GitHub Copilot SDK Unveiled to Empower AI Agent Workflows

GitHub has released the GitHub Copilot SDK in technical preview, offering software teams a packaged way to add Copilot-style agent workflows into applications through a programmable interface. The company said the SDK packages an "execution loop" that covers planning, tool calls, state management and streaming. GitHub positioned the SDK as an alternative to teams building their own orchestration layer for agent-style features. Language Options GitHub said support starts with Node, Python, Go and .NET. The SDKs ship as separate packages for each language. The SDKs expose the same engine used by Copilot CLI, according to the materials. GitHub framed that engine as an agent runtime that developers can invoke programmatically. The SDK requires the Copilot CLI to run, and applications connect to it through the SDK client. How It Works GitHub set out an architecture where each SDK communicates with a Copilot CLI server over JSON-RPC. The SDK manages the Copilot CLI process lifecycle automatically, according to the documentation. Developers can also connect to an external Copilot CLI server. The company described the core workflow as Copilot handling planning, tool invocation and file edits once developers define agent behaviour. The documentation also references "tool/MCP calls" and states that the SDK includes "native MCP support for standard tooling". Models And Tools GitHub said the SDK supports all models available via Copilot CLI. It also provides a method that returns available models at runtime, according to the technical preview documentation. The SDK's default configuration enables all first-party tools by operating the Copilot CLI in an equivalent mode to a permissive setting. GitHub said this covers a range of actions, including file system operations, Git operations and web requests. Teams can customise tool availability through SDK client options, according to the documentation. The company also said developers can define custom agents, skills and tools. The documentation describes extending the functionality of agents by adding custom logic and integrating additional tools. Access And Billing GitHub said a Copilot subscription is required to use the GitHub Copilot SDK. It also said developers can use the free tier of Copilot CLI, which includes limited usage. For billing, GitHub said SDK usage follows the same model as Copilot CLI. Each prompt counts towards a "premium request quota", according to the documentation. BYOK Claim GitHub said the SDK supports "BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)". The documentation describes configuring the SDK to use "your own encryption keys for data security". It also directs users to language-specific documentation for set-up steps. Preview Status GitHub described the GitHub Copilot SDK as functional for development and testing. It said it "may not yet be suitable for production use" while it remains in technical preview. The materials include a set of guides, cookbooks and samples. GitHub also referenced custom instructions for Copilot that relate to use of the SDK. In product terms, the launch extends Copilot's reach beyond editor integrations and command-line use. It also gives teams a standardised path to wrap Copilot CLI into developer-facing tools, internal applications and other software where agent-style workflows fit. GitHub said developers can use an existing GitHub Copilot subscription or bring their own key. It said it designed the SDK around developer choice across language, model selection and tooling, with the option to switch between models.