---
title: "GitHub Copilot CLI"
canonical: "https://canmyagentuse.com/atlas/surfaces/copilot-cli"
contentKind: "harness"
locale: "en"
description: "GitHub / GitHub Copilot. Exact research surface: copilot-cli."
llmSummary: "GitHub / GitHub Copilot. Exact research surface: copilot-cli."
publishedAt: null
updatedAt: "2026-08-28T00:00:00.000Z"
verifiedAt: "2026-08-28"
tags: ["evidence-atlas", "research"]
---

# GitHub Copilot CLI

GitHub / GitHub Copilot. Exact research surface: copilot-cli.

Research cutoff: 2026-08-28. Documentation and registry evidence are not runtime certification. Unknown means the package did not establish a defensible claim; it does not mean unsupported.

- Surface type: cli
- Version or observation: 1.0.81 registry observation
- Availability: ga
- Coverage tier: B
- Supported: 22
- Partial: 0
- Explicit unsupported: 0
- Unknown: 27

| Feature | Status | Evidence method | Conditions / notes | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [A2A agent/server role](/atlas/features/a2a-server) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [A2A client role](/atlas/features/a2a-client) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [ACP agent/server role](/atlas/features/acp-agent) | Supported | registry-listed | Official ACP Registry 1.0.81; registry proves the agent role, not every optional ACP method. | [S-001](https://agentclientprotocol.com/get-started/registry) |
| [ACP client/host role](/atlas/features/acp-client) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [ACP elicitation/approval](/atlas/features/acp-elicitation) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [ACP MCP forwarding](/atlas/features/acp-mcp-forwarding) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [ACP session list](/atlas/features/acp-session-list) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [ACP session load/resume](/atlas/features/acp-session-load) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [ACP stdio](/atlas/features/acp-transport-stdio) | Supported | registry-listed | Registry-distributed ACP agent launcher; exact optional capabilities remain unknown. | [S-001](https://agentclientprotocol.com/get-started/registry) |
| [ACP terminal reverse RPC](/atlas/features/acp-terminal-reverse-rpc) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [Agent Plugins 1.0 core](/atlas/features/agent-plugins-core) | Supported | documented | The CLI plugin manifest accepts the Agent Plugins/Open Plugin Spec 1.0 schema. | [S-292](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-plugin-reference) |
| [Agent Plugins failure isolation](/atlas/features/agent-plugins-failure-isolation) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [Agent Plugins packaged MCP](/atlas/features/agent-plugins-mcp) | Supported | documented | Plugin manifests can package MCP server configuration. | [S-292](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-plugin-reference) |
| [Agent Plugins packaged skills](/atlas/features/agent-plugins-skills) | Supported | documented | Plugin manifests can package SKILL.md directories. | [S-292](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-plugin-reference) |
| [Agent Skills core](/atlas/features/agent-skills-core) | Supported | documented | CLI skills are SKILL.md packages with instructions, scripts, and resources. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [Agent Skills scripts/assets](/atlas/features/agent-skills-scripts-assets) | Supported | documented | Documented skill packages may include scripts and resources. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [Agent Skills standard paths](/atlas/features/agent-skills-standard-paths) | Supported | documented | The CLI discovers project and personal skills in .agents/skills in addition to GitHub- and Claude-specific paths. | [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [Cloud agent](/atlas/features/automation-cloud-agent) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [Headless / CI execution](/atlas/features/automation-headless) | Supported | documented | GitHub documents programmatic, scripted, and Actions workflows for Copilot CLI. | [S-293](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/automate-copilot-cli) |
| [Marketplace or registry](/atlas/features/marketplace-registry) | Supported | documented | Plugins can be installed directly or through configured plugin marketplaces. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-292](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-plugin-reference) |
| [Organization policy controls](/atlas/features/governance-org-policy) | Supported | documented | Enterprise and organization controls cover CLI enablement, models, custom agents, MCP registries and allowlists, cloud delegation, and audit logging. | [S-305](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/administer-copilot-cli-for-your-enterprise) |
| [AGENTS.md](/atlas/features/instructions-agents-md) | Supported | documented | AGENTS.md is discovered from documented repository and working-directory scopes. | [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference), [S-294](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions) |
| [Native rules/instructions](/atlas/features/instructions-rules) | Supported | documented | Repository, user, and path-specific persistent instruction files are documented. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-294](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions) |
| [MCP 2026-07-28](/atlas/features/mcp-revision-2026-07-28) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP Apps / interactive UI](/atlas/features/mcp-apps) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP client role](/atlas/features/mcp-client) | Supported | documented | MCP servers add external tools and data sources to the CLI. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [MCP elicitation](/atlas/features/mcp-elicitation) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP legacy SSE](/atlas/features/mcp-transport-legacy-sse) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP list_changed](/atlas/features/mcp-list-changed) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP OAuth](/atlas/features/mcp-auth-oauth) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP prompts](/atlas/features/mcp-prompts) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP resources](/atlas/features/mcp-resources) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP roots](/atlas/features/mcp-roots) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP sampling](/atlas/features/mcp-sampling) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP server role](/atlas/features/mcp-server) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP stdio](/atlas/features/mcp-transport-stdio) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP Streamable HTTP](/atlas/features/mcp-transport-streamable-http) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP tasks](/atlas/features/mcp-tasks) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [MCP tools](/atlas/features/mcp-tools) | Supported | documented | The CLI discovers and invokes tools supplied by configured MCP servers. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [MCP WebSocket extension](/atlas/features/mcp-transport-websocket-extension) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [Computer/browser use](/atlas/features/computer-use) | Unknown | — | — | — |
| [Custom agents](/atlas/features/custom-agents) | Supported | documented | Named custom agents can define expertise, instructions, models, and toolsets. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [Hooks](/atlas/features/hooks) | Supported | documented | Lifecycle hooks can run shell commands at session, prompt, task, and error events. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [Native plugin system](/atlas/features/plugins-native) | Supported | documented | Installable CLI plugins bundle agents, skills, hooks, commands, and integrations. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-292](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-plugin-reference) |
| [Nested subagents](/atlas/features/subagents-nested) | Supported | documented | The CLI documents a configurable subagent tree depth, with a default depth greater than one. | [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [Subagent MCP access](/atlas/features/subagents-mcp-access) | Supported | documented | Plugin-provided agent packages can include MCP server configuration; access remains subject to the agent tool profile. | [S-292](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-plugin-reference) |
| [Subagent write access](/atlas/features/subagents-write-access) | Supported | documented | General-purpose and user-defined subagents can be assigned toolsets that include project modification tools. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [Subagents](/atlas/features/subagents) | Supported | documented | Custom agents run as isolated subagents and the CLI includes task-oriented subagent types. | [S-290](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/overview), [S-291](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-cli-reference/cli-command-reference) |
| [Session handoff/import](/atlas/features/session-handoff) | Unknown | — | — | — |

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