels Projects a public preview and says it may change. The Copilot app is available across Copilot plans, but actual model access, usage limits and organisational policies still depend on account settings. No independent benchmark establishes that Projects improves delivery speed, review quality or total cost versus existing agent workflows.