GitHub introduced a global default policy for eligible Copilot features on September 24, giving Business and Enterprise administrators a preparation period before it takes effect on October 22. The changelog says the policy can be configured now without immediately changing users’ feature access.

The change concerns how generally available features and supported client capabilities inherit a default. It is not a blanket instruction that every Copilot feature will be enabled for every organization.

Three possible defaults

Administrators can choose to enable eligible features by default, disable them or let organizations decide.

GitHub places the setting in the Copilot section of AI Controls. The announcement says it applies to eligible features managed through Features & clients, along with the specified Copilot Code Review and MCP-server policies.

The exact eligibility and exceptions remain defined by GitHub’s documentation. Administrators should check those details for the capabilities their organization uses.

Existing decisions are preserved

According to GitHub, an explicit choice to enable or disable a feature will not be overridden by the new default. The policy affects eligible features left unconfigured.

Preview features remain opt-in. If an organization has already opted into a preview and it later becomes generally available, GitHub says the existing choice will be preserved.

That makes the distinction between “disabled” and “not configured” operationally important. They can look similar in current behavior while following different rules when the policy becomes active.

The preparation window

The announcement provides 28 days between introduction and activation. October 22 is the point at which eligible unconfigured features begin following the selected global default.

For administrators, the useful task is to inspect the current policy state and decide how new capabilities should become available. A default that delegates decisions to organizations has a different management effect from a centrally enforced choice.

The announcement does not say that existing users need to reinstall a client to make the policy decision.

Why this affects more than convenience

Copilot features can involve different clients, review workflows and connected tools. A predictable default makes it easier to understand how a newly available capability enters an organization.

The important outcome is a deliberate policy, with explicit exceptions where needed. GitHub’s change provides a common setting for that decision; it does not determine which option is right for every team.

The deadline to track is October 22, while the configuration work can begin now.