Check GitHub CLI authentication status
Verify whether GitHub CLI is already logged in.
bashANYcopilotauthgh
bash
gh auth statusNotes
Use this when Copilot reports missing auth information and you want to inspect your GitHub CLI auth state.
Copilot CLI Troubleshooting: Authentication, Access, Policies, and Recovery
Commands for diagnosing Copilot CLI authentication failures, token issues, wrapper install problems, and access-policy errors.
Export
Copy the compact sheet, download it, or print it.
Download
`D` dense toggle · `C` copy all
Authentication troubleshooting
Diagnose missing credentials, invalid tokens, and wrong-account problems.
bash
copilot loginNotes
The official fix for missing or expired credentials is often to sign in again.
Check whether the Copilot token env var is set
Inspect the highest-priority token variable.
bashANYcopilotauthenv
bash
echo $COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKENNotes
If nothing prints, the variable is not set in the current shell environment.
bash
echo $GH_TOKENNotes
`GH_TOKEN` takes precedence over `GITHUB_TOKEN` but not over `COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN`.
bash
echo $GITHUB_TOKENNotes
A stale or unexpected value here can lead to wrong-account or permission confusion.
Set a fine-grained token for CLI auth
Export a supported token into the current shell.
bashANYcopilotauthtoken
bash
export COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN=PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKENNotes
Use a supported fine-grained token rather than a classic PAT.
Install, access, and policy issues
Fix common setup blockers related to plans, policies, and keychains.
Print the installed CLI version for support
Check whether your binary is current.
bashANYcopilottroubleshootingversion
bash
copilot versionNotes
A mismatched version is a frequent cause of behavior not matching the docs.
Update before deeper debugging
Refresh the binary to the latest release.
bashANYcopilottroubleshootingupdate
bash
copilot updateNotes
This can resolve issues caused by old builds or wrapper download state.
Remove the gh-managed binary and re-download
Reset a broken gh wrapper install.
bashANYcopilottroubleshootinggh
bash
gh copilot --remove && gh copilotNotes
Useful when the `gh` wrapper has cached a bad or stale binary.
Linux keychain fix note
Install keychain support when secure storage is unavailable.
textANYcopilottroubleshootingkeychainlinux
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Install libsecret or accept plaintext credential storage when prompted.Notes
The auth troubleshooting guide calls out missing keychain support as a common failure mode.
Confirm plan and organization policy access
Verify subscription and org-level Copilot CLI policy.
textANYcopilottroubleshootingpolicy
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Check that your Copilot plan is active and that your organization or enterprise has not disabled Copilot CLI.Notes
403 and policy-denied errors often come from licensing or admin settings rather than local CLI bugs.
Safe debugging patterns
Use lower-risk ways to understand what Copilot is doing and why.
bash
copilot help permissionsNotes
Useful when debugging why a tool did or did not run.
Read the environment help topic
Inspect supported environment controls.
bashANYcopilothelpenvironment
bash
copilot help environmentNotes
A quick way to confirm environment variable names and behavior.
Inspect usage metrics during a problematic session
Check how the session is behaving.
textANYcopilottroubleshootingusage
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/usageNotes
A good checkpoint when responses feel truncated, expensive, or oddly slow.
Inspect context pressure
Check whether the session has too much accumulated context.
textANYcopilottroubleshootingcontext
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/contextNotes
Long sessions can lose precision if important details are compressed or summarized.
Compact before retrying a task
Reduce context noise before asking again.
textANYcopilottroubleshootingcompact
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/compactNotes
A helpful move when the agent starts drifting or repeating itself.
Force a clean auth reset
Log out and back in when account state looks wrong.
bashANYcopilottroubleshootingauth-reset
bash
copilot logout && copilot loginNotes
A straightforward fix for wrong-account, revoked token, or cached-credential issues.
More in Copilot CLI
Copilot CLI: Hooks, MCP Servers, Skills, and Customization
JSON snippets and commands for extending GitHub Copilot CLI with hooks, MCP servers, skills, and repository initialization.
Copilot CLI: Automation, Programmatic Mode, Scripts, and GitHub Actions
Programmatic Copilot CLI usage patterns for scripts, CI jobs, GitHub Actions, and reusable automation flows.
Copilot CLI: Permissions, Config, Trusted Folders, and Environment Variables
Commands and JSON snippets for Copilot CLI permissions, tool access, trusted directories, environment variables, and persistent configuration.
Copilot CLI: Slash Commands, Shortcuts, Review, and Session Control
Slash commands and keyboard shortcuts for managing sessions, reviewing changes, sharing output, and using advanced agent features in Copilot CLI.
Copilot CLI: Prompting, Interactive Use, and Core Workflows
Commands and prompt patterns for interactive use, one-shot prompts, file-aware context, and common terminal Copilot workflows.
Copilot CLI: Install, Update, Authenticate, and Launch
Commands for installing GitHub Copilot CLI, authenticating, updating, and starting interactive or wrapped sessions.