Cannot use access_token from GitHub App to call create_pull_request_with_copilot

[adcloeshelle]

Describe the bug

I am using the MCP server to create a pull request and assign it to the Copilot Coding Agent. When using a GitHub App access_token, it returns a 401 unauthorized. When using a PAT (fine-grained) from my personal account, it also returns a 401 unauthorized. When using a PAT (classic), it does work.

Affected version

Remote MCP

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Generate an installation token for a GitHub app
2. Ask Copilot to create a pull request and assign it to Copilot via the Remote MCP

Expected vs actual behavior

Expected: Pull Request is created
Actual: 401 Unauthorized received

[almaleksia]

Hey @adcloeshelle

Can you share additional info about your app:

1. What are the permissions configured for your app?
2. Is your app installed on the repo you're trying to create a PR in?

[adcloeshelle]

1. Here are the permissions. Are there any others I need to set?

2. Yes it is installed.

[ozgkrc]

Any update on this @almaleksia ? We have created script to fetch jira tickets and delegate copilot to create PRs using create_pull_request_with_copilot. It works well with PAT but when we want to use it organisation wide through gh apps with installation token we get 401.

[almaleksia]

@adcloeshelle thanks for the info.

You also need Repository -> Contents -> Read and Write permission (UPD - sorry, seems like you have it in your list)
Can you give me the handle of a user you're trying to launch coding agent with and approximate date when you made these attempts?

[almaleksia]

@ozgkrc installation tokens won't work with Coding Agent, it needs to be launched on behalf of a user with copilot seat.

If you want your flow to work you need to create a bot user with copilot license and use personal access token to launch agent on its behalf.

[adcloeshelle]

@almaleksia We are trying to use a GitHub App - is there a handle for the GitHub app? I can share the App ID privately if that would be helpful.

Although in your message here: #1082 (comment), you say it needs to be a bot user with a copilot license. Our flow is very similar to what @ozgkrc is describing. Does that mean we can't use a GitHub App for this type of flow? One note is our organization uses Enterprise Managed Users where Single Sign-on is required so it's not easy (or possible?) to create a Bot user

[almaleksia]

@adcloeshelle 👋

Got it. Yes, unfortunately using Coding Agent with GitHub App without a user is not possible. You can use GitHub app but it needs to be authenticated on behalf of a user, like it is described here: https://docs.github.com/en/apps/creating-github-apps/authenticating-with-a-github-app/authenticating-with-a-github-app-on-behalf-of-a-user

Launching Coding Agent requires Copilot License which is assigned on a user basis. You can create SSO-authorized tokens for your bot as described in this doc: https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/authentication/authenticating-with-single-sign-on/authorizing-a-personal-access-token-for-use-with-single-sign-on