Microsoft Agent Framework integration

Use Copilot SDK as an agent provider inside the Microsoft Agent Framework (MAF) to compose multi-agent workflows alongside Azure OpenAI, Anthropic, and other providers.

Overview

The Microsoft Agent Framework is the unified successor to Semantic Kernel and AutoGen. It provides a standard interface for building, orchestrating, and deploying AI agents. Dedicated integration packages let you wrap a Copilot SDK client as a first-class MAF agent—interchangeable with any other agent provider in the framework.

Concept	Description
Microsoft Agent Framework	Open-source framework for single- and multi-agent orchestration in .NET and Python
Agent provider	A backend that powers an agent (Copilot, Azure OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
Orchestrator	A MAF component that coordinates agents in sequential, concurrent, or handoff workflows
A2A protocol	Agent-to-Agent communication standard supported by the framework

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A working Copilot SDK setup in your language of choice. See Erste Schritte mit dem Copilot SDK.
• A GitHub Copilot subscription (Individual, Business, or Enterprise).
• Copilot CLI installed or available via the SDK's bundled CLI.

Installation

Install the Copilot SDK alongside the MAF integration package:

dotnet add package GitHub.Copilot.SDK
dotnet add package Microsoft.Agents.AI.GitHub.Copilot --prerelease

For examples in Python, see the microsoft-agent-framework article in the github/copilot-sdk repository.

Basic usage

Wrap the Copilot SDK client as a MAF agent with a single method call. The resulting agent conforms to the framework's standard interface and can be used anywhere a MAF agent is expected.

using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;
using Microsoft.Agents.AI;

await using var copilotClient = new CopilotClient();
await copilotClient.StartAsync();

// Wrap as a MAF agent
AIAgent agent = copilotClient.AsAIAgent();

// Use the standard MAF interface
string response = await agent.RunAsync("Explain how dependency injection works in ASP.NET Core");
Console.WriteLine(response);

For examples in Python, see the microsoft-agent-framework article in the github/copilot-sdk repository.

Adding custom tools

Extend your Copilot agent with custom function tools. Tools defined through the standard Copilot SDK are automatically available when the agent runs inside MAF.

using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;
using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
using Microsoft.Agents.AI;

// Define a custom tool
AIFunction weatherTool = AIFunctionFactory.Create(
    (string location) => $"The weather in {location} is sunny with a high of 25°C.",
    "GetWeather",
    "Get the current weather for a given location."
);

await using var copilotClient = new CopilotClient();
await copilotClient.StartAsync();

// Create agent with tools
AIAgent agent = copilotClient.AsAIAgent(new AIAgentOptions
{
    Tools = new[] { weatherTool },
});

string response = await agent.RunAsync("What's the weather like in Seattle?");
Console.WriteLine(response);

You can also use the Copilot SDK's native tool definition alongside MAF tools:

import { CopilotClient, DefineTool } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

const getWeather = DefineTool({
    name: "GetWeather",
    description: "Get the current weather for a given location.",
    parameters: { location: { type: "string", description: "City name" } },
    execute: async ({ location }) => `The weather in ${location} is sunny, 25°C.`,
});

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    tools: [getWeather],
    onPermissionRequest: async () => ({ kind: "approved" }),
});

await session.sendAndWait({ prompt: "What's the weather like in Seattle?" });

For examples in Python, see the microsoft-agent-framework article in the github/copilot-sdk repository.

Multi-agent workflows

The primary benefit of MAF integration is composing Copilot alongside other agent providers in orchestrated workflows. Use the framework's built-in orchestrators to create pipelines where different agents handle different steps.

Sequential workflow

Run agents one after another, passing output from one to the next:

using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;
using Microsoft.Agents.AI;
using Microsoft.Agents.AI.Orchestration;

await using var copilotClient = new CopilotClient();
await copilotClient.StartAsync();

// Copilot agent for code review
AIAgent reviewer = copilotClient.AsAIAgent(new AIAgentOptions
{
    Instructions = "You review code for bugs, security issues, and best practices. Be thorough.",
});

// Azure OpenAI agent for generating documentation
AIAgent documentor = AIAgent.FromOpenAI(new OpenAIAgentOptions
{
    Model = "gpt-4.1",
    Instructions = "You write clear, concise documentation for code changes.",
});

// Compose in a sequential pipeline
var pipeline = new SequentialOrchestrator(new[] { reviewer, documentor });

string result = await pipeline.RunAsync(
    "Review and document this pull request: added retry logic to the HTTP client"
);
Console.WriteLine(result);

For examples in Python, see the microsoft-agent-framework article in the github/copilot-sdk repository.

Concurrent workflow

Run multiple agents in parallel and aggregate their results:

using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;
using Microsoft.Agents.AI;
using Microsoft.Agents.AI.Orchestration;

await using var copilotClient = new CopilotClient();
await copilotClient.StartAsync();

AIAgent securityReviewer = copilotClient.AsAIAgent(new AIAgentOptions
{
    Instructions = "Focus exclusively on security vulnerabilities and risks.",
});

AIAgent performanceReviewer = copilotClient.AsAIAgent(new AIAgentOptions
{
    Instructions = "Focus exclusively on performance bottlenecks and optimization opportunities.",
});

// Run both reviews concurrently
var concurrent = new ConcurrentOrchestrator(new[] { securityReviewer, performanceReviewer });

string combinedResult = await concurrent.RunAsync(
    "Analyze this database query module for issues"
);
Console.WriteLine(combinedResult);

Streaming responses

When building interactive applications, stream agent responses to show real-time output. The MAF integration preserves the Copilot SDK's streaming capabilities.

using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;
using Microsoft.Agents.AI;

await using var copilotClient = new CopilotClient();
await copilotClient.StartAsync();

AIAgent agent = copilotClient.AsAIAgent(new AIAgentOptions
{
    Streaming = true,
});

await foreach (var chunk in agent.RunStreamingAsync("Write a quicksort implementation in C#"))
{
    Console.Write(chunk);
}
Console.WriteLine();

You can also stream directly through the Copilot SDK without MAF:

import { CopilotClient } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    streaming: true,
    onPermissionRequest: async () => ({ kind: "approved" }),
});

session.on("assistant.message_delta", (event) => {
    process.stdout.write(event.data.delta ?? "");
});

await session.sendAndWait({ prompt: "Write a quicksort implementation in TypeScript" });

For examples in Python, see the microsoft-agent-framework article in the github/copilot-sdk repository.

Configuration reference

MAF agent options

Property	Type	Description
Instructions	string	System prompt for the agent
Tools	AIFunction[] or list	Custom function tools available to the agent
Streaming	bool	Enable streaming responses
Model	string	Override the default model

Copilot SDK options (passed through)

All standard SessionConfig options are available when creating the underlying Copilot client. The MAF wrapper delegates to the SDK under the hood.

SDK feature	MAF support
Custom tools (DefineTool and AIFunctionFactory)	Merged with MAF tools
MCP servers	Configured on the SDK client
Custom agents and sub-agents	Available within the Copilot agent
Infinite sessions	Configured on the SDK client
Model selection	Overridable per agent or per call
Streaming	Full delta event support

Best practices

Choose the right level of integration

Use the MAF wrapper when you need to compose Copilot with other providers in orchestrated workflows. If your application only uses Copilot, the standalone SDK is simpler and gives you full control:

// Standalone SDK — full control, simpler setup
import { CopilotClient } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    onPermissionRequest: async () => ({ kind: "approved" }),
});
const response = await session.sendAndWait({ prompt: "Explain this code" });

Keep agents focused

When building multi-agent workflows, give each agent a specific role with clear instructions. Avoid overlapping responsibilities:

// Too vague — overlapping roles
const agents = [
    { instructions: "Help with code" },
    { instructions: "Assist with programming" },
];

// Focused — clear separation of concerns
const agents = [
    { instructions: "Review code for security vulnerabilities. Flag SQL injection, XSS, and auth issues." },
    { instructions: "Optimize code performance. Focus on algorithmic complexity and memory usage." },
];

Handle errors at the orchestration level

Wrap agent calls in error handling, especially in multi-agent workflows where one agent's failure shouldn't block the entire pipeline:

try
{
    string result = await pipeline.RunAsync("Analyze this module");
    Console.WriteLine(result);
}
catch (AgentException ex)
{
    Console.Error.WriteLine($"Agent {ex.AgentName} failed: {ex.Message}");
    // Fall back to single-agent mode or retry
}

Further reading

• Erste Schritte mit dem Copilot SDK
• Microsoft Agent Framework documentation
• Blog: Build AI Agents with GitHub Copilot SDK and Microsoft Agent Framework