- name
- copilot-cli
- description
- >
- license
- MIT-0
- compatibility
- Designed for OpenClaw, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and compatible AgentSkills clients
- metadata
- openclaw
- emoji
- ⌨️
- homepage
- https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/copilot-cli/about-copilot-cli
- os
- ["darwin", "linux", "win32"]
- requires
- bins
- ["copilot"]
- install
- kind
- node
- package
- @github/copilot
- bins
- ["copilot"]
- label
- Install via npm
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 —-ihangs - Always set
--max-autopilot-continues=Nin 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
EPIPEcrashes - Use
pty: trueon exec calls to avoid output fragmentation - Set
timeout: 120minimum (MCP startup ~3s + inference ~25s+) - Use
--allow-all(or--yolo) for file write permissions in--no-ask-usermode - 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:
--yolodoes 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:
/chronicleand history queries require--experimentalor/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.