SSMS 22.9 stops Copilot from running queries and raises favorite connections cap to 60

Microsoft has shipped SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) version 22.9.0, bringing several notable improvements for database developers and administrators, including a reworked connection dialog and changes to how GitHub Copilot behaves.

The key update concerns Copilot's Ask Mode, which is now strictly read-only. It no longer executes arbitrary queries; even when explicitly asked to run one, it will only return a T-SQL script. Microsoft says this establishes a clear boundary between advice and execution, as Ask Mode is primarily meant for the former. Agent Mode has also been tweaked to make Copilot more aware of connected objects' context.

The Modern Connection Dialog saw major upgrades. The Browse tab now supports search and filtering, including browsing Azure SQL Managed Instances and Azure and Fabric subscriptions. The server name field is now an editable drop-down, the hostname in the certificate appears in the default connection properties view, and connection import and export are available. For those managing complex infrastructure, the maximum number of favorite and recent connections has been raised to 60. Visually, the dialog supports a horizontal layout, and SSMS themes are applied more consistently.

Preview features also received attention. In Database DevOps, the Add Database Reference dialog has a revamped UI, and SqlProj document tab names were updated to reduce confusion. The SQL Formatter now offers more control over indentation (tabs versus spaces), trailing commas, column alias syntax, and new line insertions.

Version 22.9 includes a host of bug fixes across all these components. For context, the previous release, 22.7.0, introduced a native "What's New" page and T-SQL formatting.