copilot-cli README

The project's README from github.com/github/copilot-cli. As one markdown file: README.md.

GitHub Copilot CLI

The power of GitHub Copilot, now in your terminal.

GitHub Copilot CLI brings AI-powered coding assistance directly to your command line, enabling you to build, debug, and understand code through natural language conversations. Powered by the same agentic harness as GitHub's Copilot coding agent, it provides intelligent assistance while staying deeply integrated with your GitHub workflow.

See our official documentation for more information.

Image of the splash screen for the Copilot CLI

🚀 Introduction and Overview

We're bringing the power of GitHub Copilot coding agent directly to your terminal. With GitHub Copilot CLI, you can work locally and synchronously with an AI agent that understands your code and GitHub context.

We're still early in our journey, but with your feedback, we're rapidly iterating to make the GitHub Copilot CLI the best possible companion in your terminal.

📦 Getting Started

Supported Platforms

Prerequisites

If you have access to GitHub Copilot via your organization or enterprise, you cannot use GitHub Copilot CLI if your organization owner or enterprise administrator has disabled it in the organization or enterprise settings. See Managing policies and features for GitHub Copilot in your organization for more information.

Installation

Install with the install script (macOS and Linux):

curl -fsSL https://gh.io/copilot-install | bash

Or

wget -qO- https://gh.io/copilot-install | bash

Use | sudo bash to run as root and install to /usr/local/bin.

Set PREFIX to install to $PREFIX/bin/ directory. Defaults to /usr/local when run as root or $HOME/.local when run as a non-root user.

Set VERSION to install a specific version. Defaults to the latest version.

For example, to install version v0.0.369 to a custom directory:

curl -fsSL https://gh.io/copilot-install | VERSION="v0.0.369" PREFIX="$HOME/custom" bash

Install with Homebrew (macOS and Linux):

brew install copilot-cli

brew install copilot-cli@prerelease

Install with WinGet (Windows):

winget install GitHub.Copilot

winget install GitHub.Copilot.Prerelease

Install with npm (macOS, Linux, and Windows):

npm install -g @github/copilot

npm install -g @github/copilot@prerelease

Launching the CLI

copilot

On first launch, you'll be greeted with our adorable animated banner! If you'd like to see this banner again, launch copilot with the --banner flag.

If you're not currently logged in to GitHub, you'll be prompted to use the /login slash command. Enter this command and follow the on-screen instructions to authenticate.

Authenticate with a Personal Access Token (PAT)

You can also authenticate using a fine-grained PAT with the "Copilot Requests" permission enabled.

  1. Visit https://github.com/settings/personal-access-tokens/new
  2. Under "Permissions," click "add permissions" and select "Copilot Requests"
  3. Generate your token
  4. Add the token to your environment via the environment variable GH_TOKEN or GITHUB_TOKEN (in order of precedence)

Using the CLI

Launch copilot in a folder that contains code you want to work with.

By default, copilot utilizes Claude Sonnet 4.5. Run the /model slash command to choose from other available models, including Claude Sonnet 4 and GPT-5.

Experimental Mode

Experimental mode enables access to new features that are still in development. You can activate experimental mode by:

Once activated, the setting is persisted in your config, so the --experimental flag is no longer needed on subsequent launches.

Experimental Features

Each time you submit a prompt to GitHub Copilot CLI, your monthly quota of premium requests is reduced by one. For information about premium requests, see About premium requests.

For more information about how to use the GitHub Copilot CLI, see our official documentation.

🔧 Configuring LSP Servers

GitHub Copilot CLI supports Language Server Protocol (LSP) for enhanced code intelligence. This feature provides intelligent code features like go-to-definition, hover information, and diagnostics.

Installing Language Servers

Copilot CLI does not bundle LSP servers. You need to install them separately. For example, to set up TypeScript support:

npm install -g typescript-language-server

For other languages, install the corresponding LSP server and configure it following the same pattern shown below.

Configuring LSP Servers

LSP servers are configured through a dedicated LSP configuration file. You can configure LSP servers at the user level or repository level:

User-level configuration (applies to all projects): Edit ~/.copilot/lsp-config.json

Repository-level configuration (applies to specific project): Create .github/lsp.json in your repository root

Example configuration:

{
  "lspServers": {
    "typescript": {
      "command": "typescript-language-server",
      "args": ["--stdio"],
      "fileExtensions": {
        ".ts": "typescript",
        ".tsx": "typescript"
      }
    }
  }
}

Viewing LSP Server Status

Check configured LSP servers using the /lsp command in an interactive session, or view your configuration files directly.

For more information, see the changelog.

📢 Feedback and Participation

We're excited to have you join us early in the Copilot CLI journey.

We're building quickly. Expect frequent updates--please keep your client up to date for the latest features and fixes!

Your insights are invaluable! Open an issue in this repo, join Discussions, and run /feedback from the CLI to submit a confidential feedback survey!

copilot-cli (github/copilot-cli)

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11.3K ·GitHub
Copilot-cli
What is this?GitHub Copilot CLI brings GitHub Copilot's agentic coding assistant into your terminal, letting you build, debug, and understand code through natural language while staying integrated with your GitHub repos, issues, and PRs.
Is this a standalone CLI app or a library I import into my code?It's a standalone terminal application you launch and chat with interactively, powered by the same agentic harness as GitHub's Copilot coding agent.
How do I install and run it?Install via the install script on macOS/Linux, Homebrew, WinGet on Windows, or npm on any of the three platforms, then run 'copilot' inside a project folder and log in with the '/login' slash command.
Do I need a Copilot subscription to use it?Yes, you need an active GitHub Copilot subscription (or org/enterprise access that hasn't been disabled by an admin); on Windows you also need PowerShell v6+.
Can my org block me from using this even if I have Copilot?Yes — if your organization owner or enterprise admin has disabled Copilot CLI in org/enterprise settings, you won't be able to use it even with a subscription.
Does it act on my code without asking first?No, every action the agent proposes is shown to you for preview and requires your explicit approval before execution.
Which AI models can I use with it?By default it uses Claude Sonnet 4.5, but you can switch to other models like Claude Sonnet 4 or GPT-5 via the '/model' slash command.
Can it extend its capabilities with external tools?Yes, it ships with GitHub's MCP server by default and also supports connecting custom MCP servers for extra capabilities.
What is Autopilot mode?It's an experimental mode (enabled via the '--experimental' flag) that makes the agent keep working on a task until it's completed, toggled with Shift+Tab.
Does it support code intelligence like go-to-definition?Yes, it supports Language Server Protocol (LSP) servers, though you must install the LSP servers yourself and configure them via a '.copilot/lsp-config.json' or repo-level '.github/lsp.json' file.
What are similar projects?Baize, headroom, git-ai, kimi-code, qwen-code, claurst, superset, openrig
Which topics is it in?github-copilot, ai-coding, coding-agents, chatbot, shell, command-line, coding-agent, productivity, command-line-tool, agent, mcp, npm
Creator
github
Size
0.4 MB
Stars
11.3K
Updated
CommitOct 14Releasev1.0.98Oct 14
Age
3y
Commits · 90 Days