GitHub Copilot CLI Skill

Use GitHub Copilot CLI to leverage GitHub's code intelligence directly from the terminal via GitHub OAuth.

When to Use

• Quick code generation and scaffolding
• Repository-aware code suggestions and completions
• Code explanation and documentation generation
• Multi-file code analysis
• Git-aware tasks and automation
• Fast iteration on coding problems

Quick Start

Interactive mode

gh copilot

Explain code

gh copilot explain "path/to/file.py"

Generate code

gh copilot suggest "create a function that validates email addresses"

With specific context

cd /path/to/repo && gh copilot suggest "add error handling to main.py"

Installation

# GitHub CLI is required
brew install gh  # macOS
# or apt-get install gh  # Linux
# or choco install gh  # Windows

# Verify installation
gh --version

Key Commands

Authentication

Copilot CLI uses GitHub OAuth via gh cli:

# First-time authentication
gh auth login

# Check auth status
gh auth status

No API key configuration needed—authentication is linked to your GitHub account.

Working with Files

Copilot CLI is repository-aware and understands your codebase:

# Explain file in current repo
gh copilot explain src/api.ts

# Generate code in context of repo
cd /path/to/project && gh copilot suggest "add unit tests for User service"

# Review code changes
gh copilot review src/components/Button.tsx

Built-in Capabilities

• Repository Awareness: Understands your codebase structure and conventions
• Git Integration: Access to commit history and branch context
• Language Support: Works with multiple programming languages
• Smart Suggestions: Context-aware code generation

For Sub-Agent Delegation

When spawning Copilot CLI for background work:

# Explain code non-interactively
gh copilot explain myfile.js 2>&1

# Generate code and capture output
gh copilot suggest "parse JSON file" 2>&1 > generated_code.js

# Run with timeout
timeout 120 gh copilot suggest "implement authentication" 2>&1

Script: Run Copilot Task

Use the bundled script for reliable sub-agent execution:

node {baseDir}/scripts/run-copilot-task.cjs "Your task prompt" [options]

Options:

• --action <action> — Action: suggest, explain, review (default: suggest)
• --file <path> — File path for explain or review actions
• --timeout <secs> — Timeout in seconds (default: 120)
• --workdir <path> — Working directory

The script handles:

• Timeout protection
• Error capture and formatting
• Clean output for parsing
• Exit code propagation

Tips

1. Repository matters — Copilot uses your codebase for context
2. Use relative paths — File paths relative to current directory
3. Brief prompts work best — Clear, specific suggestions get better results
4. Check git status — Copilot uses git history for context
5. Review generated code — Always review suggestions before committing

Rate Limits

Rate limits depend on your GitHub plan:

• GitHub Free: Limited suggestions per day
• GitHub Pro/Teams: Higher rate limits
• GitHub Enterprise: Custom limits

Comparison with Other CLIs

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

# Check auth status
gh auth status

# Re-authenticate
gh auth logout
gh auth login

Command Not Found

# Verify GitHub CLI installed
which gh

# Check Copilot extension
gh extension list

# Reinstall GitHub CLI
brew reinstall gh

No Copilot Suggestions

# Ensure you have GitHub Copilot license/subscription
gh auth status

# Try from repository directory
cd /path/to/repo && gh copilot suggest "your prompt"