GitHub Copilot CLI

GitHub Copilot coding agent is an autonomous coding agent on GitHub's platform. It can be delegated coding work from the command line or other interfaces, then take action on repositories in the background. GitHub describes the GitHub.com surface as supporting repository exploration, change planning, and delegation of coding tasks without leaving GitHub.com.

The GitHub Copilot SDK is a multi-platform SDK from GitHub for embedding the agent runtime behind Copilot CLI in applications and services. It provides SDKs for Node.js/TypeScript, Python, Go, .NET, Java, and Rust, allowing applications to invoke Copilot agent workflows while the runtime handles planning, tool invocation, file edits, and related orchestration. Applications can also define custom agents, skills, and tools. Each SDK communicates with Copilot CLI running as a server over JSON-RPC. The SDK manages the CLI process lifecycle automatically and can connect to an externally run CLI server. The repository provides package-specific installation and API instructions; the CLI is bundled automatically for Node.js, Python, and .NET, while Go, Java, and Rust generally require a separately available CLI, with application-level bundling features available for Go and Rust. Standard use requires a GitHub Copilot subscription, and usage follows the Copilot CLI billing model, with prompts counted toward the applicable allowance. A BYOK mode supports API keys from supported providers without GitHub authentication.

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered software-development tool created by GitHub, owned by Microsoft, in collaboration with OpenAI. It suggests code completions, whole-line and whole-function snippets, documentation, and software changes for review by an experienced engineer in supported editors and IDEs. Its workflow includes inspecting changes line by line, assessing architectural correctness, and coordinating work with other pull requests. It is offered as a commercial subscription integrated with Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, and GitHub Codespaces.

Copilot agent builder is a GitHub Copilot feature that scaffolds a custom agent definition from a one-line prompt. It generates agent markdown containing a description, front matter, success criteria, and methodology, which can then be edited for local use or further sharing and automation.

GitHub Agentic Workflows is a framework for running headless AI coding agents in GitHub Actions. It supports Copilot, Claude, Codex and Gemini to triage issues, investigate failed CI runs, update documentation, improve tests and open issues or pull requests, with workflows triggered by schedules, repository events, issue or pull-request activity and slash commands. Workflows can be installed or created through prompts for a coding agent and include templates for repository assistants, CI diagnosis, daily repository reports and test improvers, with human review gates and OpenTelemetry instrumentation for monitoring agent runs. Agents operate in a sandbox with read-only access by default and layered safeguards, including compile-time schema and expression validation, expression allowlisting, pinned actions, credential isolation, integrity filtering for untrusted issue and pull-request content, safe-output controls and an agent firewall restricting outbound access.