Copilot CLI: Hooks, MCP Servers, Skills, and Customization

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JSON snippets and commands for extending GitHub Copilot CLI with hooks, MCP servers, skills, and repository initialization.

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## Hooks basics

Store hooks in the repository

↗#

.github/hooks/hooks.json

# Hooks are loaded from a repository folder.

Minimal command hook template

↗#

{
  "version": 1,
  "hooks": {
    "preToolUse": [
      {
        "type": "command",
        "bash": "./scripts/pre-tool.sh",
        "powershell": "./scripts/pre-tool.ps1",
        "cwd": "scripts",
        "timeoutSec": 30
      }
    ]
  }
}

# Start with a JSON hook file.

Run a session-start hook script

↗#

{
  "type": "command",
  "bash": "./scripts/session-start.sh",
  "powershell": "./scripts/session-start.ps1",
  "cwd": "scripts",
  "timeoutSec": 30
}

# Trigger repo automation when a session begins.

Log prompts for auditing

↗#

{
  "version": 1,
  "hooks": {
    "sessionStart": [
      {
        "type": "command",
        "bash": "./scripts/audit-log.sh"
      }
    ]
  }
}

# Call a script that records prompt activity.

## MCP servers and built-ins

Add an MCP server for one session from a file

↗#

copilot --additional-mcp-config=@./mcp-extra.json

# Load additional MCP server config at runtime.

Disable all built-in MCP servers

↗#

copilot --disable-builtin-mcps

# Run without the default built-in servers.

Disable a specific MCP server

↗#

copilot --disable-mcp-server=github-mcp-server

# Turn off one named server.

Enable a specific GitHub MCP tool

↗#

copilot --add-github-mcp-tool=search_issues

# Grant access to one GitHub MCP capability.

Enable a GitHub MCP toolset

↗#

copilot --add-github-mcp-toolset=all

# Grant a named toolset instead of individual tools.

Persistent MCP config location

↗#

~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

# Store servers in the user MCP config file.

Local MCP server template

↗#

{
  "my-local-server": {
    "type": "local",
    "command": "node",
    "args": ["./tools/mcp-server.js"],
    "tools": ["*"]
  }
}

# Define a local stdio MCP server.

## Skills and custom agents

Project skill directory

↗#

.github/skills/

# Store project skills in the standard directory.

Minimal skill frontmatter

↗#

---
name: repo-audit
description: Review a repository for risky shell scripts, weak CI defaults, and missing docs.
allowed-tools:
  - shell(git:*)
user-invocable: true
---

Focus on reproducible, low-risk recommendations.

# Define a reusable skill.

List installed skills

↗#