Copilot code review gets an API and a Balanced default

GitHub made Copilot code review requestable through REST and GraphQL APIs, with the review effort level settable per request. It is generally available on Copilot Pro, Pro+, Max, Business and Enterprise.

The same change makes Balanced the default effort level under the “Default” setting. That switchover was originally announced on August 28, 2026 and took effect on September 28, so the Oct 2 post is partly a catch-up notice for a change that is already live. Users who explicitly selected Lite keep Lite, and that choice is respected at repository, organization and enterprise level.

Configuration is overridable at four levels, each taking precedence over the one above it: Enterprise in AI controls, then Organization, then Repository, then Personal.

The gaps are worth naming. GitHub gives no pricing or per-review cost, no rate limit and no latency figures, and it does not enumerate what Balanced actually changes relative to Lite, which means you cannot tell from the documentation whether the new default costs more. The only effort levels named anywhere are Default, Balanced and Lite.

(Original source: GitHub)