How does model selection work in GitHub Copilot CLI?

Copilot CLI supports multiple AI models and provides several ways to select or switch models - at launch, during a session, or automatically.

# Select a model at launch with --model flag
copilot --model claude-3-7-sonnet

# Use auto to let Copilot pick the best available model
copilot --model auto

# Or set via environment variable
export COPILOT_MODEL=gpt-4o
copilot

# Switch model during an interactive session
/model                        # list available models
/model gpt-4o                 # switch to a specific model
/model auto                   # switch to auto-selection

# /model is also useful for comparing approaches:
# Run the same prompt with different models to see
# which handles your use case better

Auto model selection: passing auto lets Copilot automatically pick the best available model for each task. This is the recommended setting if you don't have a specific preference, as Copilot can route different request types to the most appropriate model.

Available models depend on your Copilot plan. Higher-tier plans (Business, Enterprise, Pro+, Max) have access to a wider range of models. Use /model inside a session to see which models are currently available to your account.

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