Getting Started with Copilot V4

Copilot V4 is built around Agent Chat, a desktop workspace where OpenCode, Claude Code, or Codex can read your vault, use tools, and complete multi-step work with the permissions you choose.

Agent Chat is available in Obsidian on desktop. Quick Chat, Copilot Commands, and Quick Ask remain available for shorter tasks and on mobile.

Install Copilot

1. Open Obsidian Settings → Community plugins.
2. Select Browse, search for Copilot, and install it.
3. Enable Copilot. The Agent Chat icon appears in the left ribbon on desktop.

Set Up Your First Agent Chat

Open Settings → Copilot → Basic and find Agents. For most people, the quickest path is the managed OpenCode setup.

Recommended: Download OpenCode

1. Select the OpenCode tab under Agents.
2. Open Configure, choose Managed by Copilot, then click Download & install. Copilot downloads the opencode binary and manages it for you.
3. Choose how OpenCode gets models:
   • Copilot-hosted models: enter an eligible license under Copilot license on the Basic tab. Eligible hosted models then appear in OpenCode and Quick Chat.
   • Bring your own key: open the BYOK tab, select Add a provider, enter your provider details, and choose models. Copilot stores the key in this device's Obsidian Keychain and enables the selected models for OpenCode and Quick Chat.
4. Return to Basic → Agents → OpenCode and choose the default model for new chats.

Already have the opencode binary? Open Configure, choose My own installation, then select Auto-detect or enter its absolute path and click Apply.

Alternative: Link Claude Code

If Claude Code is already installed, Copilot checks its common install locations automatically and marks Claude as installed. If it is not found:

1. Open Basic → Agents → Claude → Configure.
2. Select Auto-detect, or enter the path to the claude binary.
3. Sign in when prompted.

Claude uses the account held by the Claude Code CLI. You do not paste that account's key into Copilot.

Alternative: Link Codex

Copilot connects to Codex through the codex-acp adapter, which includes a compatible Codex CLI:

1. Open Basic → Agents → Codex → Configure and choose Download & install under Managed by Copilot. Copilot installs the adapter version tested with that plugin release with its bundled runtime. You do not need Node.js or npm.
2. Click Sign in, complete authentication in your browser, and return to Obsidian. If the browser does not open, click Open sign-in page. You can cancel or retry sign-in.
3. To use your own adapter instead, choose My own installation, then use Auto-detect or enter its path. Copilot never updates a custom binary.

If your adapter is below the supported minimum, open Configure in Settings to manage the installation. Agent Chat also offers Upgrade, with shared progress and errors. You can also choose Sign in to Codex on the Agent Chat status card. For terminal login, run your configured adapter with cli login using the same CODEX_HOME as Copilot.

For manual installations, Copilot requires a supported @agentclientprotocol/codex-acp adapter and checks compatibility in Configure. See Codex installation details. Codex uses the login stored by the bundled Codex CLI; there is no Codex key to paste into Copilot.

Start Your First Agent Chat

1. Click the Agent Chat ribbon icon, or run Open Copilot Agent Chat window from the command palette.
2. If Select your agent appears, choose an Installed agent and select Start chat. When the default backend is already ready, Copilot opens its chat automatically.
3. Pick a model and permission setting beside the message box, then describe the outcome you want.

Try a concrete first request such as: “Review the unfinished tasks in this vault and make a short plan.” With Default selected, Agent Chat shows its work and asks before actions that need your approval.

Projects, Skills, and Commands

Keep Work Focused with Projects

From Agent Chat Home, open Projects and select New project. A project keeps its own instructions, reusable context, and chat history, so work for one client or topic stays together. See Projects for supported context sources and setup.

Share Skills Across Agents

Skills are reusable instruction packets for jobs such as reviewing a change or drafting a release note. Open Settings → Copilot → Skills to see skills from Copilot's shared skills folder and the native OpenCode, Claude, and Codex skill folders. Enable each skill for the agents that should use it; Copilot links shared skills into the right agent folders for you.

Type / in Agent Chat to choose an available skill. Copilot also includes skills for Obsidian Markdown, Bases, and Canvas. Learn more in Skills across agents.

Reuse Copilot Commands

Create preset prompts under Settings → Copilot → Command. Run them from the command palette, the editor's Copilot menu, or by typing / in Agent Chat. See Copilot Commands and Quick Ask.

Ask Without Leaving the Editor

Run Quick Ask from the command palette, or assign it a hotkey under Obsidian Settings → Hotkeys. It opens a small prompt beside your cursor or selection for quick rewrites, explanations, and follow-up questions. Quick Ask uses your Quick Chat model, so set up a Copilot-hosted or BYOK model first.

Next Steps

• Agent Chat: agents, permissions, context, models, and skills
• Projects: focused agent workspaces
• Copilot Commands and Quick Ask: reusable prompts and in-editor help
• Model Sources and BYOK: BYOK setup for OpenCode and Quick Chat
• Copilot Settings: every settings tab explained