GitHub Copilot authentication¶

Use the github-copilot provider with a GitHub CLI login or Copilot Plugin credentials. Chat requests default to Chat Completions; Responses and Messages are also supported.

Get started¶

Install Republic using the quickstart. With an existing gh auth login, replace MODEL_ID with a model that supports Chat Completions for your account and run:

import asyncio

import republic


async def main():
    model = republic.get_model("github-copilot:MODEL_ID")
    response = await model.chat("Say hello in one sentence.")
    print(response.text)


asyncio.run(main())

Authentication¶

The default GitHubCLIAuth() reads gh auth token for each request and sends that credential directly to Copilot. The CLI also honors GH_TOKEN and GITHUB_TOKEN.

Log in with GitHub CLI¶

To start a new CLI login inside an async function:

from republic.providers import GitHubCLIAuth

auth = await GitHubCLIAuth.login()

Pass the result as auth= to get_model(). hostname= and executable= select the GitHub host and executable.

Use Copilot Plugin credentials¶

An existing Plugin GitHub token uses auth=CopilotAuth(saved_token), imported from republic.providers. This path exchanges the credential for a Copilot inference token. Reuse the auth object to cache that token and renew it before expiry.

Authorize the Copilot Plugin¶

For a new Plugin authorization, call this inside an async function:

from republic.providers import CopilotAuth

auth = await CopilotAuth.login()

The helper displays a verification URL and code. Supply an async on_authorize(url, code) callback to present them in your own UI. Pass the returned object as auth= to get_model().

Store and refresh credentials¶

The GitHub CLI stores CLI credentials. For Plugin authorization, save auth.github_token and restore it with CopilotAuth(saved_token). Republic renews the exchanged inference token; renew the original GitHub credential when needed.

Model support¶

Use chat() for a complete response or stream() for events. Choose a format supported by the model. To select Responses, replace the model construction in the example with:

model = republic.get_model("github-copilot:MODEL_ID", api_format="responses")

Model access depends on your subscription and organization policy. A successful GitHub login does not establish access to every Copilot model.

Endpoint and header behavior¶

Plugin exchange selects the API origin returned by the service, which can replace the origin set through api_base=. Plugin client headers have defaults; headers= can override them.

For a GitHub App installation credential on the direct path, supply the issuing app's integration ID with headers={"Copilot-Integration-Id": "<integration-id>"}. See configuration for auth precedence.