How to Build an Agentic Workflow with MCP and Copilot CLI

The MCP integration in GitHub Copilot CLI is the most practical developer tool update this week. Here's how to use it today. First, ensure you have the latest Copilot CLI installed. Run 'gh copilot upgrade' if you're on an older version. Once updated, open your terminal and type '/mcp search' to see available servers. Start with the official GitHub MCP server — it gives Copilot access to your repositories, issues, and pull requests. Install it with '/mcp add github'. Now, the real power comes from chaining. You can tell Copilot to 'find all open issues labeled bug, create a branch for each, and assign them to the most recent contributor who worked on that file.' Copilot will use the GitHub MCP server to query issues, create branches, and assign tasks. Add your CI/CD pipeline's MCP server next. If you're using GitHub Actions, there's a first-party server. Install it with '/mcp add github-actions'. Now you can say 'run the test suite on the main branch and tell me if it passes.' Copilot will trigger the workflow and report results. The key constraint to remember: MCP servers are sandboxed. They can only perform actions you've explicitly authorized. Start with read-only servers to build trust, then gradually enable write operations. The productivity gain is exponential — every tool you connect becomes something Copilot can orchestrate. Build your MCP toolkit incrementally. Connect one server per day. By next week, you'll have an agentic coding environment that handles multi-step workflows from a single terminal command.