GitHub Copilot CLI Documentation

You can install GitHub Copilot CLI using several methods depending on your operating system and preferred package manager.

macOS and Linux

Use the official install script:

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

To install to a specific directory, set the PREFIX variable. To install a specific version, set the VERSION variable:

curl -fsSL https://gh.io/copilot-install | VERSION="v0.0.369" PREFIX="$HOME/custom" bash

Alternatively, use Homebrew:

brew install copilot-cli
# For prerelease
brew install copilot-cli@prerelease

Windows

Use WinGet:

winget install GitHub.Copilot
# For prerelease
winget install GitHub.Copilot.Prerelease

Cross-platform (npm)

Install globally via npm:

npm install -g @github/copilot
# For prerelease
npm install -g @github/copilot@prerelease

Experimental mode provides access to features still in development, such as Autopilot mode (cycle through modes using Shift+Tab).

You can activate it in two ways:

1. Launch with the --experimental flag: copilot --experimental
2. Use the /experimental slash command from within the CLI.

Once activated via the slash command, the setting is persisted in your configuration.

Launch the CLI by running copilot. If you are not logged in, use the /login slash command within the interactive session to follow authentication instructions.

Authenticate with a Personal Access Token (PAT)

You can authenticate using a fine-grained PAT with the Copilot Requests permission enabled. Set the token in your environment using one of the following variables (in order of precedence):

1. GH_TOKEN
2. GITHUB_TOKEN

GitHub Copilot CLI supports the Language Server Protocol (LSP) to provide features like go-to-definition, hover information, and diagnostics. You must install the LSP servers separately (e.g., npm install -g typescript-language-server).

Configuration Files

• User-level configuration (all projects): ~/.copilot/lsp-config.json
• Repository-level configuration (specific project): .github/lsp.json in the repository root.

Configuration Schema

Configure servers using the lspServers key. Example for TypeScript:

{
  "lspServers": {
    "typescript": {
      "command": "typescript-language-server",
      "args": ["--stdio"],
      "fileExtensions": {
        ".ts": "typescript",
        ".tsx": "typescript"
      }
    }
  }
}

Once the CLI is launched, you can interact with the agent using slash commands:

• /login: Authenticate with your GitHub account.
• /model: Choose from available models (e.g., Claude Sonnet 4.5, Claude Sonnet 4, or GPT-5).
• /experimental: Activate experimental mode (persists in config).
• /lsp: View the status of configured LSP servers.
• /feedback: Submit a confidential feedback survey.

Note: By default, the CLI uses Claude Sonnet 4.5.