GitHub Copilot SDK: Embedding AI Agents in Any Application

GitHub just released the Copilot SDK - a way to embed Copilot's agentic workflows into any application using Python, TypeScript, Go, or .NET.

What is the Copilot SDK?

The GitHub Copilot SDK is a production-tested agent runtime that we can invoke programmatically. Instead of building our own orchestration layer (which takes months), we define agent behavior and Copilot handles planning, tool invocation, file edits, and more.

Think of it this way: Copilot CLI is like having a powerful assistant in your terminal. The SDK lets us bring that same assistant into our own applications - whether that's a desktop app, a web service, or a custom tool.

Why This Matters

Building agentic workflows from scratch is painful. We have to:

Manage context across turns

Orchestrate tools and commands

Route between models

Integrate MCP servers

Think through permissions, safety boundaries, and failure modes

Even before we reach our actual product logic, we've already built a small platform.

The Copilot SDK removes that burden. Same production-tested execution loop that powers GitHub Copilot CLI, but programmable.

Installation

Getting started is straightforward across all four supported languages:

TypeScript/Node.js:

npm install @github/copilot-sdk

Python:

pip install github-copilot-sdk

Go:

go get github.com/github/copilot-sdk/go

.NET:

dotnet add package GitHub.Copilot.SDK

Quick Start: Your First AI Agent

Here's a complete working example in 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();

And here's the Python equivalent:

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())

That's it. A few lines of code and we have an AI agent in our application.

What the Community is Building

Here's the official announcement from GitHub:

The GitHub Copilot SDK is here

You can take the same Copilot agentic core that powers GitHub Copilot CLI and embed it in any application, with just a few lines of code.https://t.co/2XcdaqWdMT pic.twitter.com/DCaF6vyYRQ
— GitHub (@github) January 22, 2026

Mario Rodriguez showing the SDK in action:

Copilot CLI and Copilot SDK in action.

Full agentic power in just a few lines of code. Your app. Your models. pic.twitter.com/6PxUsgcfkw
— Mario Rodriguez (@mariorod1) January 22, 2026

Burke Holland built a desktop control agent:

When I heard about the Copilot SDK, my first thought was whether or not I could build an agent to control my desktop.

So I did that. Being able to build and pass custom tools to the agent is op. pic.twitter.com/LJqPSiLqL9
— Burke Holland (@burkeholland) January 22, 2026

Key Features

The SDK provides several powerful capabilities:

Multiple Model Support - Use gpt-4.1 or other models as they become available

Session Management - Persist conversations across restarts

Custom Tools - Pass your own functions for the agent to invoke

Error Handling - Graceful handling of connection failures and timeouts

MCP Integration - Connect to Model Context Protocol servers

Architecture

The SDK operates through a client-server model:

Your Application → SDK Client → JSON-RPC → Copilot CLI (server mode)

The Copilot CLI must be installed and authenticated separately. The SDK communicates with it via JSON-RPC, giving us the same agentic core that powers the CLI.

Prerequisites

Before using the SDK:

Install GitHub Copilot CLI and authenticate

Have an active GitHub Copilot subscription

Use Node.js 18+, Python 3.8+, Go 1.21+, or .NET 8.0+

I Built a Skill for This

I created a comprehensive Agent Skill for the Copilot SDK that teaches AI coding agents how to use it properly. Check it out in my AI Agent Skills repository.

The skill covers:

Installation for all four languages

Session management patterns

Error handling best practices

Architecture overview

In My View

This is big. GitHub is essentially democratizing the same agentic infrastructure they use internally. The SDK is still in Technical Preview, but the direction is clear: agents everywhere, embedded in everything.

Bottom line: If we're building anything that could benefit from AI assistance, the Copilot SDK just removed months of infrastructure work.

Resources

GitHub Copilot SDK Repository

My Copilot SDK Skill

Getting Started Guide