How to Use Cody (Sourcegraph) in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
Cody is Sourcegraph's AI coding assistant that uses your entire codebase as context to answer questions, write code, suggest fixes, and generate documentation. Unlike generic coding assistants, Cody reads across files, dependencies, and repository history to provide more accurate, repository-aware suggestions — available as a VS Code and JetBrains plugin.
What You'll Need
- A Cody (Sourcegraph) account (free to create)
- A modern web browser or the Cody (Sourcegraph) app
- Payment method for paid features
Getting Started
Create Your Account
Visit https://sourcegraph.com/cody and sign up for a freemium account. You'll need an email address to register. A free tier is available — you can upgrade later for more features.
Start Your First Conversation
Once logged in, you'll see the main chat interface. Type a question or task in the input box and press Enter. Cody (Sourcegraph) supports text, code, file-upload — start with a simple text prompt to get familiar.
Natural Language Chat
Type your question or task in natural language. Cody (Sourcegraph) excels at understanding context and providing helpful, detailed responses.
Code Assistance
For coding help, paste your code or describe your problem: 'Here's my function, why isn't it working?' You can ask for explanations, debugging, or new code generation.
File and Document Analysis
You can upload documents, PDFs, images, or spreadsheets for Cody (Sourcegraph) to analyze. Ask questions about the content or request summaries.
Pro Tips
- Be specific: The more context you provide, the better the response. Instead of "write an email," try "write a professional follow-up email to a client who hasn't responded in two weeks."
- Iterate: If you don't get what you need, ask for clarification or refinement: "Make it shorter" or "Use a more formal tone."
- Use examples: Show Cody (Sourcegraph) what format you want by including an example in your prompt.
- Share context: When asking for code help, include your programming language, framework, and what you're trying to accomplish.
- Analyze documents: Upload PDFs, reports, or data files and ask specific questions about the content.
- Save useful conversations: Most platforms let you name and revisit conversations — organize by project or topic.
Common Use Cases
Programming & Code
AI assistants focused on writing, debugging, and explaining code across programming languages.
Browse Programming & Code chatbots →Productivity
AI tools for task management, scheduling, summarization, and workflow optimization.
Browse Productivity chatbots →Troubleshooting
- Responses seem generic or unhelpful
- Add more context to your prompt. Specify the audience, tone, length, and format you need. Try starting over with a clearer description of your goal.
- The tool isn't responding or is slow
- AI chatbots can experience high traffic. Refresh the page and try again. Check the service's status page if issues persist.
- Output is too long or too short
- Explicitly specify the length: "in 100 words," "as a brief summary," or "in detail with examples."
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Cody (Sourcegraph) free to use?
- Cody (Sourcegraph) has a free tier. Paid plans start from $9/mo.
- Do I need an account to use Cody (Sourcegraph)?
- Yes, you need to create an account to use Cody (Sourcegraph).
- What can I use Cody (Sourcegraph) for?
- Cody is Sourcegraph's AI coding assistant that uses your entire codebase as context to answer questions, write code, suggest fixes, and generate documentation. Unlike generic coding assistants, Cody reads across files, dependencies, and repository history to provide more accurate, repository-aware suggestions — available as a VS Code and JetBrains plugin.