Copilot in SSMS provides AI assistance similar to ChatGPT directly within SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

 Requirements

SQL Server Management Studio 21 or later is required, along with an Azure OpenAI endpoint and deployment from Azure AI Foundry. Azure authentication is recommended over API keys for security.​

Installation Steps

Launch the Visual Studio Installer, select your SSMS installation, and choose Modify. Under the AI Assistance workload, ensure Copilot in SSMS is selected, then click Modify to install.​

Configuration Steps

Open SSMS, click the Copilot button on the SQL Editor toolbar (or use View > Copilot or Ctrl+Alt+C). Enter your Azure OpenAI Endpoint, Deployment (e.g., gpt-4o), and API Key if needed, then select Launch Copilot. Authenticate via Microsoft Entra ID if prompted, and adjust settings under Tools > Options > Copilot.​

Usage

Connect to your database in a query editor, open the Copilot chat window, and ask natural language questions about your schema or T-SQL code. It supports SQL Server, Azure SQL, and related platforms but review outputs for accuracy. No direct ChatGPT integration exists without this Azure setup