examples

GitHub Copilot CLI Examples

This directory contains practical examples and templates for integrating GitHub Copilot CLI into your development workflow.

Directory Structure

examples/
├── mcp-configs/          # MCP server configuration examples
├── scripts/              # Shell scripts for automation
├── workflows/            # CI/CD workflow examples
└── README.md            # This file

MCP Configurations

Located in mcp-configs/:

• basic-mcp-config.json - Basic setup with filesystem, GitHub, and Git MCP servers
• advanced-mcp-config.json - Advanced setup with database, search, and communication integrations
• development-mcp-config.json - Development-focused configuration with limited GitHub tools

Usage

Copy a configuration file to your home directory:

# For system-wide configuration
cp examples/mcp-configs/basic-mcp-config.json ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

# For project-specific configuration
cp examples/mcp-configs/development-mcp-config.json .copilot/mcp-config.json

Don't forget to set required environment variables:

export GITHUB_TOKEN="your-token"
export WORKSPACE="$(pwd)"

Scripts

Located in scripts/:

Code Review Script

copilot-review.sh - Review code files or directories for issues

# Make executable
chmod +x examples/scripts/copilot-review.sh

# Review a single file
./examples/scripts/copilot-review.sh src/utils.js

# Review entire directory
./examples/scripts/copilot-review.sh src/

Commit Message Generator

generate-commit-message.sh - Generate conventional commit messages

# Make executable
chmod +x examples/scripts/generate-commit-message.sh

# Stage your changes
git add .

# Generate and commit
./examples/scripts/generate-commit-message.sh

Test Generator

generate-tests.sh - Generate unit tests for source files

# Make executable
chmod +x examples/scripts/generate-tests.sh

# Generate tests
./examples/scripts/generate-tests.sh src/utils.js
# Creates: src/utils.test.js

./examples/scripts/generate-tests.sh lib/parser.py
# Creates: lib/parser_test.py

Supports:

• JavaScript (.js) → Jest
• TypeScript (.ts) → Jest
• React (.jsx, .tsx) → React Testing Library
• Python (.py) → pytest
• Go (.go) → Go testing
• Rust (.rs) → Rust testing
• Java (.java) → JUnit 5

Documentation Generator

generate-docs.sh - Generate API documentation

# Make executable
chmod +x examples/scripts/generate-docs.sh

# Generate docs for single file
./examples/scripts/generate-docs.sh src/utils.js

# Generate docs for directory
./examples/scripts/generate-docs.sh src/ docs/api

Workflows

Located in workflows/:

GitHub Actions

github-actions-review.yml - Automated PR reviews

Copy to your repository:

cp examples/workflows/github-actions-review.yml .github/workflows/

Requires:

• GitHub token with Copilot access (automatically provided)
• PR permissions (configured in workflow)

GitLab CI

gitlab-ci-review.yml - Automated MR reviews

Copy to your repository:

cp examples/workflows/gitlab-ci-review.yml .gitlab-ci.yml

Or merge with existing .gitlab-ci.yml:

include:
  - local: examples/workflows/gitlab-ci-review.yml

Requires:

• COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN variable (with Copilot access)
• GITLAB_TOKEN variable (optional, for posting comments)

Quick Start

1. Install Copilot CLI:

   npm install -g @github/copilot

2. Set up authentication:

   export GITHUB_TOKEN="your-personal-access-token"

3. Copy and customize MCP config:

   mkdir -p ~/.copilot
   cp examples/mcp-configs/basic-mcp-config.json ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

4. Make scripts executable:

   chmod +x examples/scripts/*.sh

5. Test it out:

   # Review a file
   ./examples/scripts/copilot-review.sh README.md

Environment Variables

Scripts and workflows use these environment variables:

Variable	Description	Required
GITHUB_TOKEN	GitHub personal access token with Copilot access	Yes
WORKSPACE	Current workspace/project directory	No (defaults to pwd)
COPILOT_MODEL	Model to use (e.g., claude-sonnet-4.5)	No
PGUSER	PostgreSQL username (for postgres MCP)	If using postgres
PGPASSWORD	PostgreSQL password (for postgres MCP)	If using postgres
BRAVE_API_KEY	Brave Search API key (for search MCP)	If using Brave Search
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN	Slack bot token (for Slack MCP)	If using Slack
SLACK_TEAM_ID	Slack team ID (for Slack MCP)	If using Slack

Best Practices

1. Start Simple: Begin with basic-mcp-config.json and add servers as needed
2. Secure Tokens: Never commit tokens to version control; use environment variables
3. Test Scripts: Review generated code/tests/docs before using in production
4. Customize Prompts: Adjust prompts in scripts to match your team's standards
5. CI/CD Integration: Make CI checks advisory, not blocking, initially

Troubleshooting

MCP servers not connecting

# Check if executables are in PATH
which npx

# Test server startup manually
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ~/projects

# Check Copilot logs
COPILOT_DEBUG=true copilot

Scripts not working

# Ensure scripts are executable
chmod +x examples/scripts/*.sh

# Check Copilot is installed
copilot --version

# Verify authentication
echo $GITHUB_TOKEN

Workflow failures

• Check GitHub token has Copilot access
• Verify token permissions in repository secrets
• Review workflow logs for specific errors

Contributing

Have a useful script or configuration? Contributions are welcome!

1. Add your example with clear comments
2. Update this README with usage instructions
3. Test thoroughly before submitting

Additional Resources

• Integration Guide - Comprehensive integration documentation
• Official Docs
• MCP Specification

Support

For issues or questions:

• GitHub Copilot CLI Issues
• Community Discussions