Not able to login programatically using PAT token

[vardaan-gupta]

Describe the bug

I am trying to authenticate using Github Token, I have configured in secrets and variables in my repo.
The token has copilot requests access.
I am also able to login with same PAT token and execute copilot commands using interactive mode.

However, when i use the token in a workflow file below it is giving me error.

FILE

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 * * *'  # Runs at 12:00 AM (midnight) UTC daily
  workflow_dispatch:  # Manual trigger

jobs:
  run-command:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    
    steps:
    - name: Checkout code
      uses: actions/checkout@v4
      
    - name: Setup Node.js
      uses: actions/setup-node@v4
      with:
        node-version: '22'
        
    - name: Install GitHub Copilot CLI
      run: |
        echo "Installing GitHub Copilot CLI at $(date)"
        npm install -g @github/copilot
        
    - name: Authenticate and use GitHub Copilot
      env:
        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.COPILOT_TOKEN }}
      run: |
        echo "Authenticating with GitHub Copilot"
        copilot --version
        echo $GITHUB_TOKEN
        
        echo "using Copilot"
        copilot -p "Generate unit test cases with spring test framework " --allow-all-tools

Execution Log

Run echo "Authenticating with GitHub Copilot"
  echo "Authenticating with GitHub Copilot"
  copilot --version
  echo $GITHUB_TOKEN
  
  echo "Generating documentation with Copilot"
  copilot -p "create a Documentation.md file and add below documentation - Provide a high-level description of the repository purpose and functionality - Include information about the system architecture and main components - Explain how different parts of the system interact with each other" --allow-all-tools
  shell: /usr/bin/bash -e {0}
  env:
    GITHUB_TOKEN: ***
Authenticating with GitHub Copilot
0.0.335
Commit: 48dc015
***
Generating documentation with Copilot
**Error: No authentication information found.**

Copilot can be authenticated with GitHub using an OAuth Token or a Fine-Grained Personal Access Token.

To authenticate, you can use any of the following methods:
  • Start 'copilot' and run the '/login' command
  • Set the GH_TOKEN or GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable
  • Run 'gh auth login' to authenticate with the GitHub CLI
**Error: Process completed with exit code 1.**

Affected version

0.0.335

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. configure a PAT token in your repo.
2. add above workflow file in you github repo.
3. execute the workflow file.

Expected behavior

Copilot should login using GITHUB_TOKEN env variable.

Additional context

I am using personal Github Account for this.

[williammartin]

Super strange. Let's see if we can isolate the issue a bit more, what happens if in your workflow you do:

curl https://api.githubcopilot.com/models -H "Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN" -H "Copilot-Integration-Id: copilot-developer"

Just as an attempt to hit an API that requires the PAT authentication, without copilot in the middle.

[williammartin]

Also, just to be super clear, though you said:

The token has copilot requests access.

Can you take a screenshot of the permissions page?

[vardaan-gupta]

Please find the permissions of the token.

[williammartin]

Hey @vardaan-gupta, this is a classic/legacy PAT which actually does not have copilot requests as a scope. You need to create a fine-grained PAT here: https://github.com/settings/personal-access-tokens.

Here's a screenshot of my token:

[vardaan-gupta]

I run the curl in the workflow.

- name: Authenticate and use GitHub Copilot
      env:
        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.COPILOT_TOKEN }}
      run: |
        echo "Authenticating with GitHub Copilot"
        copilot --version
        echo $GITHUB_TOKEN
        
        echo "Generating documentation with Copilot"
        #copilot -p "create a Documentation.md file and add below documentation - Provide a high-level description of the repository purpose and functionality - Include information about the system architecture and main components - Explain how different parts of the system interact with each other" --allow-all-tools
        curl https://api.githubcopilot.com/models -H "Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN" -H "Copilot-Integration-Id: copilot-developer"

Seems like PAT tokens are not eligible to be used for this endpoint.

Run echo "Authenticating with GitHub Copilot"
  echo "Authenticating with GitHub Copilot"
  copilot --version
  echo $GITHUB_TOKEN
  
  echo "Generating documentation with Copilot"
  # copilot -p "create a Documentation.md file and add below documentation - Provide a high-level description of the repository purpose and functionality - Include information about the system architecture and main components - Explain how different parts of the system interact with each other" --allow-all-tools
  curl https://api.githubcopilot.com/models -H "Authorization: ***" -H "Copilot-Integration-Id: copilot-developer"
  shell: /usr/bin/bash -e {0}
  env:
    GITHUB_TOKEN: ***
Authenticating with GitHub Copilot
0.0.335
Commit: 48dc015
***
Generating documentation with Copilot
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed

  0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--     0
100    72  100    72    0     0   1073      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--  1090
bad request: Personal Access Tokens are not supported for this endpoint

[vardaan-gupta]

Thanks, @williammartin my copilot command worked with fine grained token. 👍

the curl you suggested however gives me bad token error.

% Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed

 0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--     0
100    72  100    72    0     0   1692      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--  1714
bad request: Personal Access Tokens are not supported for this endpoint

[williammartin]

bad request: Personal Access Tokens are not supported for this endpoint

That's strange. It worked for me. Maybe there is some staff toggle, I'll look into it.

[williammartin]

Oh yah it's cause I gave you the wrong integration ID in the curl request, it needed to be copilot-developer-cli:

curl https://api.githubcopilot.com/models -H "Authorization: $GITHUB_TOKEN" -H "Copilot-Integration-Id: copilot-developer-cli"

Solved, thanks.