GitHub Copilot CLI Expert

Comprehensive knowledge of GitHub Copilot CLI installation, configuration, usage, and extensibility.

Purpose

This skill provides expert guidance on:

Installing and updating GitHub Copilot CLI

Authentication and configuration

Core usage patterns and slash commands

Extensibility (MCP servers, skills, custom agents)

Troubleshooting common issues

When I Activate

Automatically when you mention:

"copilot cli", "github copilot cli", "gh copilot"

"install copilot", "update copilot"

"copilot commands", "copilot slash commands"

"copilot mcp", "add mcp server"

"copilot skills", "create copilot skill"

"copilot custom agent"

Quick Reference

Installation (All Platforms)

Always fetch latest version

- use these commands:

Platform

Command

Windows (WinGet)

winget install GitHub.Copilot

macOS/Linux (Homebrew)

brew install copilot-cli

All (npm, Node.js 22+)

npm install -g @github/copilot

macOS/Linux (Script)

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

Prerelease versions

Add @prerelease or use GitHub.Copilot.Prerelease Authentication copilot

Launch and follow /login prompt

OR use PAT with "Copilot Requests" permission:

export GH_TOKEN = your_token Essential Slash Commands Command Purpose /help Show all commands and shortcuts /model Select AI model (Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5, etc.) /agent Browse and select available agents /skills Manage skills /mcp Manage MCP server configuration /delegate [prompt] Hand off to Copilot coding agent (creates PR) /compact Reduce context window usage /context Show token usage visualization Keyboard Shortcuts Shortcut Action @ Mention files to include in context ! Execute shell command directly Esc Cancel current operation Ctrl+C Cancel / clear / exit Ctrl+L Clear screen Ctrl+O Expand/collapse timeline Extensibility Overview MCP Servers - Extend Copilot with external tools Skills - Task-specific instructions and scripts Custom Agents - Specialized agent profiles Custom Instructions - Repository-wide guidance Navigation Guide When to Read Supporting Files reference.md - Read when you need: Complete slash command reference with all options Detailed MCP server configuration and JSON schema Full permissions system documentation Advanced configuration options Environment variables reference examples.md - Read when you need: Step-by-step installation walkthroughs Working MCP server configurations Skill creation examples Custom agent examples Real-world usage scenarios Core Concepts MCP Servers (Model Context Protocol) Copilot CLI includes GitHub MCP server by default. Add custom MCP servers: /mcp add

Interactive configuration

/mcp show

List configured servers

/mcp edit < name

Modify existing server

Config stored in:

~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

Skills

Skills enhance Copilot's task performance with instructions and scripts.

Locations

:

Project:

.github/skills/

or

.claude/skills/

Personal:

~/.copilot/skills/

or

~/.claude/skills/

Structure

:

.github/skills/my-skill/

└── SKILL.md # Instructions with YAML frontmatter

Custom Agents

Specialized agent profiles stored as Markdown files.

Locations

:

User:

~/.copilot/agents/

Repository:

.github/agents/

Organization:

.github-private/agents/

Custom Instructions

Repository-specific guidance for Copilot:

.github/copilot-instructions.md

- Repository-wide

.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md

- Path-specific

AGENTS.md

- Agent behavior instructions

Troubleshooting Quick Tips

Issue

Solution

Not installed

brew install copilot-cli

or

npm i -g @github/copilot

Not authenticated

Run

/login

in Copilot CLI

Policy disabled

Check org/enterprise Copilot settings

MCP server not loading

Verify

~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

syntax

Skill not activating

Restart Copilot CLI, check SKILL.md YAML

Version

1.0.0 |

Status

Public Preview

Note

GitHub Copilot CLI is in public preview and subject to change.