GitHub Copilot MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates GitHub Copilot CLI with MCP clients.

📣 Important Notice

Thanks to @leonardommello for the original work. This is an actively maintained fork to keep the project up-to-date with the latest Copilot features and supported models.

Features

• 9 Tools - Interactive Copilot commands for coding assistance
• 2 Resources - Session history and management
• 3 Prompts - Workflow templates for common tasks
• Full MCP Support - Compatible with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cline, and more
• Quick Commands - Shortcut commands for rapid workflow (see below)

Quick Start

For use:

Add to your configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Optional: Specify model preference

You can use the --prefer flag to choose between Claude or GPT models as defaults:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server", "--prefer", "gpt"]
    }
  }
}

Available preferences:

• --prefer claude (default): Uses Claude models (Sonnet 4.5, Opus 4.5, Haiku 4.5)
• --prefer gpt: Uses GPT models (gpt-5.1-codex, gpt-5.1-codex-max, gpt-5.1-codex-mini, gpt-4.1)

Model defaults by preference:

| Tool | --prefer claude | --prefer gpt | |------|-------------------|----------------| | ask-copilot | claude-sonnet-4.5 | gpt-5.1-codex-max | | copilot-explain | claude-sonnet-4.5 | gpt-5.1-codex | | copilot-suggest | claude-opus-4.5 | gpt-5.1-codex-max | | copilot-debug | claude-haiku-4.5 | gpt-5.1-codex-mini | | copilot-refactor | claude-haiku-4.5 | gpt-5.1-codex-mini | | copilot-review | gpt-4.1 | gpt-4.1 | | copilot-test-generate | claude-sonnet-4.5 | gpt-5.1-codex |

Note: You can still override the default model for any tool by specifying the model parameter in individual tool calls.

Prerequisites

You need GitHub Copilot CLI installed and authenticated:

npm install -g @github/copilot
copilot /login

Hello World Example

Once configured, here's a simple way to get started:

In Claude Desktop (or your MCP client):

Use ask-copilot with prompt="Write a simple Hello World program in JavaScript"

Response:

console.log("Hello, World!");

That's it! You can now use all the Copilot tools through your AI client.

More examples:

Use copilot-explain to explain this code: console.log("Hello, World!");

Use copilot-suggest for task="List files in current directory"

Use copilot-debug with code="console.log(messge);" and error="ReferenceError: messge is not defined"

Tools

| Tool | Description | Parameters | |------|-------------|------------| | ask-copilot | Ask Copilot for coding help, debugging, architecture | prompt, context, model, allowAllTools | | copilot-explain | Get detailed code explanations | code, model | | copilot-suggest | Get CLI command suggestions | task, model | | copilot-debug | Debug code errors | code, error, context | | copilot-refactor | Get refactoring suggestions | code, goal | | copilot-test-generate | Generate unit tests | code, framework | | copilot-review | Get code review with feedback | code, focusAreas | | copilot-session-start | Start new conversation session | - | | copilot-session-history | Get session history | sessionId |

Resources

| Resource | URI | Description | |----------|-----|-------------| | session-history | copilot://session/{sessionId}/history | Access conversation history for a session | | sessions-list | copilot://sessions | List all active sessions |

🔌 AI Client Integration

This MCP server works with any MCP-compatible client. Below are detailed setup instructions for popular AI coding assistants.

📘 Claude Desktop (Recommended)

Claude Desktop is the most tested and recommended client for this MCP server.

Configuration Path:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Method 1: NPX (No Installation Required)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Method 2: Global Installation

npm install -g @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server

Then add to config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "copilot-mcp-server"
    }
  }
}

Method 3: Local Development

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/copilot-mcp-tool/dist/esm/copilot/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

After Setup:

1. Restart Claude Desktop
2. Look for the 🔌 icon in the bottom-right corner
3. Click it to see "copilot" in the connected servers list

🖥️ Claude Code (CLI)

Claude Code provides the fastest setup experience via CLI.

Quick Setup:

# Using npx (no installation)
claude mcp add copilot -- npx -y @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server

# Or with global installation
npm install -g @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server
claude mcp add copilot copilot-mcp-server

Import from Claude Desktop:

# If you already configured Claude Desktop
claude mcp add-from-claude-desktop

Verify Connection:

claude mcp list
# Should show: copilot (connected)

Usage in Chat:

/mcp  # Check server status

🎯 Cursor

Cursor supports both one-click and manual installation.

Method 1: Manual Configuration

Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json (create if it doesn't exist):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Method 2: Settings UI

1. Open Cursor Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
2. Search for "MCP"
3. Click "Add MCP Server"
4. Name: copilot
5. Command: npx -y @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server

🔧 VS Code with Cline Extension

Cline is a popular MCP-compatible VS Code extension.

Setup:

1. Install Cline extension from VS Code marketplace
2. Open Cline settings (gear icon in Cline panel)
3. Navigate to "MCP Servers" section
4. Add new server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Alternatively, edit VS Code settings.json:

{
  "cline.mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

⚡ Zed Editor

Zed has native MCP support built-in.

Configuration File: ~/.config/zed/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Or use Zed's UI:

1. Open Zed Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
2. Go to "Extensions" → "MCP"
3. Add server with command: npx -y @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server

🔮 Windsurf

Configuration Path: ~/.windsurf/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

🌊 Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI supports both project-wide and global MCP server installation.

Global Installation:

gemini mcp add copilot -- npx -y @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server

Project-Specific:

# In your project directory
gemini mcp add --project copilot -- npx -y @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server

Verify:

gemini mcp list

🎨 JetBrains AI Assistant

For IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.

Setup:

1. Open Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
2. Navigate to: Tools → AI Assistant → Model Context Protocol (MCP)
3. Click "+" to add new MCP server
4. Configure:
   • Name: copilot
   • Command: npx
   • Arguments: -y @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server

🚀 Other MCP Clients

This server is compatible with any MCP-compliant client. Generic configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "copilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Additional Compatible Clients:

• Amp - Configuration in ~/.amp/mcp.json
• Augment Code - MCP settings in IDE
• Roo Code - Via settings panel
• Qwen Coder - CLI: qwen mcp add copilot

✅ Compatibility Matrix

| Client | Status | Installation Method | Notes | |--------|--------|-------------------|-------| | Claude Desktop | ✅ Tested | JSON config | Most stable, recommended | | Claude Code | ✅ Tested | CLI command | Fastest setup | | Cursor | ✅ Compatible | JSON / UI | Multiple setup options | | Cline (VS Code) | ✅ Compatible | Extension settings | VS Code integration | | Zed | ✅ Compatible | Native MCP support | Built-in UI | | Windsurf | ✅ Compatible | JSON config | Simple setup | | Gemini CLI | ✅ Compatible | CLI command | Project & global | | JetBrains AI | ✅ Compatible | Settings UI | All JetBrains IDEs | | Other MCP clients | ✅ Compatible | Standard MCP protocol | Universal support |

How It Works

This MCP server acts as a bridge between MCP clients and the GitHub Copilot CLI:

1. MCP Client (Claude Desktop) → Calls tool via MCP protocol
2. MCP Server (This package) → Translates to Copilot CLI command
3. GitHub Copilot CLI → Processes request and returns response
4. MCP Server → Returns formatted response to client

Benefits:

• Use Copilot's AI models directly in Claude conversations
• Maintain session history across interactions
• Access specialized Copilot features (explain, debug, review, etc.)
• No need to switch between tools

🎯 Real-World Use Cases

1. Code Explanation & Learning

Scenario: Understanding complex code patterns

// Ask Copilot to explain
const result = arr.map(x => x * 2).filter(x => x > 10);

Response:

This code performs two operations on an array in sequence:

1. .map(x => x * 2) - Creates a new array by multiplying each element by 2
2. .filter(x => x > 10) - Filters that result to only keep values greater than 10

For example, if arr = [3, 5, 8], the result would be [16]

2. Debugging Assistance

Scenario: Finding bugs in your code

// Buggy code
function sum(arr) {
  return arr.reduce((a) => a+b, 0);
}

Error: ReferenceError: b is not defined

Copilot's Fix:

function sum(arr) {
  return arr.reduce((a, b) => a+b, 0);
}

The reduce callback needs both the accumulator and the current value.

3. Security Refactoring

Scenario: Fixing SQL injection vulnerabilities

// Vulnerable code
function getUserData(id) {
  return db.query('SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ' + id);
}

Copilot's Secure Version:

async function getUserData(id) {
  if (!id) return null;

  // Use parameterized query to prevent SQL injection
  const query = 'SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?';
  const user = await db.query(query, [id]);

  return user || null;
}

Key improvements: Parameterized queries, input validation, async/await

4. Test Generation

Scenario: Generate comprehensive tests

function isPrime(n) {
  if (n <= 1) return false;
  for (let i = 2; i * i <= n; i++) {
    if (n % i === 0) return false;
  }
  return true;
}

Generated Jest Tests:

describe('isPrime', () => {
  it('should return false for numbers <= 1', () => {
    expect(isPrime(-5)).toBe(false);
    expect(isPrime(0)).toBe(false);
    expect(isPrime(1)).toBe(false);
  });

  it('should return true for prime numbers', () => {
    expect(isPrime(2)).toBe(true);
    expect(isPrime(3)).toBe(true);
    expect(isPrime(97)).toBe(true);
  });

  it('should return false for composite numbers', () => {
    expect(isPrime(4)).toBe(false);
    expect(isPrime(100)).toBe(false);
  });
});

5. Code Modernization

Scenario: Update legacy JavaScript to modern ES6+

// Legacy code
function processData(data) {
  var result = [];
  for (var i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
    result.push(data[i] * 2);
  }
  return result;
}

Modern Version:

function processData(data) {
  return data.map(item => item * 2);
}

Benefits: Cleaner, modern arrow function, immutable array operation

6. CLI Command Suggestions

Task: "List all files recursively and count them"

PowerShell:

(Get-ChildItem -Recurse -File).Count

Bash:

find . -type f | wc -l

📚 Detailed Tool Examples

ask-copilot

General-purpose coding assistant

📝 Prompt: "Write a TypeScript function to debounce user input"

🤖 Response: Complete implementation with TypeScript types, error handling, and usage examples

copilot-explain

Code explanation and education

📝 Code to explain:
const memoize = fn => {
  const cache = new Map();
  return (...args) => {
    const key = JSON.stringify(args);
    return cache.has(key) ? cache.get(key) : cache.set(key, fn(...args)).get(key);
  };
};

🤖 Explanation: "This is a memoization function that caches results..."

copilot-suggest

Command-line suggestions

📝 Task: "Find all TypeScript files modified in the last 7 days"

🤖 Windows: Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter *.ts | Where-Object {$_.LastWriteTime -gt (Get-Date).AddDays(-7)}
🤖 Linux: find . -name "*.ts" -mtime -7

copilot-debug

Bug identification and fixes

📝 Buggy async code:
async function fetchData() {
  const data = await fetch('/api/data');
  return data.json;
}

❌ Error: "data.json is not a function"

✅ Fix: return data.json() // Add parentheses

copilot-refactor

Code quality improvements

📝 Goal: "Improve performance"

// Before
const result = array.filter(x => x > 0).map(x => x * 2);

// After
const result = array.reduce((acc, x) => {
  if (x > 0) acc.push(x * 2);
  return acc;
}, []);

💡 Benefit: Single pass through array instead of two

copilot-test-generate

Automated test creation

📝 Framework: "jest"

🧪 Generates: Unit tests, edge cases, integration tests, mock data
📊 Coverage: Positive cases, negative cases, boundary conditions

copilot-review

Code review with focus areas

📝 Focus: ["security", "performance"]

🔍 Reviews:
- SQL injection vulnerabilities
- XSS vulnerabilities
- N+1 query problems
- Memory leaks
- Inefficient algorithms

copilot-session-start / copilot-session-history

Conversation tracking

📝 Start session: Creates unique session ID
💾 Track history: All prompts and responses saved
🔍 View history: Retrieve past conversations
♻️ Resume context: Continue previous discussions

🎨 Quick Examples

Generate Code:

Use ask-copilot to write a Python function that validates email addresses

Explain Code:

Use copilot-explain to explain this regex: /^[a-z0-9]+@[a-z0-9]+\.[a-z]{2,}$/i

Debug:

Use copilot-debug with code="function sum(arr) { return arr.reduce((a) => a+b, 0); }" and error="ReferenceError: b is not defined"

Generate Tests:

Use copilot-test-generate with code="function isPrime(n) { return n > 1 && ![...Array(n).keys()].slice(2).some(i => n % i === 0); }" and framework="jest"

Review Code:

Use copilot-review with code="..." and focusAreas=["security", "performance"]

Session Management:

Use copilot-session-start to begin a new tracked conversation
Use copilot-session-history to view conversation history

AI Models

Select from available models:

• claude-sonnet-4.5 (default)
• claude-opus-4.5
• claude-haiku-4.5
• gpt-5.1
• gpt-5.1-codex
• gpt-5.1-codex-max
• gpt-5.1-codex-mini
• gpt-5.2
• gpt-5-mini
• gpt-4.1
• gemini-3-pro-preview

You can see all available models via copilot cli with /model command.

Unlimited Model (0x in Copilot usage): gpt-5-mini and gpt-4.1 are available with unlimited usage for GitHub Copilot Pro and above subscriptions.

Example:

Use ask-copilot with model="claude-opus-4.5" and prompt="Explain async/await"
Use ask-copilot with model="gpt-5-mini" and prompt="Quick code review"

Requirements

System Requirements

• Node.js: >= 22.0.0
• npm: >= 10.0.0

GitHub Copilot

• GitHub Copilot subscription: Required (Get Copilot)
• GitHub Copilot CLI: Must be installed and authenticated

  npm install -g @github/copilot
  copilot /login

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

❌ "copilot command not found"

# Install GitHub Copilot CLI
npm install -g @github/copilot

# Verify installation
copilot --version

❌ "Not authenticated"

# Login to GitHub Copilot
copilot /login

# Follow the authentication flow in your browser

❌ "Node.js version too old"

# Check your Node.js version
node --version  # Must be >= 22.0.0

# Update Node.js
# Using nvm (recommended)
nvm install 22
nvm use 22

# Or download from nodejs.org

❌ "MCP server not responding"

# Test the server directly
npx -y @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server

# Check Claude Desktop logs
# macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/
# Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\

❌ "Permission denied" on Windows

# Run as administrator or use npx without global install
npx -y @aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server

FAQ

Q: Do I need a GitHub Copilot subscription? A: Yes, this MCP server requires an active GitHub Copilot subscription and the Copilot CLI installed.

Q: Can I use this with Claude Desktop? A: Yes! This is the primary use case. Just add the configuration to claude_desktop_config.json.

Q: Does this work with VS Code? A: Yes, through the Cline extension or any other MCP-compatible VS Code extension.

Q: What's the difference between this and using Copilot directly? A: This allows you to use Copilot's capabilities within Claude conversations, combining both AI assistants.

Q: Is my code sent to both GitHub and Anthropic? A: Code you share in conversations goes through Claude's MCP protocol to Copilot CLI, which processes it according to GitHub's privacy policy.

Q: Can I use this offline? A: No, both GitHub Copilot and MCP clients require internet connection.

Development

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server.git
cd copilot-mcp-server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run locally
npm start

# Run tests
npm test

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Project Structure

src/
├── copilot/          # Main Copilot CLI integration
│   ├── index.ts      # Entry point
│   ├── server.ts     # Server configuration
│   ├── cli.ts        # Copilot CLI execution
│   ├── session.ts    # Session management
│   ├── constants.ts  # Configuration & models
│   ├── types.ts      # Type definitions
│   ├── tools/        # MCP Tools
│   └── resources/    # MCP Resources
├── server/           # MCP Server core
├── shared/           # Shared utilities
└── types.ts          # Global types

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that enables AI applications to securely access data and tools from different sources. Think of it as a universal connector for AI assistants.

Key concepts:

• Servers (like this package): Provide tools, resources, and prompts
• Clients (like Claude Desktop): Use these capabilities in conversations
• Tools: Actions the AI can perform (like calling GitHub Copilot)
• Resources: Data the AI can access (like session history)
• Prompts: Templates for common workflows

Learn more at modelcontextprotocol.io

Links

• 📦 npm Package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@aykahshi/copilot-mcp-server
• 💻 GitHub Repository: https://github.com/Aykahshi/copilot-mcp-tool
• 🐛 Report Issues: https://github.com/Aykahshi/copilot-mcp-tool/issues
• 🤖 GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot
• 🔗 Model Context Protocol: https://modelcontextprotocol.io

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Author

Original created by Leonardo M. Mello (@leonardommello) Forked and maintained by Aykahshi (@Aykahshi)

Built with ❤️ using the Model Context Protocol

If this project helped you, please consider giving it a ⭐ on GitHub!