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.