Create applications with the Copilot CLI

In this exercise, you’ll learn to use GitHub Copilot CLI as a standalone terminal tool for issue management and for building a Node.js calculator application.

You will learn:

  • Use GitHub Copilot CLI to support issue management workflows.
  • Collaborate interactively from the terminal to generate and refine code.
  • Apply Copilot CLI to build a simple Node.js application using an iterative workflow.

Before you start

To complete this exercise, you need:

  • Familiarity with basic command line (CLI) operations.
  • Basic knowledge of GitHub repositories.
  • Node.js version 22 or later (for Copilot CLI installation).
  • A GitHub Copilot subscription (Pro, Pro+, Business, or Enterprise).

Complete the exercise on GitHub

In this exercise, you’ll complete a guided GitHub Skills tutorial focused on Copilot CLI.

The exercise consists of the following activities:

  1. Open a web browser and navigate to the exercise page:
    https://github.com/skills/create-applications-with-the-copilot-cli
  2. Follow the instructions provided in the repository to complete all challenges.
  3. Work through each step to:
    • Learn to install the standalone Copilot CLI and use an issue template.
    • Use Copilot CLI to create an issue for a Node.js calculator app from an existing template.
    • Practice iterative development by working together with Copilot on the command line.

When you finish, return to your learning experience to complete any knowledge check and earn completion credit.

What you’ve learned

After completing this exercise, you should be able to:

  • Use GitHub Copilot CLI to support issue management workflows.
  • Collaborate interactively from the terminal to generate and refine code.
  • Apply Copilot CLI to build a simple Node.js application using an iterative workflow.

Congratulations — you’ve completed the Copilot CLI exercise!