does the 'code search' feature support github enterprise server? or just Github.com?

[DevOps-zhuang]

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Just want to make sure whether this feature is available in GitHub Enterprise server? and the index technology here is same with the 'remote index' for github repo in github copilot? thanks.

GitHub Code Search
github copilot index: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/repository-indexes#about-index-creation-and-use

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[Cre4T3Tiv3]

Hi @DevOps-zhuang

I was looking into your question and thought I would share what I found after doing some digging. Hopefully this points you in the right direction.

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Understanding Code Search on GitHub Enterprise Server

From what I gathered, GitHub Enterprise Server (GHE) does support code search, but it works differently from GitHub.com depending on configuration.
By default, GHE uses a built-in Elasticsearch index to provide code search capabilities for repositories hosted on your Enterprise Server instance.

If you want to search across both your Enterprise Server and GitHub.com repositories, you can enable unified search through [GitHub Connect][2]. This lets authenticated users run a single query that returns results from both environments, provided permissions allow it.

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At a glance

Feature	Local Search (default)	Unified Search (GitHub Connect)
Scope	GHE repositories only	GHE + GitHub.com repositories (where allowed)
Requires GitHub.com	No	Yes
Setup	Enabled by default	Must be enabled by admin

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How to enable and use it

1. Search within Enterprise Server repositories
   Ensure the search indices are built and up-to-date. Administrators can manage this in the Enterprise Server UI:
   [Managing search indices for your instance][1].

2. Enable unified search via GitHub Connect
   Administrators can configure GitHub Connect to allow cross-searching public and accessible private repositories on GitHub.com directly from GHE:
   [Enabling unified search for your enterprise][2].

3. Run searches as normal
   Once enabled, using the search bar in GHE will include results from both sources (if unified search is on).

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Quick note on search syntax

GHE supports many of the same search qualifiers as GitHub.com, but some advanced search features available in GitHub code search (beta) may not be present in your GHE version unless it has been updated to include them. Always check your Enterprise Server documentation for supported syntax.

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Why it might help

• Local search works even if your GHE is air-gapped or disconnected.
• Unified search is useful if your teams work across both GHE and GitHub.com.
• Admin control lets you tailor search capabilities to your security and compliance requirements.

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This is not based on firsthand use. It comes from GitHub documentation and community-sourced data. If you try enabling either local search or unified search, I would appreciate a follow-up to confirm if it meets your needs. That could help others with the same question.

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/[1]: https://docs.github.com/en/[email protected]/admin/administering-your-instance/administering-your-instance-from-the-web-ui/managing-search-indices-for-your-instance "Managing search indices for your instance"
/[2]: https://docs.github.com/en/[email protected]/admin/configuring-settings/configuring-github-connect/enabling-unified-search-for-your-enterprise "Enabling unified search for your enterprise"

[X5464]

Hey, good question.

GitHub’s new Code Search is currently available on GitHub.com (cloud), but it’s not supported yet on GitHub Enterprise Server. For Enterprise Server, you still get the classic search features, but not the new index-backed search experience.

As for the indexing — the Copilot repo index is a separate thing. That index is created so Copilot can give context-aware suggestions from your repo. The Code Search index is optimized for fast, large-scale code queries. They’re both “indexes,” but they’re used differently and aren’t the same system.

If you’re on Enterprise Server and want Code Search, you’d need to wait for GitHub to announce support (or stick with cloud).

[DevOps-zhuang]

Thanks, so I understand the search in GHES differs with Search in GHEC, which is elastic based, thanks, I understand it now!

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