VS Code GitHub Copilot Enterprise login keeps redirecting to github.com / GHE.com – how to configure Enterprise Server?

[mspatil214]

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I’m trying to use GitHub Copilot with an enterprise license in VS Code, but I’m stuck in the authentication flow.

My situation:

Copilot is installed and enabled in VS Code

I have an enterprise-provided Copilot license

My organization uses GitHub Enterprise Server (self-hosted), not GitHub Enterprise Cloud

Problem:

When signing in from VS Code, the Copilot login popup shows:

“Continue with GitHub”

“Continue with GHE.com”

If I choose Continue with GitHub, it redirects to public github.com

If I choose Continue with GHE.com, it expects a *.ghe.com URL and rejects my Enterprise Server URL with an error like:

“You must enter a valid GHE.com instance (e.g. https://octocat.ghe.com)”

What I tried:

Setting the Enterprise Server URL in VS Code settings:

"github-enterprise.uri": "https://"

Signing out of all GitHub accounts in VS Code

Restarting VS Code

Reinstalling GitHub Copilot extension

Questions:

What is the correct way to authenticate GitHub Copilot in VS Code when using GitHub Enterprise Server (not GHE.com)?

Is the “Continue with GHE.com” option only meant for GitHub Enterprise Cloud, not self-hosted Enterprise Server?

Is there an official or recommended flow to force VS Code Copilot to authenticate against an Enterprise Server domain instead of public github.com?

Any guidance or official documentation would be appreciated.

[sahilbhat1]

Hi @mspatil214,

I can clarify this for you! The "GHE.com" option is confusing, but here is exactly why it's failing and how to bypass it.

1. The Difference between GHE.com and Server The "Continue with GHE.com" option is strictly for the new GitHub Enterprise Cloud (Data Residency/EMU) instances. It expects a specific cloud domain structure. Since you are on a Self-Hosted Enterprise Server, you should ignore that button entirely.

2. The Solution (Force the Authentication) The default popup often misses the specific "Server" flow. Instead of using the popup, force the login via the Command Palette:

Ensure your "github-enterprise.uri" setting is correct in your settings.json (e.g., "https://github.your-company.com").

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P).

Type and run: GitHub Enterprise: Sign in.

This should explicitly trigger the authentication against your self-hosted URL defined in step 1, rather than trying to route you to the public cloud or GHE.com.

3. One Prerequisite check If the above works but Copilot still doesn't activate, check with your administrator. For Self-Hosted Server, your admin must have enabled GitHub Connect on the server side to allow seat management. If the server isn't "talking" to GitHub.com via Connect, the extension often fails to validate the license.

Hope this gets you unstuck!

[Harsimran-Dalal]

Hi @mspatil214

Copilot Authentication Issue on GitHub Enterprise Server (Answer)

Problem
While signing in to GitHub Copilot from VS Code, using “Continue with GHE.com” results in an error when your organization uses a self-hosted GitHub Enterprise Server.

---

Why this happens

• “Continue with GHE.com” is meant only for GitHub Enterprise Cloud (GHE.com)
• It does not work with self-hosted GitHub Enterprise Server
• Therefore, your enterprise URL is rejected during login

---

Correct way to sign in (Solution)

Use VS Code’s GitHub Enterprise sign-in flow instead.

1. Set your Enterprise Server URL

Open VS Code settings.json and add:

"github-enterprise.uri": "https://your-enterprise-server.com"

2. Sign in using Command Palette

Open Command Palette
Windows / Linux: Ctrl + Shift + P
macOS: Cmd + Shift + P

Run:

GitHub Enterprise: Sign in

This ensures authentication happens against your self-hosted Enterprise Server, not public GitHub.

[sahilbhat1]

Great answer by @Harsimran-Dalal ! The GitHub Enterprise: Sign in command is definitely the correct path for Self-Hosted servers.

Just adding one critical troubleshooting tip for anyone still stuck after signing in:

If you sign in successfully but Copilot still refuses to activate (or shows license errors), check with your admin if GitHub Connect is enabled on your Enterprise Server.

Even though you are on a self-hosted server, the Copilot extension still needs to verify your seat license against GitHub.com. Without GitHub Connect bridging your server to the cloud, the extension often fails to validate the license even if your local auth is correct.

[shaikafzalhussain]

This behavior is expected with the current GitHub Copilot authentication flow.

GitHub Copilot in VS Code does not support direct authentication against GitHub Enterprise Server (self-hosted). Copilot authentication is only supported via:

GitHub.com

GitHub Enterprise Cloud (*.ghe.com)

The “Continue with GHE.com” option refers only to GitHub Enterprise Cloud, not Enterprise Server. Custom domains used by self-hosted Enterprise Server instances (e.g. https://github.company.com) are not accepted, which is why the URL validation fails.

The VS Code setting:

"github-enterprise.uri": "https://..."

only affects the GitHub extension (repos, PRs, issues) and does not influence Copilot’s OAuth flow.

Current options

Sign in to Copilot using a GitHub.com account that is assigned a Copilot license by your organization

Use GitHub Enterprise Cloud if Enterprise Server–native Copilot auth is required

At the moment, there is no supported or documented way to force Copilot in VS Code to authenticate directly against a self-hosted GitHub Enterprise Server instance.

Clarifying this limitation in the UI and documentation would likely prevent confusion for Enterprise Server users.