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Copilot Sdk

Community
hoodini
copilot-sdk

Build agentic applications with GitHub Copilot SDK. Use when embedding AI agents in apps, creating custom tools, implementing streaming responses, managing sessions, connecting to MCP servers, or creating custom agents. Triggers on Copilot SDK, GitHub SDK, agentic app, embed Copilot, programmable agent, MCP server, custom agent.

Overview

Publisherhoodini
Repositoryai-agents-skills
Skill namecopilot-sdk
Stars
280
Forks
62
Bundled files
Instructions only
Links
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • Self-contained

    Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.

  • Open source

    Published by hoodini on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Copilot Sdk AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/hoodini/ai-agents-skills.git /tmp/ai-agents-skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/ai-agents-skills/skills/copilot-sdk .claude/skills/copilot-sdk
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Copilot Sdk in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Copilot Sdk on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Copilot Sdk is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

GitHub Copilot SDK

Embed Copilot's agentic workflows in any application using Python, TypeScript, Go, or .NET.

Overview

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.

Prerequisites

  1. GitHub Copilot CLI installed and authenticated (Installation guide)
  2. Language runtime: Node.js 18+, Python 3.8+, Go 1.21+, or .NET 8.0+

Verify CLI: copilot --version

Installation

Node.js/TypeScript

bash
mkdir copilot-demo && cd copilot-demo
npm init -y --init-type module
npm install @github/copilot-sdk tsx

Python

bash
pip install github-copilot-sdk

Go

bash
mkdir copilot-demo && cd copilot-demo
go mod init copilot-demo
go get github.com/github/copilot-sdk/go

.NET

bash
dotnet new console -n CopilotDemo && cd CopilotDemo
dotnet add package GitHub.Copilot.SDK

Quick Start

TypeScript

typescript
import { CopilotClient } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({ model: "gpt-4.1" });

const response = await session.sendAndWait({ prompt: "What is 2 + 2?" });
console.log(response?.data.content);

await client.stop();
process.exit(0);

Run: npx tsx index.ts

Python

python
import asyncio
from copilot import CopilotClient

async def main():
    client = CopilotClient()
    await client.start()

    session = await client.create_session({"model": "gpt-4.1"})
    response = await session.send_and_wait({"prompt": "What is 2 + 2?"})

    print(response.data.content)
    await client.stop()

asyncio.run(main())

Go

go
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "log"
    "os"
    copilot "github.com/github/copilot-sdk/go"
)

func main() {
    client := copilot.NewClient(nil)
    if err := client.Start(); err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    defer client.Stop()

    session, err := client.CreateSession(&copilot.SessionConfig{Model: "gpt-4.1"})
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }

    response, err := session.SendAndWait(copilot.MessageOptions{Prompt: "What is 2 + 2?"}, 0)
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }

    fmt.Println(*response.Data.Content)
    os.Exit(0)
}

.NET (C#)

csharp
using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;

await using var client = new CopilotClient();
await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig { Model = "gpt-4.1" });

var response = await session.SendAndWaitAsync(new MessageOptions { Prompt = "What is 2 + 2?" });
Console.WriteLine(response?.Data.Content);

Run: dotnet run

Streaming Responses

Enable real-time output for better UX:

TypeScript

typescript
import { CopilotClient, SessionEvent } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    streaming: true,
});

session.on((event: SessionEvent) => {
    if (event.type === "assistant.message_delta") {
        process.stdout.write(event.data.deltaContent);
    }
    if (event.type === "session.idle") {
        console.log(); // New line when done
    }
});

await session.sendAndWait({ prompt: "Tell me a short joke" });

await client.stop();
process.exit(0);

Python

python
import asyncio
import sys
from copilot import CopilotClient
from copilot.generated.session_events import SessionEventType

async def main():
    client = CopilotClient()
    await client.start()

    session = await client.create_session({
        "model": "gpt-4.1",
        "streaming": True,
    })

    def handle_event(event):
        if event.type == SessionEventType.ASSISTANT_MESSAGE_DELTA:
            sys.stdout.write(event.data.delta_content)
            sys.stdout.flush()
        if event.type == SessionEventType.SESSION_IDLE:
            print()

    session.on(handle_event)
    await session.send_and_wait({"prompt": "Tell me a short joke"})
    await client.stop()

asyncio.run(main())

Go

go
session, err := client.CreateSession(&copilot.SessionConfig{
    Model:     "gpt-4.1",
    Streaming: true,
})

session.On(func(event copilot.SessionEvent) {
    if event.Type == "assistant.message_delta" {
        fmt.Print(*event.Data.DeltaContent)
    }
    if event.Type == "session.idle" {
        fmt.Println()
    }
})

_, err = session.SendAndWait(copilot.MessageOptions{Prompt: "Tell me a short joke"}, 0)

.NET

csharp
await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Model = "gpt-4.1",
    Streaming = true,
});

session.On(ev =>
{
    if (ev is AssistantMessageDeltaEvent deltaEvent)
        Console.Write(deltaEvent.Data.DeltaContent);
    if (ev is SessionIdleEvent)
        Console.WriteLine();
});

await session.SendAndWaitAsync(new MessageOptions { Prompt = "Tell me a short joke" });

Custom Tools

Define tools that Copilot can invoke during reasoning. When you define a tool, you tell Copilot:

  1. What the tool does (description)
  2. What parameters it needs (schema)
  3. What code to run (handler)

TypeScript (JSON Schema)

typescript
import { CopilotClient, defineTool, SessionEvent } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

const getWeather = defineTool("get_weather", {
    description: "Get the current weather for a city",
    parameters: {
        type: "object",
        properties: {
            city: { type: "string", description: "The city name" },
        },
        required: ["city"],
    },
    handler: async (args: { city: string }) => {
        const { city } = args;
        // In a real app, call a weather API here
        const conditions = ["sunny", "cloudy", "rainy", "partly cloudy"];
        const temp = Math.floor(Math.random() * 30) + 50;
        const condition = conditions[Math.floor(Math.random() * conditions.length)];
        return { city, temperature: `${temp}°F`, condition };
    },
});

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    streaming: true,
    tools: [getWeather],
});

session.on((event: SessionEvent) => {
    if (event.type === "assistant.message_delta") {
        process.stdout.write(event.data.deltaContent);
    }
});

await session.sendAndWait({
    prompt: "What's the weather like in Seattle and Tokyo?",
});

await client.stop();
process.exit(0);

Python (Pydantic)

python
import asyncio
import random
import sys
from copilot import CopilotClient
from copilot.tools import define_tool
from copilot.generated.session_events import SessionEventType
from pydantic import BaseModel, Field

class GetWeatherParams(BaseModel):
    city: str = Field(description="The name of the city to get weather for")

@define_tool(description="Get the current weather for a city")
async def get_weather(params: GetWeatherParams) -> dict:
    city = params.city
    conditions = ["sunny", "cloudy", "rainy", "partly cloudy"]
    temp = random.randint(50, 80)
    condition = random.choice(conditions)
    return {"city": city, "temperature": f"{temp}°F", "condition": condition}

async def main():
    client = CopilotClient()
    await client.start()

    session = await client.create_session({
        "model": "gpt-4.1",
        "streaming": True,
        "tools": [get_weather],
    })

    def handle_event(event):
        if event.type == SessionEventType.ASSISTANT_MESSAGE_DELTA:
            sys.stdout.write(event.data.delta_content)
            sys.stdout.flush()

    session.on(handle_event)

    await session.send_and_wait({
        "prompt": "What's the weather like in Seattle and Tokyo?"
    })

    await client.stop()

asyncio.run(main())

Go

go
type WeatherParams struct {
    City string `json:"city" jsonschema:"The city name"`
}

type WeatherResult struct {
    City        string `json:"city"`
    Temperature string `json:"temperature"`
    Condition   string `json:"condition"`
}

getWeather := copilot.DefineTool(
    "get_weather",
    "Get the current weather for a city",
    func(params WeatherParams, inv copilot.ToolInvocation) (WeatherResult, error) {
        conditions := []string{"sunny", "cloudy", "rainy", "partly cloudy"}
        temp := rand.Intn(30) + 50
        condition := conditions[rand.Intn(len(conditions))]
        return WeatherResult{
            City:        params.City,
            Temperature: fmt.Sprintf("%d°F", temp),
            Condition:   condition,
        }, nil
    },
)

session, _ := client.CreateSession(&copilot.SessionConfig{
    Model:     "gpt-4.1",
    Streaming: true,
    Tools:     []copilot.Tool{getWeather},
})

.NET (Microsoft.Extensions.AI)

csharp
using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;
using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
using System.ComponentModel;

var getWeather = AIFunctionFactory.Create(
    ([Description("The city name")] string city) =>
    {
        var conditions = new[] { "sunny", "cloudy", "rainy", "partly cloudy" };
        var temp = Random.Shared.Next(50, 80);
        var condition = conditions[Random.Shared.Next(conditions.Length)];
        return new { city, temperature = $"{temp}°F", condition };
    },
    "get_weather",
    "Get the current weather for a city"
);

await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Model = "gpt-4.1",
    Streaming = true,
    Tools = [getWeather],
});

How Tools Work

When Copilot decides to call your tool:

  1. Copilot sends a tool call request with the parameters
  2. The SDK runs your handler function
  3. The result is sent back to Copilot
  4. Copilot incorporates the result into its response

Copilot decides when to call your tool based on the user's question and your tool's description.

Interactive CLI Assistant

Build a complete interactive assistant:

TypeScript

typescript
import { CopilotClient, defineTool, SessionEvent } from "@github/copilot-sdk";
import * as readline from "readline";

const getWeather = defineTool("get_weather", {
    description: "Get the current weather for a city",
    parameters: {
        type: "object",
        properties: {
            city: { type: "string", description: "The city name" },
        },
        required: ["city"],
    },
    handler: async ({ city }) => {
        const conditions = ["sunny", "cloudy", "rainy", "partly cloudy"];
        const temp = Math.floor(Math.random() * 30) + 50;
        const condition = conditions[Math.floor(Math.random() * conditions.length)];
        return { city, temperature: `${temp}°F`, condition };
    },
});

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    streaming: true,
    tools: [getWeather],
});

session.on((event: SessionEvent) => {
    if (event.type === "assistant.message_delta") {
        process.stdout.write(event.data.deltaContent);
    }
});

const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
});

console.log("Weather Assistant (type 'exit' to quit)");
console.log("Try: 'What's the weather in Paris?'\n");

const prompt = () => {
    rl.question("You: ", async (input) => {
        if (input.toLowerCase() === "exit") {
            await client.stop();
            rl.close();
            return;
        }

        process.stdout.write("Assistant: ");
        await session.sendAndWait({ prompt: input });
        console.log("\n");
        prompt();
    });
};

prompt();

Python

python
import asyncio
import random
import sys
from copilot import CopilotClient
from copilot.tools import define_tool
from copilot.generated.session_events import SessionEventType
from pydantic import BaseModel, Field

class GetWeatherParams(BaseModel):
    city: str = Field(description="The name of the city to get weather for")

@define_tool(description="Get the current weather for a city")
async def get_weather(params: GetWeatherParams) -> dict:
    conditions = ["sunny", "cloudy", "rainy", "partly cloudy"]
    temp = random.randint(50, 80)
    condition = random.choice(conditions)
    return {"city": params.city, "temperature": f"{temp}°F", "condition": condition}

async def main():
    client = CopilotClient()
    await client.start()

    session = await client.create_session({
        "model": "gpt-4.1",
        "streaming": True,
        "tools": [get_weather],
    })

    def handle_event(event):
        if event.type == SessionEventType.ASSISTANT_MESSAGE_DELTA:
            sys.stdout.write(event.data.delta_content)
            sys.stdout.flush()

    session.on(handle_event)

    print("Weather Assistant (type 'exit' to quit)")
    print("Try: 'What's the weather in Paris?'\n")

    while True:
        try:
            user_input = input("You: ")
        except EOFError:
            break

        if user_input.lower() == "exit":
            break

        sys.stdout.write("Assistant: ")
        await session.send_and_wait({"prompt": user_input})
        print("\n")

    await client.stop()

asyncio.run(main())

MCP Server Integration

Connect to MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for pre-built tools. Connect to GitHub's MCP server for repository, issue, and PR access:

TypeScript

typescript
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    mcpServers: {
        github: {
            type: "http",
            url: "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
        },
    },
});

Python

python
session = await client.create_session({
    "model": "gpt-4.1",
    "mcp_servers": {
        "github": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
        },
    },
})

Go

go
session, _ := client.CreateSession(&copilot.SessionConfig{
    Model: "gpt-4.1",
    MCPServers: map[string]copilot.MCPServerConfig{
        "github": {
            Type: "http",
            URL:  "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
        },
    },
})

.NET

csharp
await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Model = "gpt-4.1",
    McpServers = new Dictionary<string, McpServerConfig>
    {
        ["github"] = new McpServerConfig
        {
            Type = "http",
            Url = "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
        },
    },
});

Custom Agents

Define specialized AI personas for specific tasks:

TypeScript

typescript
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    customAgents: [{
        name: "pr-reviewer",
        displayName: "PR Reviewer",
        description: "Reviews pull requests for best practices",
        prompt: "You are an expert code reviewer. Focus on security, performance, and maintainability.",
    }],
});

Python

python
session = await client.create_session({
    "model": "gpt-4.1",
    "custom_agents": [{
        "name": "pr-reviewer",
        "display_name": "PR Reviewer",
        "description": "Reviews pull requests for best practices",
        "prompt": "You are an expert code reviewer. Focus on security, performance, and maintainability.",
    }],
})

System Message

Customize the AI's behavior and personality:

TypeScript

typescript
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    systemMessage: {
        content: "You are a helpful assistant for our engineering team. Always be concise.",
    },
});

Python

python
session = await client.create_session({
    "model": "gpt-4.1",
    "system_message": {
        "content": "You are a helpful assistant for our engineering team. Always be concise.",
    },
})

External CLI Server

Run the CLI in server mode separately and connect the SDK to it. Useful for debugging, resource sharing, or custom environments.

Start CLI in Server Mode

bash
copilot --server --port 4321

Connect SDK to External Server

TypeScript
typescript
const client = new CopilotClient({
    cliUrl: "localhost:4321"
});

const session = await client.createSession({ model: "gpt-4.1" });
Python
python
client = CopilotClient({
    "cli_url": "localhost:4321"
})
await client.start()

session = await client.create_session({"model": "gpt-4.1"})
Go
go
client := copilot.NewClient(&copilot.ClientOptions{
    CLIUrl: "localhost:4321",
})

if err := client.Start(); err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

session, _ := client.CreateSession(&copilot.SessionConfig{Model: "gpt-4.1"})
.NET
csharp
using var client = new CopilotClient(new CopilotClientOptions
{
    CliUrl = "localhost:4321"
});

await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig { Model = "gpt-4.1" });

Note: When cliUrl is provided, the SDK will not spawn or manage a CLI process - it only connects to the existing server.

Event Types

EventDescription
user.messageUser input added
assistant.messageComplete model response
assistant.message_deltaStreaming response chunk
assistant.reasoningModel reasoning (model-dependent)
assistant.reasoning_deltaStreaming reasoning chunk
tool.execution_startTool invocation started
tool.execution_completeTool execution finished
session.idleNo active processing
session.errorError occurred

Client Configuration

OptionDescriptionDefault
cliPathPath to Copilot CLI executableSystem PATH
cliUrlConnect to existing server (e.g., "localhost:4321")None
portServer communication portRandom
useStdioUse stdio transport instead of TCPtrue
logLevelLogging verbosity"info"
autoStartLaunch server automaticallytrue
autoRestartRestart on crashestrue
cwdWorking directory for CLI processInherited

Session Configuration

OptionDescription
modelLLM to use ("gpt-4.1", "claude-sonnet-4.5", etc.)
sessionIdCustom session identifier
toolsCustom tool definitions
mcpServersMCP server connections
customAgentsCustom agent personas
systemMessageOverride default system prompt
streamingEnable incremental response chunks
availableToolsWhitelist of permitted tools
excludedToolsBlacklist of disabled tools

Session Persistence

Save and resume conversations across restarts:

Create with Custom ID

typescript
const session = await client.createSession({
    sessionId: "user-123-conversation",
    model: "gpt-4.1"
});

Resume Session

typescript
const session = await client.resumeSession("user-123-conversation");
await session.send({ prompt: "What did we discuss earlier?" });

List and Delete Sessions

typescript
const sessions = await client.listSessions();
await client.deleteSession("old-session-id");

Error Handling

typescript
try {
    const client = new CopilotClient();
    const session = await client.createSession({ model: "gpt-4.1" });
    const response = await session.sendAndWait(
        { prompt: "Hello!" },
        30000 // timeout in ms
    );
} catch (error) {
    if (error.code === "ENOENT") {
        console.error("Copilot CLI not installed");
    } else if (error.code === "ECONNREFUSED") {
        console.error("Cannot connect to Copilot server");
    } else {
        console.error("Error:", error.message);
    }
} finally {
    await client.stop();
}

Graceful Shutdown

typescript
process.on("SIGINT", async () => {
    console.log("Shutting down...");
    await client.stop();
    process.exit(0);
});

Common Patterns

Multi-turn Conversation

typescript
const session = await client.createSession({ model: "gpt-4.1" });

await session.sendAndWait({ prompt: "My name is Alice" });
await session.sendAndWait({ prompt: "What's my name?" });
// Response: "Your name is Alice"

File Attachments

typescript
await session.send({
    prompt: "Analyze this file",
    attachments: [{
        type: "file",
        path: "./data.csv",
        displayName: "Sales Data"
    }]
});

Abort Long Operations

typescript
const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
    session.abort();
}, 60000);

session.on((event) => {
    if (event.type === "session.idle") {
        clearTimeout(timeoutId);
    }
});

Available Models

Query available models at runtime:

typescript
const models = await client.getModels();
// Returns: ["gpt-4.1", "gpt-4o", "claude-sonnet-4.5", ...]

Best Practices

  1. Always cleanup: Use try-finally or defer to ensure client.stop() is called
  2. Set timeouts: Use sendAndWait with timeout for long operations
  3. Handle events: Subscribe to error events for robust error handling
  4. Use streaming: Enable streaming for better UX on long responses
  5. Persist sessions: Use custom session IDs for multi-turn conversations
  6. Define clear tools: Write descriptive tool names and descriptions

Architecture

Your Application
       |
  SDK Client
       | JSON-RPC
  Copilot CLI (server mode)
       |
  GitHub (models, auth)

The SDK manages the CLI process lifecycle automatically. All communication happens via JSON-RPC over stdio or TCP.

Resources

Status

This SDK is in Technical Preview and may have breaking changes. Not recommended for production use yet.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Copilot Sdk AI skill do?

Build agentic applications with GitHub Copilot SDK. Use when embedding AI agents in apps, creating custom tools, implementing streaming responses, managing sessions, connecting to MCP servers, or creating custom agents. Triggers on Copilot SDK, GitHub SDK, agentic app, embed Copilot, programmable agent, MCP server, custom agent.

Why use Copilot Sdk on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Copilot Sdk is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Copilot Sdk in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/hoodini/ai-agents-skills/tree/master/skills/copilot-sdk. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Copilot Sdk?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Copilot Sdk?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Copilot Sdk with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Copilot Sdk AI skill free?

It is published on GitHub by hoodini. Check the repository for licensing terms. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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