Install the gh-aw CLI Extension
August 8, 2026 ยท View on GitHub
gh-aw is the CLI extension that compiles your agentic workflow Markdown files and triggers runs from your terminal.
Note
Using your own machine instead? Take the optional Install gh-aw in a Local Terminal side quest.
:dart: What You'll Do
You'll verify the gh CLI is authenticated, install the gh-aw extension, and run one quick diagnostic to confirm your Codespace terminal is ready for agentic workflow setup.
:clipboard: Before You Start
- You've completed What Are Agentic Workflows?
- You have a Codespace terminal open (from Set Up a Codespace)
Run this to confirm gh is authenticated before continuing:
gh auth status
Expected output: Logged in to github.com as <your-username>. If you see an error, return to Verify your Codespace is ready.
Install from terminal
Check whether gh-aw is already installed, then install or update accordingly:
gh aw --version
- Version shown? Update the extension:
gh extension upgrade github/gh-aw - Command not found? Install using the install script:
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/gh-aw/main/install-gh-aw.sh | bash
gh aw --version
You should see output like gh-aw version 0.81.6.
Note
Outside of Codespaces, you can also install with gh extension install github/gh-aw. In org-owned Codespaces the GitHub token is scoped to the org and cannot access the extension marketplace, so the curl script is the reliable path.
Need more help? See Side Quest: Install gh-aw Troubleshooting.
Run a quick diagnostic
gh aw doctor
This verifies your GitHub CLI authentication using the same setup checks gh-aw expects before later authoring and compile steps.
Expected result: a success message confirming GitHub CLI authentication. If it fails, use Side Quest: Install gh-aw Troubleshooting, then rerun gh aw doctor.
Initialize agentic workflow skills
Before you author your first workflow, initialize and push the generated skill files:
gh aw init
git add .
git commit -m "Initialize agentic workflow skills"
git push
This creates several files needed for agentic workflow authoring:
.github/skills/agentic-workflows/SKILL.md,
.github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md,
.github/agents/agentic-workflows.md, .github/mcp.json,
.github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml, and .vscode/settings.json.
:running_man: Try It
Run gh aw --help and scan the list of sub-commands.
Which one sub-command do you expect to use in Step 7 when you create and run your first workflow?
Want to understand how Copilot authenticates with your workflow? :arrow_right: Side Quest: Configure GitHub Copilot for Agentic Workflows