GitHub Copilot CLI for Beginners: Overview of common slash commands

GitHub Copilot has expanded beyond code editors into the terminal itself. Copilot CLI brings AI-assisted command suggestions directly to your shell, making it easier to construct complex commands without memorizing syntax or hunting through documentation. For developers working with AWS, building automation scripts, or managing cloud infrastructure from the command line, this tool can significantly reduce friction when dealing with unfamiliar tools or verbose command syntax.

Copilot CLI works by accepting natural language descriptions of what you want to accomplish, then translating them into actual shell commands. When you type a slash command like ?? or git!, you’re signaling to Copilot that you need help. The tool analyzes your input, considers the context of your current shell environment and recent commands, and suggests appropriate commands to run. It understands common cloud CLI tools like the AWS CLI, kubectl, Terraform, and others—meaning you can ask for help with complex flags and arguments without needing to reference man pages. The suggestions appear inline or in a prompt, letting you review before executing.

The practical advantage here is time savings on the most repetitive part of terminal work: command construction. Instead of googling “how to list all S3 buckets matching a pattern” or “kubectl command to view pod logs from the last 5 minutes,” you can describe what you want in plain English. For teams building CI/CD pipelines, managing cloud infrastructure, or automating deployments, this reduces context-switching and keeps your flow uninterrupted. It’s particularly valuable when working across multiple tools in a single shift—moving from AWS CLI to Docker commands to Linux utilities. Newer team members also benefit, as they can learn by seeing what commands Copilot suggests alongside its explanations.

To get started, you’ll need GitHub Copilot subscription access and to install Copilot CLI on your machine. The slash commands are the entry points: ?? typically explains a command, while others help with git, shell, or tool-specific tasks. It’s worth treating it as a learning tool as well—reviewing suggested commands teaches you proper syntax and flags you might use again later. For cloud engineers and automation-focused developers, integrating this into your daily workflow can help you work faster while building deeper knowledge of the tools themselves.