Summary

GitHub added a per-task reasoning-level control for the Copilot cloud agent. Users pick a reasoning level alongside the model when starting a task, and the agent uses it for that run, trading higher reasoning depth for more token and credit consumption. It is available on all paid plans that include the cloud agent: Pro, Pro+, Business, Enterprise, and Max.

What changed

When starting a Copilot cloud agent task, users can now select a reasoning level in addition to the model, and the agent applies it for that run. The control is available on Pro, Pro+, Business, Enterprise, and Max plans.

Why it matters

Reasoning effort is now a first-class, per-task cost/quality lever for autonomous coding agents: teams can dial up depth for hard problems and keep it low for routine work to control credit spend. Exposing it at task start makes agent runs more predictable and governable for enterprises watching Copilot budgets.

Evidence excerpt

Pick a reasoning level alongside the model when you start a task, and Copilot cloud agent will use it for the run.

Sources