Agents for every app.
Embed Copilot's agentic workflows in your application—now available in Technical preview as a programmable SDK for Python, TypeScript, Go, and .NET.
The GitHub Copilot SDK exposes the same engine behind Copilot CLI: a production-tested agent runtime you can invoke programmatically. No need to build your own orchestration—you define agent behavior, Copilot handles planning, tool invocation, file edits, and more.
| SDK | Location | Installation |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js / TypeScript | cookbook/nodejs/ |
npm install @github/copilot-sdk |
| Python | cookbook/python/ |
pip install github-copilot-sdk |
| Go | cookbook/go/ |
go get github.com/github/copilot-sdk/go |
| .NET | cookbook/dotnet/ |
dotnet add package GitHub.Copilot.SDK |
See the individual SDK READMEs for installation, usage examples, and API reference.
For a complete walkthrough, see the Getting Started Guide.
Quick steps:
-
Install the Copilot CLI:
Follow the Copilot CLI installation guide to install the CLI, or ensure
copilotis available in your PATH. -
Install your preferred SDK using the commands above.
-
See the SDK README for usage examples and API documentation.
All SDKs communicate with the Copilot CLI server via JSON-RPC:
Your Application
↓
SDK Client
↓ JSON-RPC
Copilot CLI (server mode)
The SDK manages the CLI process lifecycle automatically. You can also connect to an external CLI server—see individual SDK docs for details.
Yes, a GitHub Copilot subscription is required to use the GitHub Copilot SDK. Refer to the GitHub Copilot pricing page. You can use the free tier of the Copilot CLI, which includes limited usage.
Billing for the GitHub Copilot SDK is based on the same model as the Copilot CLI, with each prompt being counted towards your premium request quota. For more information on premium requests, see Requests in GitHub Copilot.
Yes, the GitHub Copilot SDK supports BYOK. You can configure the SDK to use your own encryption keys for data security. Refer to the individual SDK documentation for instructions on setting up BYOK.
Yes, the Copilot CLI must be installed separately. The SDKs communicate with the Copilot CLI in server mode to provide agent capabilities.
By default, the SDK will operate the Copilot CLI in the equivalent of --allow-all being passed to the CLI, enabling all first-party tools, which means that the agents can perform a wide range of actions, including file system operations, Git operations, and web requests. You can customize tool availability by configuring the SDK client options to enable and disable specific tools. Refer to the individual SDK documentation for details on tool configuration and Copilot CLI for the list of tools available.
Yes, the GitHub Copilot SDK allows you to define custom agents, skills, and tools. You can extend the functionality of the agents by implementing your own logic and integrating additional tools as needed. Refer to the SDK documentation of your preferred language for more details.
Yes, check out the custom instructions at github/awesome-copilot.
All models available via Copilot CLI are supported in the SDK. The SDK also exposes a method which will return the models available so they can be accessed at runtime.
The GitHub Copilot SDK is currently in Technical Preview. While it is functional and can be used for development and testing, it may not yet be suitable for production use.
Please use the GitHub Issues page to report bugs or request new features. We welcome your feedback to help improve the SDK.
- Getting Started – Tutorial to get up and running
- Cookbook – Practical recipes for common tasks across all languages
- Samples – Video walkthroughs and sample projects
See CONTRIBUTING.md for contribution guidelines.
MIT
