The GitHub Copilot SDK embeds the agent runtime behind Copilot CLI in your own application. You define the agent's behavior, and the runtime handles planning, tool invocation, file edits, and the rest of the orchestration. Official SDKs exist for Node.js and TypeScript, Python, Go, .NET, Java, and Rust, with community SDKs for Clojure and C++.
Every SDK talks to the Copilot CLI running in server mode over JSON-RPC. The SDK manages the CLI process lifecycle itself, bundling the CLI for Node.js, Python, and .NET, or it connects to an external CLI server. By default the SDK exposes the CLI's first-party tools, and each SDK's permission handler lets your application approve, deny, or customize every tool call.
Usage needs a GitHub Copilot subscription and is billed like the CLI, per prompt, unless you bring your own key. With BYOK, the SDK reaches models through your own API keys for providers such as OpenAI, Microsoft Foundry, and Anthropic, without GitHub authentication. All models available in Copilot CLI are supported, and a runtime method lists them.
Features
- Six official languages: Node.js and TypeScript, Python, Go, .NET, Java, and Rust
- Copilot CLI engine: the same agent runtime as Copilot CLI, invoked programmatically over JSON-RPC
- Process management: starts and stops the CLI automatically, or connects to an external CLI server
- Tool permissions: a permission handler approves, denies, or customizes each tool call, and individual tools can be turned on or off
- Custom extensions: define your own agents, skills, and tools, plus hooks and MCP servers
- Skill installation APIs: plan, apply, list, recover, and uninstall skill installations, with reviews of the verified skill content
- Authentication: signed-in GitHub user, GitHub OAuth app tokens, GitHub tokens, or BYOK API keys
- BYOK: your own keys for providers such as OpenAI, Microsoft Foundry, and Anthropic, without a Copilot subscription
- Model discovery: a runtime method returns the models available through Copilot CLI
