Copilot Bridge (VS Code Extension)

Expose GitHub Copilot as a local, OpenAI-compatible HTTP endpoint running inside VS Code. The bridge forwards chat requests to Copilot using the VS Code Language Model API and streams results back to you.

What you get:

• Local HTTP server (loopback-only by default)
• OpenAI-style endpoints and payloads
• Server-Sent Events (SSE) streaming for chat completions
• Dynamic listing of available Copilot chat models

Endpoints exposed:

• POST /v1/chat/completions — OpenAI-style chat API (streaming by default)
• GET /v1/models — lists available Copilot models
• GET /healthz — health + VS Code version

The extension will autostart and requires VS Code to be running.

Why this?

I was looking for a Github Copilot CLI experience along the likes of OpenAI Codex and Claude Code, but found a bit underwhelming support for that in the current offering. I thought this could be a stepping stone to a proper CLI (or agentic orchestration) built on-top of Github Copilot. While we await the real thing.

Don't break your Copilot license

This extension enable you to use your Copilot outside of VS Code for your own personal use only obeying the same terms as set forth in the VS Code and Github Copilot terms of service.

Use at your own risk: You are solely responsible for adhering to the license terms of your Copilot subscription.

Quick start

Requirements:

• VS Code Desktop with GitHub Copilot signed in
• If building locally: Node.js 18+ and npm

Steps (dev run):

1. Install and compile

npm install
npm run compile

1. Press F5 in VS Code to launch an Extension Development Host

2. In the Dev Host, enable the bridge

• Command Palette → “Copilot Bridge: Enable”
• Or set setting bridge.enabled = true

1. Check status

• Command Palette → “Copilot Bridge: Status” (shows bound address/port and whether a token is required)

Optional: package a VSIX

npm run package

Then install the generated .vsix via “Extensions: Install from VSIX…”.

Use it

Replace PORT with what “Copilot Bridge: Status” shows.

• List models

curl http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/v1/models

• Stream a completion

curl -N -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"gpt-4o-copilot","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"hello"}]}' \
  http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/v1/chat/completions

• Non-streaming

curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"gpt-4o-copilot","stream":false,"messages":[{"role":"user","content":"hello"}]}' \
  http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/v1/chat/completions

Tip: You can also pass a family like "gpt-4o" as model. If unavailable you’ll get 404 with code model_not_found.

Using OpenAI SDK (Node.js)

Point your client to the bridge and use your token (if set) as apiKey.

import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
  baseURL: `http://127.0.0.1:${process.env.PORT}/v1`,
  apiKey: process.env.BRIDGE_TOKEN || "not-used-when-empty",
});

const rsp = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: "gpt-4o-copilot",
  messages: [{ role: "user", content: "hello" }],
  stream: false,
});
console.log(rsp.choices[0].message?.content);

How it works

The extension uses VS Code’s Language Model API to select a GitHub Copilot chat model and forward your conversation. Messages are normalized to preserve the last system prompt and the most recent user/assistant turns (configurable window). Responses are streamed back via SSE or returned as a single JSON payload.

Configuration (bridge.*)

Settings live under “Copilot Bridge” in VS Code settings:

Status bar: Shows availability and bound address (e.g., “Copilot Bridge: OK @ 127.0.0.1:12345”).

Endpoints

GET /healthz

Returns { ok: true, copilot: "ok" | "unavailable", reason?: string, version: <vscode.version> }.

GET /v1/models

Returns { data: [{ id, object: "model", owned_by: "vscode-bridge" }] }.

POST /v1/chat/completions

OpenAI-style body with messages and optional model and stream. Streaming uses SSE with data: { ... } events and a final data: [DONE].

Accepted model values:

• IDs from /v1/models (e.g., gpt-4o-copilot)
• Copilot family names (e.g., gpt-4o)
• copilot to allow default selection

Common errors:

• 401 unauthorized when token is set but header is missing/incorrect
• 404 model_not_found when the requested family/ID isn’t available
• 429 rate_limit_exceeded when above bridge.maxConcurrent
• 503 copilot_unavailable when the Language Model API or Copilot model isn’t available

Logs and diagnostics

To view logs:

1. Enable “bridge.verbose” (optional)
2. View → Output → “Copilot Bridge”
3. Trigger requests to see HTTP lines, model selection, SSE lifecycle, and health messages

If the Language Model API is missing or your VS Code build doesn’t support it, you’ll see a message in the Output channel. Use a recent VS Code build and make sure GitHub Copilot is signed in.

Security notes

• Binds to 127.0.0.1 by default. Do not expose to remote interfaces.
• Set bridge.token to require Authorization: Bearer <token> on every request.
• Single-user, local process; intended for local tooling and experiments.

Troubleshooting

The /healthz endpoint may report copilot: "unavailable" for reasons like:

• missing_language_model_api — VS Code API not available
• copilot_model_unavailable — No Copilot models selectable
• not_found — Requested model/family not found
• consent_required, rate_limited, copilot_unavailable — provider-specific or transient issues

POST /v1/chat/completions returns 503 with similar reason codes when Copilot isn’t usable.

Development

• Build: npm run compile
• Watch: npm run watch
• Entry point: src/extension.ts

License

Apache-2.0