Copilot CLI

Reference knowledge base for GitHub Copilot CLI. Use when answering questions about Copilot CLI features, commands, configuration, plugins, hooks, skills, MCP servers, custom agents, automation, or troubleshooting CLI workflows. Do NOT use for general Git/GitHub questions, VS Code Copilot Chat, or IDE-only Copilot features.

Copilot CLI Reference Skill

GitHub Copilot CLI is a terminal-native AI coding agent. This skill provides reference docs for all features, commands, and operational patterns.

When to Use

✅ USE this skill when:

• Answering questions about Copilot CLI features, commands, or configuration
• Setting up CI/CD automation with Copilot CLI or GitHub Actions
• Troubleshooting Copilot CLI errors, auth, or rate limits
• Creating custom agents, plugins, hooks, or MCP server integrations
• Writing prompts for programmatic/autopilot execution
• Comparing Copilot CLI vs Claude Code for a specific use case

❌ DON'T use this skill when:

• General Git or GitHub questions unrelated to Copilot CLI (→ use git CLI / GitHub skill)
• VS Code Copilot Chat or Copilot Edits features (→ IDE-specific docs)
• GitHub Actions workflows that don't involve Copilot (→ Actions docs)
• Copilot Workspace or other non-CLI Copilot products

Setup

Install: npm install -g @github/copilot (or via GitHub CLI extension) Auth: copilot → trust directory → /login Config: edit ~/.copilot/config.json directly (no copilot config set command)

See references/getting-started.md for full installation, authentication, and configuration details.

Quick Reference

Interactive: copilot → trust directory → /login → prompt Programmatic: copilot -p "PROMPT" --yolo --no-ask-user -s With permissions: copilot -p "PROMPT" --allow-tool='shell(git:*), write' --no-ask-user Autopilot: copilot --autopilot --yolo --max-autopilot-continues 10 -p "PROMPT" Custom agent: copilot -p "PROMPT" --agent=my-agent Model override: copilot -p "PROMPT" --model claude-opus-4.6 Plan mode: Shift+Tab to cycle modes (standard/plan/autopilot) Research: /research TOPIC → deep report with citations Fleet: /fleet PROMPT → parallel subagent execution Chronicle: /chronicle standup · tips · improve · reindex

Copilot CLI vs Claude Code

Need	Copilot CLI	Claude Code
Rate-limited on Claude Code	✅ Use as fallback	—
CI/CD automation	✅ Built-in Actions support	Limited
Clean stdout (no PTY/ANSI)	—	✅ Better
Long iterative reviews	✅ Better for many iterations	—

See references/patterns-and-best-practices.md for the full decision matrix.

Key Gotchas

Automation:

• Always use -p (not -i) for automation — -i hangs
• Always set --max-autopilot-continues=N in CI/CD to prevent runaway loops
• Size timeouts by complexity: 120s (simple) → 1800s (large)
• Background servers die between exec spawns — restart each time

OpenClaw Integration (programmatic exec):

• Copilot requires a real TTY — pipe/stdout redirection causes EPIPE crashes
• Use pty: true on exec calls to avoid output fragmentation
• Set timeout: 120 minimum (MCP startup ~3s + inference ~25s+)
• Use --allow-all (or --yolo) for file write permissions in --no-ask-user mode
• Working formula:

  copilot -p "<prompt>" --no-ask-user --allow-all --max-autopilot-continues 3
  # + exec options: pty=true, timeout=120
  

• The --add-dir <path> flag grants access to specific directories without full --allow-all

Configuration:

• --yolo does NOT skip folder trust — pre-trust in ~/.copilot/config.json
• No copilot config set — edit config JSON manually
• Custom instructions now combine (not cascade) — avoid conflicting instructions

Experimental features:

• /chronicle and history queries require --experimental or /experimental on
• Premium requests vary by model multiplier — check with /model

See references/troubleshooting.md for all issues and fixes.

Quick Responses

Question	Answer
How do I start Copilot CLI?	copilot (interactive)
How do I use it in CI/CD?	copilot -p "PROMPT" --yolo --no-ask-user -s
How do I create a custom agent?	See references/automation-and-delegation.md
How do I add an MCP server?	See references/customization.md
How do I research a topic?	/research TOPIC in interactive mode

Reference Documents

Full index: references/index.md

File	Contents
getting-started.md	Installation, auth, config, permissions, env vars, plan mode overview
usage.md	Interactive & programmatic modes, 40+ slash commands, shortcuts, model selection, config settings, built-in agents
automation-and-delegation.md	CI/CD, GitHub Actions, autopilot, delegate, fleet, custom agent creation
customization.md	Custom instructions (combining), plugins, MCP servers, enterprise governance
hooks.md	Hook types (command + prompt), config, denial responses, PowerShell support
integrations.md	VS Code integration (diffs, sessions, selection), ACP server
research.md	/research reports with citations, /chronicle session history & insights
troubleshooting.md	Auth, rate limits, autopilot runaway, enterprise access, diagnostics
patterns-and-best-practices.md	Decision matrix, prompt engineering, anti-patterns

All files in references/ directory.