--- title: GitHub Copilot CLI with AI Gateway product: vercel url: /docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/copilot canonical_url: "https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/copilot" last_updated: 2026-09-13 type: how-to prerequisites: - /docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents - /docs/ai-gateway related: - /docs/cli/ai-gateway - /docs/ai-gateway/observability-and-spend/observability - /docs/ai-gateway/sdks-and-apis/openai-chat-completions - /docs/ai-gateway/observability-and-spend/budgets summary: Connect GitHub Copilot CLI to AI Gateway with the Vercel CLI or environment variables for the provider URL, API key, and model. install_vercel_plugin: npx plugins add vercel/vercel-plugin --- # GitHub Copilot CLI with AI Gateway [GitHub Copilot CLI](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/github-copilot-in-the-cli) is GitHub's terminal coding agent. Its bring-your-own-key mode uses environment variables, so this mode needs no config file or GitHub sign-in. ## Related pages > **For AI agents:** Follow these links to understand how this page connects to the rest of the Vercel ecosystem. For the full cross-link map (inbound, outbound, prerequisites, and semantic neighbors), see the .graph.md link below. - [Set up coding agents in one command with AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/changelog/set-up-coding-agents-in-one-command-with-ai-gateway?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fcopilot&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) - [Continue CLI with AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/continue?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fcopilot&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) — Connect Continue CLI to AI Gateway with the Vercel CLI or a YAML model configuration that reads your API key from the en - [Deep Agents CLI with AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/deepagents?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fcopilot&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) — Connect Deep Agents CLI to AI Gateway with the Vercel CLI or a TOML provider and model profiles. - [Command Code with AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/command-code?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fcopilot&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) — Connect Command Code to AI Gateway with your own API key and a custom base URL. Configure models, switch between them, a - [OpenCode with AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/opencode?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fcopilot&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) — Connect OpenCode to AI Gateway with one CLI command, or configure it in-app. - [ForgeCode with AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/forge?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fcopilot&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) — Connect ForgeCode to AI Gateway with the Vercel CLI or custom provider and credential files. Full cross-link map for this page: [/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/copilot.graph.md](/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/copilot.graph.md?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fcopilot&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=graph) ## Set up with the Vercel CLI Run the [Vercel CLI setup command](/docs/cli/ai-gateway#setup) for GitHub Copilot CLI: ```bash filename="terminal" npx vercel ai-gateway setup --agent copilot ``` The command exports `COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL`, `COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY`, and `COPILOT_MODEL` from a managed block in your shell startup file. It doesn't write a config file. ## Configuring GitHub Copilot CLI If you can't use the Vercel CLI, configure GitHub Copilot CLI manually: - ### Create an API key Go to the [**AI Gateway**](https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai-gateway\&title=Go+to+AI+Gateway) section in the Vercel dashboard sidebar and click **API keys** to create a new API key. - ### Export the environment variables Copilot CLI activates its BYOK provider as soon as `COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL` is set. Export all three variables in your shell: ```bash filename="Terminal" export COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL="https://ai-gateway.vercel.sh/coding-agent/v1" export COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY="your-ai-gateway-api-key" export COPILOT_MODEL="openai/gpt-6-astra" ``` To persist them, add the same lines to your shell's startup file. `COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY` carries the key, and `COPILOT_MODEL` selects the default gateway model. - ### Start Copilot CLI Open a new terminal so the variables are loaded, then start the agent: ```bash filename="Terminal" copilot ``` GitHub sign-in is not required in this mode. - ### Switch models Set `COPILOT_MODEL` to any gateway model ID, or pass it per run: ```bash filename="Terminal" copilot --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 ``` ### Monitor usage and spend View your usage, spend, and request activity in the [**AI Gateway**](https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai-gateway\&title=Go+to+AI+Gateway) section in the Vercel dashboard sidebar. See the [observability documentation](/docs/ai-gateway/observability-and-spend/observability) for more details. ## Environment variables | Variable | Description | | --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL` | The gateway base URL: `https://ai-gateway.vercel.sh/coding-agent/v1`. Setting it activates BYOK mode. Required | | `COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY` | Your AI Gateway API key. Required | | `COPILOT_MODEL` | Default gateway model ID, for example `openai/gpt-6-astra`. Optional | > **💡 Note:** Copilot CLI calls AI Gateway through the [OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions > API](/docs/ai-gateway/sdks-and-apis/openai-chat-completions), so any model > that supports Chat Completions works. ## Next steps - Browse the [models catalog](/ai-gateway/models) for available models - Configure [spend limits](/docs/ai-gateway/observability-and-spend/budgets) on your API key --- [View full sitemap](/docs/sitemap)