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.

3,891 stars

Best use case

copilot-cli is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

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.

Teams using copilot-cli should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/copilot-cli-base/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/skills/main/skills/awalesagar/copilot-cli-base/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/copilot-cli-base/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How copilot-cli Compares

Feature / Agentcopilot-cliStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

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.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

Related Guides

SKILL.md Source

# 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.

## 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`
**Custom agent:** `copilot -p "PROMPT" --agent=my-agent`
**Model override:** `copilot -p "PROMPT" --model claude-opus-4.6`

## When to Use Copilot CLI vs Claude Code

- **Rate-limited on Claude Code?** → Use Copilot CLI as fallback
- **CI/CD automation?** → Copilot CLI (built-in Actions support)
- **Clean stdout needed?** → Claude Code (no PTY/ANSI issues)
- **Long iterative reviews?** → Copilot CLI (better for many iterations)

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

## Key Gotchas

- Always use `-p` (not `-i`) for automation — `-i` hangs
- `--yolo` does NOT skip folder trust — pre-trust in `~/.copilot/config.json`
- No `copilot config set` — edit config JSON manually
- Size timeouts by complexity: 120s (simple) → 1800s (large)
- Background servers die between exec spawns — restart each time

See `reference/troubleshooting.md` for all issues and fixes.

## Reference Documents

Full index: `reference/index.md`

| File | Contents |
|------|----------|
| `getting-started.md` | Installation, auth, config, permissions, env vars |
| `usage.md` | Interactive & programmatic modes, commands, shortcuts, model selection |
| `automation-and-delegation.md` | CI/CD, GitHub Actions, autopilot, delegate, fleet, custom agents |
| `customization.md` | Custom instructions, plugins, MCP servers, enterprise governance |
| `hooks.md` | Hook types, config, denial responses, policy scripts |
| `integrations.md` | VS Code integration, ACP server |
| `research.md` | `/research` reports, `/chronicle` session history |
| `troubleshooting.md` | Auth, rate limits, SIGTERM, PTY, trust, config gotchas |
| `patterns-and-best-practices.md` | Decision matrix, prompt engineering, anti-patterns |

All files in `reference/` directory.

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