Installing Elastic Copilot

Elastic Copilot is an AI-powered software engineering assistant that transforms how you code in VS Code. With advanced code understanding, intelligent assistance, and browser integration, Elastic Copilot helps you build, debug, and test software faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Installation Methods

The easiest way to install Elastic Copilot:
1

Open VSCode Extensions

Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (Mac) to open the Extensions view
2

Search for Elastic Copilot

Type “Elastic Copilot” in the search box
3

Install

Click “Install” on the Elastic Copilot extension
4

Reload VSCode

Restart or reload VSCode to activate the extension

Option 2: Command Line Installation

Install using VSCode’s command line interface:
code --install-extension elastic-copilot.elastic-copilot

Option 3: Manual Installation (.vsix)

If you have a .vsix file:
1

Download VSIX

Download the .vsix file from the provided source
2

Install from VSIX

In VSCode, press Ctrl+Shift+P, type “Extensions: Install from VSIX”
3

Select File

Choose the downloaded .vsix file
4

Restart VSCode

Reload VSCode to activate the extension

First Time Setup

After installation, you’ll see the Elastic Copilot sidebar appear in VSCode.

Verify Installation

1

Check Sidebar

Look for the Elastic Copilot icon in the VSCode Activity Bar (left sidebar)
2

Open Panel

Click the icon to open the Elastic Copilot panel
3

Welcome Screen

You should see the welcome screen with authentication options
Contact us at founders@elasticapp.io if you are still struggling with the installation.

Essential Tools

While Elastic Copilot works out of the box, these tools enhance your development experience:

1. Node.js and npm

Essential for modern web development and MCP server integration. Node.js provides the JavaScript runtime, while npm manages packages and dependencies.

2. Git

Version control system for tracking code changes and collaborating with teams. Elastic Copilot can help you understand Git workflows and resolve conflicts.

3. Package Managers

System-level package managers make it easy to install development tools:
  • Homebrew (macOS) - The missing package manager for macOS
  • Chocolatey (Windows) - Package manager for Windows software
  • apt/yum (Linux) - Built-in package managers for Ubuntu/Debian and Red Hat/CentOS respectively

Create Elastic AI Account

Now that you have setup Elastic Copilot on your machine for the first time, it’s time to set up your account:
  1. Sign in to Elastic AI’s dashboard Click on the Continue/Sign in button You will be directed to https://elasticapp.ai to complete your quick and easy authentication process
  2. You can get started right away Free credits with the Available models
    • Gemini 2.5 pro
    • OpenAI models up to o3 on paid plans
    • Anthropic models up to Claude 4 Sonnet on paid plans

Your first task with Elastic Copilot

Copy and paste this command into Elastic Copilot to get started:
Hey Elastic, Could you create a simple To Do List application, that lists out tasks and the tasks can be marked as completed

Quick Tips

  • Speak plainly in your own words, and watch Elastic Copilot turn them into code
  • Elastic Copilot can understand images, so where applicable use images to give him more insight into what you are working on
  • Ask Questions about the things you are uncertain about