copilot-sdk

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

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

Python

pip install github-copilot-sdk

Go

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

.NET

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

Quick Start

TypeScript

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

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    onPermissionRequest: approveAll,
    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

import asyncio
from copilot import CopilotClient, PermissionHandler

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

    session = await client.create_session({
        "on_permission_request": PermissionHandler.approve_all,
        "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

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{
        OnPermissionRequest: copilot.PermissionHandler.ApproveAll,
        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#)

using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;

await using var client = new CopilotClient();
await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    OnPermissionRequest = PermissionHandler.ApproveAll,
    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

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

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    onPermissionRequest: approveAll,
    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

import asyncio
import sys
from copilot import CopilotClient, PermissionHandler
from copilot.generated.session_events import SessionEventType

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

    session = await client.create_session({
        "on_permission_request": PermissionHandler.approve_all,
        "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

session, err := client.CreateSession(&copilot.SessionConfig{
	OnPermissionRequest: copilot.PermissionHandler.ApproveAll,
    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

await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    OnPermissionRequest = PermissionHandler.ApproveAll,
    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)

import { CopilotClient, approveAll, 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({
    onPermissionRequest: approveAll,
    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)

import asyncio
import random
import sys
from copilot import CopilotClient, PermissionHandler
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({
        "on_permission_request": PermissionHandler.approve_all,
        "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

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{
	OnPermissionRequest: copilot.PermissionHandler.ApproveAll,
    Model:     "gpt-4.1",
    Streaming: true,
    Tools:     []copilot.Tool{getWeather},
})

.NET (Microsoft.Extensions.AI)

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)];
 

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