Step-by-step

🧩 GitHub Copilot

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📘 Step-by-step 📘 GitHub Copilot↗ GitHub Copilot · Official sitebeginner 🔄 Life & Business

How to Ask GitHub Copilot to Explain a Confusing Error Message

Q: What mistakes should I avoid?

Pasting only the first line of the error. The lines below it (the stack trace) usually point to the file and line where things went wrong. Copy the whole block. Forgetting to say what language or library you're using. "Null" in JavaScript and "NULL" in a database mean similar but different things. Add one short line: "I'm using React." Trusting the very first

A beginner's way to turn cryptic red text into a clear, friendly to-do list

6 min read·September 4, 2026

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You don't need to be a developer to get value from this. Plenty of people run into error messages while learning to code, tweaking a website, or running a script at work. GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant made by GitHub — think of it as a patient tutor sitting next to you, reading the error out loud in normal English. Here's the beginner-friendly way to use it.

💡 Tip: tap a step’s number when you finish it — a green tick appears and your browser remembers how far you got.

✅ Before you start

A free GitHub account, signed in. Some chat features may require a paid plan — if a feature asks you to upgrade, that's why.
The error message itself, copied from wherever you saw it (your terminal, your browser console, a log file, or your code editor).
A code editor with the Copilot extension installed (VS Code is the most common), or the Copilot chat panel on github.com.
Roughly 5 minutes.

Step 1 of 7

Install the Copilot extension in your editor (if you haven't yet)

Open VS Code and look at the left sidebar — the narrow vertical strip with several icons. Click the square Extensions icon (it usually looks like four small squares, with one square separated from the others). A search panel opens on the left. Type GitHub Copilot into the search box at the top of that panel. The top result is published by GitHub itself — click Install on that row. After a few seconds, a new icon appears in your sidebar (often a chat-bubble shape). If you use a different editor like JetBrains or Visual Studio, the steps are similar — open your editor's Extensions or Plugins menu, search for "GitHub Copilot," and click Install. On github.com, you can skip this step entirely and go straight to Step 2.

💬 Example(no typing needed in this step.)

✅ You'll know it worked when

you see the Copilot icon in your sidebar, or when github.com shows a "Copilot Chat" option in its top menu.

Next step ↓

✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different

Step 2 of 7

Open the Copilot chat panel

Look for the Copilot icon you just installed — it's usually in the left or right sidebar, near the top. Click it once. A new side panel opens up, with a text box at the bottom and a label like "Ask Copilot" or "Send a message" above it. The chat panel pops up the same way. Some setups hide the icon inside a ⋯ (three dots) menu instead — open that menu and pick "Copilot Chat."

💬 Example(no typing needed in this step.)

🔄 If it looks different

If you don't see the icon, try the keyboard shortcut: on Windows or Linux, press Ctrl + Shift + I; on macOS, press Cmd + Shift + I.

✅ You'll know it worked when

you see a blinking cursor inside a text box labeled something like "Ask Copilot" or "Send a message".

Next step ↓

Step 3 of 7

Paste the full error message

Click inside that text box and paste your error. To paste, use Ctrl + V on Windows/Linux or Cmd + V on macOS. The error text appears in the box, usually in red or in a monospaced font (where every letter takes the same width, like a typewriter). Try to copy the whole thing, not just the first line — most errors include a stack trace (a list of which files and lines were involved, like a breadcrumb trail showing where the problem happened) right under the main message, and that context is what helps Copilot pinpoint the problem. If the error is in your browser, open the Console tab first (usually under the browser's "More tools" or "Developer" menu), then copy from there.

💬 Example`TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map') at App.render (App.jsx:14)`

✅ You'll know it worked when

the error text sits in the chat box, exactly as it appeared on screen.

Next step ↓

✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different

Step 4 of 7

Ask for a plain-language explanation

Now type one short sentence after the error, asking Copilot to translate it. This part matters: the question you ask shapes the answer you get. Keep it simple and direct — no jargon required. Press Enter to send. Within a few seconds, Copilot replies with a friendly explanation of what the error means, in everyday words. If nothing comes back at all, your plan may not include chat — the reply box will usually show a small note asking you to upgrade.

💬 Example`Explain this error to me like I'm new to coding. What is it actually telling me to fix?`

🔄 If it looks different

If you don't see a response right away, look for a small stop or regenerate icon below your message and click it.

✅ You'll know it worked when

the reply describes the problem in normal English — something like "your code tried to use a list that doesn't exist yet" — instead of repeating the original error back at you.

Next step ↓

✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different

Step 5 of 7

Ask for a checklist of likely fixes

Don't stop at the explanation. Right below Copilot's reply, type a follow-up asking for a short list of the most likely causes and what to check first. Copilot usually responds with a numbered list — each item is a hypothesis to test against your own code. Treat the list as a checklist, not a verdict: not every suggestion will fit your situation, and that's normal. If the answer feels too generic, add one line about what you're building (for example: "I'm using React" or "I'm running Python on Windows") and ask again.

💬 Example`List the 3-5 most likely causes of this error. For each one, tell me what to look at in my code.`

✅ You'll know it worked when

you get a numbered list with at least three concrete things to check, like "the variable might be empty" or "the function might be called before the data loads".

Next step ↓

✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different

Step 6 of 7

Test the suggestions against your own code

Open the file mentioned in the error (in the example, App.jsx on line 14). Read the line Copilot pointed to and see which suggestion fits. If none of them seem to match, paste a small chunk of your actual code into the chat and ask Copilot which suggestion is most likely. This is where the AI becomes useful — instead of guessing, you're now comparing each idea to the real code in front of you. One honest note: Copilot can be confidently wrong, especially for unusual setups — its suggestions are a starting point, not a final answer.

💬 Example`Here's the function that produces the error. Which of your suggestions fits this code? function render() { return items.map(...) }`

✅ You'll know it worked when

at least one suggestion clicks — you think "oh, that's probably it" — and you have a clear next step to try.

Next step ↓

✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different

Step 7 of 7

Ask a follow-up when something still doesn't make sense

If a word in the explanation or the list is unfamiliar, just ask. Tell Copilot exactly which term confused you, and it'll rephrase that one part. This is the secret most beginners miss: the chat is a conversation, not a one-shot answer. Each follow-up makes the next answer tighter and more useful for your specific situation. If the answer goes off-track, click the small refresh or try again icon to get a new draft.

💬 Example`You mentioned "undefined". I don't fully get what that means in this context — can you explain just that word?`

✅ You'll know it worked when

you can say the idea back in your own words, and you have at least one concrete thing to change in your code.

✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different

⚠️ Common mistakes

Pasting only the first line of the error. The lines below it (the stack trace) usually point to the file and line where things went wrong. Copy the whole block.
Forgetting to say what language or library you're using. "Null" in JavaScript and "NULL" in a database mean similar but different things. Add one short line: "I'm using React."
Trusting the very first answer as the final answer. Copilot can be confidently wrong, especially for unusual setups. If two or three ideas don't match your code, don't force the fourth — go back to the error message itself and ask again.

🚀 Try it now

Open Copilot chat, paste the last error message you ran into — even if it's from yesterday — and send this single line:

💬 Example`Explain this error to me like I'm new to coding, then list the 3 most likely things to check.`

You'll have a clear answer in under a minute.

🎯 Next guideAdd helpful comments to your code with GitHub Copilot – beginner guideA friendly step‑by‑step walkthrough that shows anyone how to get GitHub Copilot to write plain‑language comments for any line of code

❓ Quick questions

How long does this take?

About 6 minutes — the guide has 7 steps, and you can tick each one off as you go.

Which tool do I need?

This guide uses GitHub Copilot — but the approach works very similarly in other AI assistants.

Do I need to prepare anything?

A free GitHub account, signed in. Some chat features may require a paid plan — if a feature asks you to upgrade, that's why.
The error message itself, copied from wherever you saw it (your terminal, your browser console, a log file, or your code editor).
A code editor with the Copilot extension installed (VS Code is the most common), or the Copilot chat panel on github.com.
Roughly 5 minutes.

What mistakes should I avoid?

Pasting only the first line of the error. The lines below it (the stack trace) usually point to the file and line where things went wrong. Copy the whole block.
Forgetting to say what language or library you're using. "Null" in JavaScript and "NULL" in a database mean similar but different things. Add one short line: "I'm using React."
Trusting the very first answer as the final answer. Copilot can be confidently wrong, especially for unusual setups. If two or three ideas don't match your code, don't force the fourth — go back to the error message itself and ask again.

Keep reading

📰 How to Write Your First Prompt in the GitHub Copilot App A beginner-friendly walkthrough to your first conversation with GitHub's AI helper — no coding background needed 📘 Getting started with GitHub Copilot: a beginner's guide Learn how to let AI write code for you safely, right inside your editor, so you can finish small projects faster. 📘 Add helpful comments to your code with GitHub Copilot – beginner guide A friendly step‑by‑step walkthrough that shows anyone how to get GitHub Copilot to write plain‑language comments for any line of code 📘 Turn a Reading into a Study Quiz with GitHub Copilot Paste any article or chapter, ask for practice questions, and check each one against the original text in about ten minutes 📘 Generate Basic, Reusable Code Snippets with GitHub Copilot Learn how GitHub Copilot can write starter code for you — from date formatting to simple API calls — even if you're not a full-time developer. 📘 Create a clear README in 10 minutes with GitHub Copilot Turn a blank page into a polished project README that welcomes contributors and users, using Copilot’s guided suggestions.

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