github / github/copilot-cli

Support COPILOT_MODEL_EFFORT for reasoning effort level

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area:configuration area:models
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Description

### Describe the feature or problem you'd like to solve

GitHub Copilot CLI lacks a mechanism to adjust "reasoning effort" for reasoning models (such as the gpt-5 series) when using BYOK

### Proposed solution

When a user sets `COPILOT_MODEL_EFFORT` environment variable, the CLI should pass this parameter to the underlying model API.

This feature will enable developers to use a lower reasoning level through environment variable and to increase the reasoning level for complex architectural designs or debugging tasks to obtain more accurate output, thereby enhancing the utility of the CLI tool in professional development scenarios.

### Example prompts or workflows

```powershell
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_TYPE='azure'
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_WIRE_API='responses'
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL='https://resource-name.openai.azure.com'
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY=$env:AOAI_API_KEY
$env:COPILOT_MODEL_EFFORT='xhigh' # <-- HERE
$env:COPILOT_MODEL='gpt-5.4'
copilot
```

### Additional context

N/A

Contributor guide

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