GitHub Copilot

Use GitHub Copilot CLI for AI-powered code suggestions and explanations

Actions3

Overview

This node integrates with the GitHub Copilot CLI to provide AI-powered code suggestions, explanations, and shell command recommendations directly within an n8n workflow. It leverages the official GitHub Copilot CLI tool (gh copilot) to generate helpful outputs based on user prompts.

Common scenarios where this node is beneficial include:

Getting code snippets or completions in various programming languages.
Understanding or explaining existing code or commands.
Receiving shell command suggestions tailored to specific contexts like Git, Docker, npm/yarn, or file operations.

Practical examples:

A developer wants a quick explanation of a complex function snippet.
Automating generation of boilerplate code for a given task.
Suggesting shell commands to automate deployment steps.

Properties

Name	Meaning
Prompt	The main request or question you want GitHub Copilot to assist with. For example, "Explain this function" or "Suggest a Python function to parse JSON".
GitHub Token (Optional)	An optional authentication token generated by the GitHub CLI (`gh auth token`). Only tokens created via the GitHub CLI work; personal access tokens from the GitHub website are not compatible. If omitted, local CLI authentication is used.
Filter Output	When enabled, removes GitHub Copilot CLI headers and footers from the response, leaving only the useful content.
Additional Context	Optional extra information or constraints to provide better, more relevant suggestions.

Output

The node outputs a JSON object per input item containing:

operation: The selected operation (explain in this case).
prompt: The original prompt text.
context: Any additional context provided.
authMethod: Indicates whether authentication was done using a manual token or local CLI.
tokenUsed: Boolean indicating if a manual token was used.
tokenPrefix: First 4 characters of the token followed by ellipsis if a manual token was used; otherwise "none".
output: The filtered or raw output from the GitHub Copilot CLI, depending on the filter setting.
cliRawOutput: The full raw standard output from the CLI command.
cliStderr: Standard error output from the CLI command, if any.
timestamp: ISO timestamp when the execution occurred.

No binary data is produced by this node.

Dependencies

Requires the GitHub Copilot CLI (gh copilot) installed and accessible at /usr/bin/gh.
Optionally requires a valid GitHub CLI-generated token for authentication or prior login via gh auth login on the host machine.
Node.js environment must allow executing child processes.
No additional external services beyond GitHub Copilot API accessed through the CLI.

Troubleshooting

Authentication errors (HTTP 401): Usually caused by missing or invalid tokens. Ensure you use a token generated by gh auth token or run gh auth login locally before running the node.
Access denied (HTTP 403): Your GitHub account might lack an active Copilot subscription.
Server errors (HTTP 500): Temporary GitHub service issues; retry after some time.
Malformed requests (HTTP 400): Check the prompt and parameters for correctness.
Timeouts or large buffer errors: The node sets a 30-second timeout and 1MB max buffer for CLI output; very large responses may cause issues.
Local CLI not found or executable permission issues: Verify that /usr/bin/gh exists and is executable by the n8n process.