GitHub Copilot SDK

The GitHub Copilot SDK lets developers embed the same agentic runtime that powers the GitHub Copilot CLI into their own applications and services. Released by GitHub and already past 10,000 stars, the multi-platform SDK — actively developed through October 2026 — turns Copilot from a coding assistant you chat with into an agent platform you can build products on.

Overview

The SDK communicates with the Copilot CLI, which acts as the agent runtime: it plans tasks, invokes tools, edits files, and streams progress back to your code. Official packages are published for Node.js/TypeScript, Python, Go, .NET, and Rust, all sharing the same session-based model — create a session, send prompts, register custom tools and hooks, and receive streamed events. Agents can work against real repositories with built-in permission controls, and you can also bring your own API keys (BYOK) from supported LLM providers instead of authenticating through GitHub.

Key Features

• Official SDKs for TypeScript, Python, Go, .NET, and Rust
• Session-based agent API with streaming events and conversation history
• Custom tool registration so agents can call your own functions and services
• Hooks and permission callbacks to approve, deny, or audit agent actions
• BYOK support for using your own OpenAI, Azure, or Anthropic keys
• Built on the production Copilot CLI runtime, including MCP server support
• MIT-licensed SDK code with extensive samples for each language

💳 Pricing

Freemium. The SDK itself is free and MIT licensed, but standard usage requires a GitHub Copilot subscription and prompts count against your Copilot usage allowance; Copilot includes a free tier with limited usage, and BYOK mode lets you pay your chosen model provider directly instead.

Who Is It For

Developers and product teams who want Copilot-grade agentic behavior — planning, tool use, and code changes — inside their own apps, internal platforms, and automation pipelines rather than only in an editor or terminal.